Thanks for the offer. Let me keep that as a plan B for now. Please post a photo of your handiwork; I think it would be useful to others. I live in a small village in Thailand where there is quite a bit of bamboo but few spring steel split collars.Recently did exactly such a repair. I cut a 1/4 section off a 1" spring steel split collar I picked up on the road. Worked perfectly. I could mail you a 1/4 section to use if you like.
Hi Tony, I made the pivot pin that's in there too. I'm always picking up small pieces of useful stuff, or scavenging off tossed appliances etc. I have boxes full. Larger pieces of stock other than 1018 and 6065 is what I struggle to find. It's difficult to find and very pricey when I do find some. Wish I knew where to get drops at a decent price.GrayTech, you should turn up the pivot for those calipers if it is lost, which often happens when there are issues with the bowspring.
Or is that a pin of sorts I see already there?
Just an aside, I have a pair of smallish OD calipers that are one piece. German made IIRC. It appears they simply forged the frame to be thin where the spring goes and omitted a pivot. If they ever break, there will be no easy repair.