Tutorial: How I made a replacement Tension Check Spring

When I broke the tension check spring on my vintage Empisal Goldline sewing machine, I was unable to buy a replacement.

Here's how I made a replacement by salvaging a tension spring from another sewing machine:
  
 I salvaged a tension spring which had these characteristic in common with the broken spring:

•  same coil length,

• same coil diameter,

• coils wound in the same direction as the broken one.

Using wire side-cutters, I cut the salvaged tension check spring to resemble the original.

 

= Voila! Replacement spring ready to go.
:)