Ring roller advice.

[plunger]

I have a need for a ring roller. Yes I can google it but I have bad ADHD and get side tracked . Is there a go to ring roller plan and build write up that is known to work well that can be built in a home shop. I doubt I will be rolling 50mm tube but would like to try 12mm round bar and possibly 25mm stainless tube .Also ,is there a way to get around the flat spot or does it just come with the ring roller territory.

[Tungsten dipper]

This is good.

[JoeLee]

I think the only way you can eliminate the flat spot at the start and the finish end of the tube is to start with a longer length of tube, roll until the two ends with flat spots meet and then cut the flats spot parts out and then roll again until the two ends meet. You may still end up with a little flat spot but not as much. It may take some trial and error.

JL...............

[LKeithR]

On some materials--rounds and squares--it's possible to roll more than 360 degrees of curvature and then
cut off the ends and weld, eliminating most of the flat spot. On larger materials that don;t want to bypass
easily you roll the ring, cut and weld it and then run the welded ring through the roller again. This will
usually remove most of the flat spot...

[plunger]

Fantastic video. I wonder if here are any plans for something like this

[bborr01]

I think the only way you can eliminate the flat spot at the start and the finish end of the tube is to start with a longer length of tube, roll until the two ends with flat spots meet and then cut the flats spot parts out and then roll again until the two ends meet. You may still end up with a little flat spot but not as much. It may take some trial and error.

JL...............

You can also build a roller with four rollers to eliminate the flat spots.

[Black Forest]

I am waiting for Doozer to come along and piss in Plunger's cornflakes! Plunger just look at Tony's video you don't need the exact measurements to the mm. Just wing it!

[Ridgerunner]

If the material is initially prebent in one direction then turned around and fed from the opposite side it can eliminate the flat spot with a 3 roll. This video is not the best but gives the idea.

[plunger]

I am waiting for Doozer to come along and piss in Plunger's cornflakes! Plunger just look at Tony's video you don't need the exact measurements to the mm. Just wing it!

I am in the 40 hour googling phase of all my projects. I have no creativity and with my learning disability and inability to draw and do maths I would rather just be like the chinese and copy someone elses hard work.

[BCRider]

Unless you are rolling the 12mm bar and 25mm tube into very small size rings would it not be possible to flex the end off to one side a little so you can do a full coil and a bit more then cut and weld for a no flat spot ring?

It would help for this if the rollers were fairly short so not much flexing was needed.

[JoeLee]

You can also build a roller with four rollers to eliminate the flat spots.

I don't think I've ever seen one with four rollers. I'm trying to visualize how four rollers would eliminate the flat spot on each end.

JL..............

[dian]

me too.

[plunger]

I made a small sheet metal slip roller of G H Thomases design.I got around the flat part by pre hitting the copper sheet over a piece of pipe with a mallet. You can hardly see the flat.But this may not be so easy on 12mm round bar.I soppose I could just upscale the thomases one and try do it with outboard rollers.
I am battling to understand how you would get repetitiveness and accuracy in parts if you have to cut some off .Unless you know it flattens the same length over a range of diameters.

[BCRider]

Mark the stock some distance in from where you know there will be a starting flat then at the distance further in that gives you the circumference you want. Roll the ring and the two marks should line up where the cut should be done. As long as you're not making precise size hoops for wagon wheel tires this should be pretty close.

[platypus2020]

We roll rings for work, we roll, until the ends touch, tack weld the ends together, grind the welds flush, continue to roll without tightening the roll, the flat spots will disappear