RING ROLLER BUILD

[laurencen]

Hi all, I need to build a ring roller for flat bar, in the 2 x 1/4 range, hoping someone out there has got ideas and plans possibly, once complete have a couple projects to work on over winter

Thanks in advance for ideas

Laurence

[RedRocker]

these guys have one you might get some ideas from.
Shop Outfitters Metal Bending Tools Tube and Pipe Bending

[MikeD74T]

Search for ring roller here Shop Floor Talk - Powered by vBulletin?, you'll find everything you'll need & good advice to boot. MikeD74T

[sandman2234]

Without knowing what type of equipment you already have, this is hard to recommend.
I have seen old lathes converted for temporary use to make rings. They just attach rollers to the cross slide. Another guy used a Bridgeport mill to make rings for a project he was working on. He put a roller in the spindle, slowed it down and put more rollers on bolts to deflect the flat stock. Appeared to work nicely. Any type of arrrangement you can create where 3 rollers can be powered at a slow speed and the deflection rate changed should work. Watch for the strength of it so parts don't get broken.
David from jax

[jwmorris]

After studying the photo of the shop outfitters ring roller I decided that it didn't look too hard to build. Most of the machine is built out of 1/4" X 4" steel. I stacked the cut pieces on top of one another when I drilled the holes. I added a foot pedal and spring return to keep my hands free to turn the wheel. The only thing that one might need to farm out would be the rollers and drive shaft. The rollers require 3/4" holes (1" for the drive roller) drilled through 4 OD steel (so you need a lathe) and the drive roller has to be broached for a 1/4" keyway (I used 1/4" because thats what I had) and then knurled. The drive shaft requires a milled slot for the keyway. Tack the key inside the roller as the shaft has to slide through the pillow blocks to get a completed ring out. I turned the shaft down slightly and milled the slot oversize so it slides in and out easy and V'ed it at the end. It looked like the SO machine used some sort of rub blocks in there machine, they reduce the capacity of the machine and I didn't see the need for them, so I left them out. I also couldn't figure out why they had the exposed detent pin where the jack connects to the driven roller carriage, so I made my link captive and not exposed. The first thing I rolled upon semi completion was the 3/4" box tubing handle. The machine can roll 1/4" X 4" into a 12 diameter so it's pretty stout.

[jimgerken]

Very cool ! This has been on my list too. Maybe this winter it will happen. Thanks for the pics!

[Bill Barrett]

Saw one yesterday at Homier Lafayette In. cheap

HDC Item Details #04647

[Berniep]

Saw one yesterday at Homier Lafayette In. cheap

HDC Item Details #04647

Well I will have to stop in there and check it out. I havent been in that store in a while. It looks like they have been doing some moving around in that strip center

[jwmorris]

Mr, Barret
Did you happen to look close enough to see why it only goes up to 2" wide?

[laurencen]

well thanksfor all the ideas, I have completed one all but the handle and it rolled the 1 x 2/8 flat with ease, once I get it mounted I will post a few pictures, this will roll 3 inch wide, now I ask myself why I did not make it roll 6 inch wide, could use it to make guards for equipment and I cut the rollers from a 20 foot length, guess I have to make another, one thing I will be doing is cutting a half round in the rollers to roll round stock

Laurence