Abstract: A method and arrangement of making helical springs from a wire, includes a winding machine for coiling the wire strand to a finished spring. Disposed upstream of the winding machine is a wire gage for measuring a diameter of the wire strand at a predetermined spot of a conical section of the advancing wire strand and producing a control signal commensurate with the registered diameter. The winding machine includes a cutting tool which is actuated in response to the registered control signal, with a new spring coiling cycle being initiated at the same time.