anyone with a ring roller?

[Tony]

Time for a new project and I have my eye on a benchtop style ring roller.
Pretty much like the Baileigh unit and as seen as countless other clones:



I was about to make a good guess in 'reverse engineering' then thought i'd ask:

anyone know what the:
1. roller diameter
2. distance between driven rollers

might be? from there I think I can figure out the rest.

also, anyone who owns/has used one -- any tips for mods greatly appreciated.
Would prefer to only make it once.

Though I have faint plans on making it a hair larger (capacity) and adding power.
(no one likes meat grinders)

Thanks.

[RussZHC]

Got one of the generic copies, for what it is, it works OK. One I got is 3/16" thick capacity (max of 1" wide, IIRC).
I use it mostly for flat stock...as example, half circles to hold cylinders on welding cart...wish there were some way to gain a bit more accuracy as far as the size of the ring, the range is pretty good but if you go too small, trying to fix it can be a PITA. Only real issue I have found so far, and from what I have read pretty common, is being left with a short, maybe 3/4" or so section at the end that is flat and so not truly part of a circle...after realizing I just compensate a bit.
You can make a bunch of around the house/yard projects with just a series of rings, pretty cheap to purchase a copy, a bit more size would be nice in terms of capacity...

[Tony]

Thanks Russ.
I think the flats at the end are par for the course. When I've used them in the past I'd weld the ring closed,
grind the bead down and roll it through one more time. Usually straightened it right out. I mean, made it round.

Could I sweet talk you into take those two measurements for me? roller diam and distance between the drivens?

also, why do they call them "planetary"? Best I can tell its just using two pinion gears. Maybe
they're referring to something else.

[Duffy]

Hey Tony, dont you know "planetary" is a VERY "machinist" word, right up there with "Billet!"

[rohart]

I have a copy too, and extended the rollers for wider and thinner stuff. But when I make my own set, I won;t reverse engineer that.

There are much better designs, especially the four roller designs, that let you bend the very end of your work. The best are the ones where you trap the work between two rollers, and there is a roller on each side.

[RussZHC]

Can do, might be a day or so though. D'oh...never occurred to put it back into the roller [doesn't seem to be a "smiley" hitting the head against a wall]. Best little one I have seen is just a scaled down version of the larger ones, bigger round hand wheel, chain drive between rollers...

[Chester]

I have the HF version purchased on a U.S. visit a few years back. It was on sale $20. Have made a few things, and as others suggest, weld it up and run it back through to true it up.



Have these simple versions on file if any use to you...

[ed_h]

Here's one I did a few years back. I made it not for rings but to bend some 3/4 x 1-1/2 steel tubing into a curve for a deck railing:

http://bullfire.net/Roll_Bender/WP_Roll_Bender.html

[Tony]

hey nice benders!

I don't think I've ever seen a 4 roller ring roller.. anyone got a link?

[oxford]

You should be able to get some of the flat out of the ends if you prebend them with a hammer and a piece of round stock before you roll it. I have seen this done with slip rollers before.

[RussZHC]

Tony:

Working width of mine is an inch (there is a maybe 3/16" flange on the inside about 3/16" "tall" to keep stock from rubbing up against the side of the roller housing, so overall length is 1 3/16").
Diameter of each roller is 1.24" (all three measure the same), center to center of the two fixed position is 1.625". These are not quite true vertical to the base, did not measure exactly looks to be maybe 15 to 20 degrees towards the adjustable roller. It did not look as canted as the one you posted a pic of...not sure how vital that is...
There is a 1/8" half round groove cut at .291" in from the inner face of the flange (don't know if this is common to all or if this is a common dimension, there is room to go a bit wider and a bit deeper IMO though a small width flat may then want to roll some, ?).
All rollers have a pretty deep knurl across the entire face width, the first couple of items through it was noticeable but then lessened considerably (not sure in feet how much I have put through, not a huge amount though). I am guessing the starting diameter is supposed to be 1.25" as the main dimensions seemed to be standard/imperial numbers.
Each roller has a grease nipple on center, outboard end. Each roller looks to be held in place with a "C" clip.

[rohart]

4-roll benders are often a kind of double pinch bender. This shows an exploded diagram of one design.

http://www.hellerson.com/heller_4_roll.htm

Four rolls can be useful even if you only pinch with the central rolls.

[atomarc]

I built the roller to roll brass rings. I have rolled all materials on it without any problems. All rolls are powered and the top roll is adjustable. I made profile rolls to roll 1/2" OD brass tube...worked real slick.

http://s96.beta.photobucket.com/user/atomarc/media/roll1.jpg.html

Stuart

[sasquatch]

Great looking project, thanks the interesting pic!!

[Tony]

Thanks Russ! exactly what I needed.