When I was fighting with these, I found that the holes for the springs ABSOLUTELY need to be in a straight line, not angled to one side or the other, even a little bit, will push it back to one side or the other. Make sure the holes are parallel with the straight rail.
when you want this kind of spring work in both directions. the hole in the throwbar and in the neighbouring sleeper must be aligned, when the throwbar is neither at the straight, nor in the curved position, but exactly in the middle between the two.
then being the distance between the two holes a little longer in the two endpositions, than in the middle, the spring pushes the hole in the throwbar towards one endposition.
when either cutting wheels or the throw mecanism push the throwbar over the middlespot, the spring pushes towards the other direction.
don’t give the spring too much slack in its holes!
you got only about 2.5 mm working space in each direction. (about a 10th of an inch)
.
The holes are in a straight line, and parallel with the straight rail. The problem might be with slop in the holes. Will investigate that.
Thanks, guys.
Steve If you go back and look at the pictures real close, you’ll see that I do use a jointed point.
(http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/6929/dscf1184jp.jpg)
look at the rail in the top of the photo It is hard to see but it is there. I use AMS joiners and cut them in half. With out the joints, I think it will be hard to use the spring over action you want cause the rail is too stiff. Hope this helps you Rodney
Bob McCown said:
Make sure the holes are parallel with the straight rail.
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/rgs009.jpg)
Steve Featherkile said:
The holes are in a straight line, and parallel with the straight rail. The problem might be with slop in the holes.
They ARE? They look like they are parallel with the switch thrown or perhaps I’m misunderstanding which is not uncommon? 
David, the unspoken piece here is that [b]with the points centered between the stock rails,[/b] the holes are then parallel with the straight through rail. If you can visualize, with your rooster sized brain, the points being centered between the stock rails, then the holes will line up parallel with the straight through rail. 
Bob McCown said:Rodney, thanks for the heads up. I fixed the slop in the holes, and that mostly fixed the problem, but not enough to call the turnout reliable. As you said, the rail is too stiff.
Is there any trick to where the holes are drilled in the tie, and throw bar? I assume they have to be centered on each other at mid-throw?
when the holes are paralell in the straight position, the only direction, the spring CAN work is to set the switch to the curve.
No…when the points are CENTERED meaning not set for one route or the other, the holes are paralell, whenkicking to either side of paralell the compression of the spring holds the points against the stock rails…
Korm Kormsen said:
when the holes are paralell in the straight position, the only direction, the spring CAN work is to set the switch to the curve.
Bart Salmons said:
No…when the points are CENTERED meaning not set for one route or the other, the holes are paralell, whenkicking to either side of paralell the compression of the spring holds the points against the stock rails…
Bruce Chandler said:
Down with Springs!
I think Bruce was right!:lol:
Uh oh, anti-spring extremists!
“No springs!”
Ray Dunakin said:Hush you, Mr D! Ma Nature don't need any more excuse to keep us in the Great White North winter-locked.
"No springs!"
(yes, yes, I know, we’re discussing bent wire, not meteorology)
Excellent pictures. I was figuring out in my mind a different way to mount the springs. This is a much better idea, I especially like the safety pin trick. It would seem to me the safety pin with it’s built in spring would keep the point rails more solid against the outside rails. Sorry if I have the wrong names for the switch components. I never really worried about what they were called, as long as they worked.
Jake Smith said:Harrumph! They're called stock rails, though for the life of me I can't tell you why. They don't look much like cows to me. :P
Excellent pictures. I was figuring out in my mind a different way to mount the springs. This is a much better idea, I especially like the safety pin trick. It would seem to me the safety pin with it's built in spring would keep the point rails more solid against the [b]outside rails.[/b] Sorry if I have the wrong names for the switch components. I never really worried about what they were called, as long as they worked.