Painting a spring?

So I in the process of painting my Deere LA and the mower is countered by a big tightly wound spring. Short of painting it in the compressed state, how could one pull it slightly so that paint will get completely around the wraps of the spring? It's way to tight to try and pull apart by hand and it would have to stay pulled apart for a week plus while paying dries. I'm open to any ideas.

Have the same problem on a case sc that has springs for the hitch.

Thanks.

Can you chain it to something and pull it apart with a come along or ratchet strap?

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I think the paint will wipe of were it rubs each other anyway.

Find two trees and stretch it with a come along a bit. That wont I guess if your painting in a shop with a paint gun but if your painting with rattle cans it would. However I too think the paints just gonna wear out after a while anyway

O_KAY_DOKE_KEY. But...... kin Ah still git some cotton candy???????

When it was originally painted at the factory it was likely painted in the relaxed (closed) condition.

You could mount the mower on the tractor and lower the cutter bar to it's lowest position to stretch out the counterbalance spring for painting.

think I'd just put a screw hook in the ceiling - hang the spring from that (use some chain if your ceiling's high) - then just hang some weight on the bottom end till it opens. Should be able to have the spring right at a very easy to paint height.

You can leave the hook there for painting other stuff - very handy to have a place to hang parts for painting so you can get all sides at once.

Good Heavens no,you might choke.