Roller Benders

[f350ca]

Dave, which roller do you move on yours to adjust the radius? The top and side one both look like they have movement.
PixMan, The two bottom rollers are about 5 or 6 inches apart hence the flat at the end, the further apart they are the less pressure it takes to bend the plate to the yield point. I have a hand crank directly connected to one of the bottom rollers, the second is chain driven off it. Takes very little torque to move the plate.

[stevec]

(10-10-2012, 01:14 PM)DaveH Wrote: I started this Roller Bender in 1998.

Wait Dave, It took you 14 years to make the handle for it??
If so I doubt any of us have the patience to see it polished.


Seriously, great job. I doubt if I would be too keen on doing a job for someone so secretive that they wouldn't share the end use with me. I mean, what if it were for some nefarious purpose and you were charged with aiding and abetting.

[EdK]

(10-11-2012, 04:16 AM)stevec Wrote: I mean, what if it were for some nefarious purpose and you were charged with aiding and abetting.

Yup, you should get a lot more money under those circumstances.

Ed

[DaveH]

(10-11-2012, 04:16 AM)stevec Wrote: I mean, what if it were for some nefarious purpose and you were charged with aiding and abetting.

Well because I don't know what they are used for I can't be charged with aiding and a betting, so sometimes it is better not to know

It happened a lot of times, some customers were quite happy to say what they wanted the parts for some didn't want to say.
Usually I didn't ask, I would wait 'till they volunteered the information.

I made rings from 1998 until 2007 - nine years, I was paid very well for making them. I just looked at it as a job, when the order came I just got on with it and made them

I have been asked to make things - that I thought were near enough illegal for me not to do it. No I'm not a "goody two shoes" it just wasn't worth it, I had a good business and to end up in prison for one or two jobs and ruin my business just not worth it. So I tended to stay clear.

A bit like titanium bullets

DaveH

[dallen]

yep some jobs you can look at and say it's just not worth it.

[DaveH]

The way it works. This drawing may help.

   

Roller B is fixed apart from rotating; the crank handle is attached to this roller. Roller A moves up and down to allow the material to be “pinched”. Roller C moves up and down (at a slight angle) this roller controls the size or diameter of the material being formed,

In my case Roller A & B are 1” diameter and Roller C is 5/8” diameter.
It will roll brass, copper and aluminium up to 1/8” thick, however it is a light duty roller and 1/8” steel may well be too much for it.

DaveH

[DanH]

Dave,

That is very cool and beautiful work. Thanks for sharing.

Would switching to roller bearings allow you to roll steel? Or is it other construction details.

Dan

[DaveH]

(10-11-2012, 12:24 PM)DanH Wrote: Dave,

That is very cool and beautiful work. Thanks for sharing.

Would switching to roller bearings allow you to roll steel? Or is it other construction details.

Dan

Hi Dan, Thanks.
I think it is just the construction details. It will roll 1/16" thick steel but much past that it does become a bit hard to feed the steel through. The two large rollers if geared so that both turned together would help with the slippage of the material between the rollers.
It is really aimed at "model engineers" for home use, to take the place of bending bits of metal around 'jam jars', 'beer bottles', 'cans' and the like. I'm sure we have all tried it with varying results

DaveH

[monkers]

Beautiful work!!! WOW!!! would love to have one of these, so handy.