DIY slip roller, tubes or solid?

[vpt]

I think this post is important and significant enough to archive somewhere it won't suddenly vanish. Also, like all such posts, there is a lot of conversation and side talk that isn't really germane to the build.

I've never done this before and hope nobody gets upset. I can always take the link down! Anyway, I copied all the text from the six years of postings and put them into a single HTML file and edited it to remove some typos and (as mentioned above) material I judged not completely relevant. Here is the link:

https://nwnative.us/Grant/shop%20articles/roll

That being said, I'm hoping member VPT is still around because I'm getting ready to do a build like this and I have a couple of questions.

The biggest question I have is on the topology of the blocks, the main top screws and the block end plates. It appears that the blocks press down on the top roller but won't lift it up - is that correct? Also, I'm guessing the screws are machined with a tee on the bottom that slides into the tee slot on the blocks? This would allow the blocks to be pulled up but again I don't see that pulling up the top roll. Finally, it appears you screwed plates on either side of your blocks which prevent the blocks from moving sideways on your machine. The detail of how the screws are arranged and the zerk fitting are really fuzzy. It looks like you used countersunk socket flathead screws with a zerk fitting in the middle. Is that right?

metalmagpie

I'll have to look threw your version when I have time.

For the end plates. I made those plates to hold the bushings both from lateral movement and to hold them to the blocks so the screw does lift the roller. The screws have what basically a thick washer welded to the bottoms that fit in the T-slot so they lift the block/plates/roller. The zerk just lubes both the bushing and the screw via drilled ports.

[Black Forest]

I think this post is important and significant enough to archive somewhere it won't suddenly vanish. Also, like all such posts, there is a lot of conversation and side talk that isn't really germane to the build.

I've never done this before and hope nobody gets upset. I can always take the link down! Anyway, I copied all the text from the six years of postings and put them into a single HTML file and edited it to remove some typos and (as mentioned above) material I judged not completely relevant. Here is the link:

https://nwnative.us/Grant/shop%20articles/roll

That being said, I'm hoping member VPT is still around because I'm getting ready to do a build like this and I have a couple of questions.

The biggest question I have is on the topology of the blocks, the main top screws and the block end plates. It appears that the blocks press down on the top roller but won't lift it up - is that correct? Also, I'm guessing the screws are machined with a tee on the bottom that slides into the tee slot on the blocks? This would allow the blocks to be pulled up but again I don't see that pulling up the top roll. Finally, it appears you screwed plates on either side of your blocks which prevent the blocks from moving sideways on your machine. The detail of how the screws are arranged and the zerk fitting are really fuzzy. It looks like you used countersunk socket flathead screws with a zerk fitting in the middle. Is that right?

metalmagpie

Your condensed version really sucks. You took out all of my insults and prods for Andy to finish the thing. Shame on you. Without my insults he never would have finished the roller. He would not have made millions building fire pits. His kids couldn't go to college and maybe go hungry. Terrible. You didn't think this through very well.

[The Metal Butcher]

Wow, I never saw this thread, thanks for the bump. Some good reading ahead. I skimmed through your article, what a great condensed version!

[metalmagpie]

I think this post is important and significant enough to archive somewhere it won't suddenly vanish. Also, like all such posts, there is a lot of conversation and side talk that isn't really germane to the build.

I've never done this before and hope nobody gets upset. I can always take the link down! Anyway, I copied all the text from the six years of postings and put them into a single HTML file and edited it to remove some typos and (as mentioned above) material I judged not completely relevant. Here is the link:

https://nwnative.us/Grant/shop%20articles/roll

That being said, I'm hoping member VPT is still around because I'm getting ready to do a build like this and I have a couple of questions.

The biggest question I have is on the topology of the blocks, the main top screws and the block end plates. It appears that the blocks press down on the top roller but won't lift it up - is that correct? Also, I'm guessing the screws are machined with a tee on the bottom that slides into the tee slot on the blocks? This would allow the blocks to be pulled up but again I don't see that pulling up the top roll. Finally, it appears you screwed plates on either side of your blocks which prevent the blocks from moving sideways on your machine. The detail of how the screws are arranged and the zerk fitting are really fuzzy. It looks like you used countersunk socket flathead screws with a zerk fitting in the middle. Is that right?

metalmagpie

[vpt]

You better be happy with it. It took you long enough to build the damn thing!

Right, I can't return anything now if it fails.

[mattthemuppet]

I was just waiting for BF to chime in

[Black Forest]

An update, I got to the point now with the roller that I have been rolling 24" x 3/16" plate into the general 3' diameter fire ring circle in one pass. It is 4 full turns on each screw after tightening up the rollers to the plate. The HF pipe threaded has been excellent! Going in one pass you can tell it is loaded but doesn't make any signs that it is even close to bogging down.

Super happy with it so far!

You better be happy with it. It took you long enough to build the damn thing!

[vpt]

An update, I got to the point now with the roller that I have been rolling 24" x 3/16" plate into the general 3' diameter fire ring circle in one pass. It is 4 full turns on each screw after tightening up the rollers to the plate. The HF pipe threaded has been excellent! Going in one pass you can tell it is loaded but doesn't make any signs that it is even close to bogging down.

Super happy with it so far!

[vpt]

Another job I put off till I got the roller done. I started in on finishing the floor in my comet. All that was left was to make/roll the trans tunnel. I have it mocked up to be 3 pieces. I got one cut, rolled, drilled, and welded in place last night. Hope to get another if not both other pieces cut and welded in tonight after work.

The roller does a nice job of rolling. Pics when the tunnel is done.

[dave_r]

With my 1" ring roller, that I abuse to do stuff up to 4" wide, I'll make a ring using material just slightly too long, get it to the right diameter, cut & weld the end together, grind it smooth, then run each edge through the ring roller a couple of times to smoother out the weld area.

[darryl]

Would it be too difficult to roll and weld the ring before cutting out any shapes? I'm assuming that the cutting is done on a flat table and the rolling is after that. Perhaps it would be better to reverse these two operations. I can envision building a bit of a crude rotating table to set the ring on, in order to spin the ring later for plasma or water jet cutting under CNC control. The torch would be mounted on a vertical slide, providing the Z axis, and the rotating table would provide the X axis. The torch mount would be adjustable in a radial direction, the Y axis, to account for different diameters of rings. This could also be under computer control to give it the ability to automatically space the torch or nozzle, whatever, from the surface of the ring at any point. If the rings are generally quite round, then you could just leave this last axis under manual control.

So you would place the completed ring on the table, center it dynamically, probably hold it with magnets, then bring in the nozzle to the right spacing as part of setting up for the cut. The rest is done by the CNC programming.

That takes the sting out of rolling the ring, and would probably give a better cut as well.

[754]

Weld it, grind it, and re roll it if need be.
My brother worked in a shop with big rolls . They could do 8 ft wide plate 2 inches thick.
They were by a rail spur so they could get 40 ft long plates.. imagine supporting that as it starts to curl..

[vpt]

I did get this on the one fire ring (pic below). I was able to beat it out but I thought it was weird to get 'too much' of a bend at the ends. I did roll the piece long and then cut off 3-5" after rolling. I was also shocked I was able to quite easily make adjustments to the screws while the material was in the rollers. Also like mentioned earlier in the thread, I need to find a way to support the fire rings as I am rolling them. These wanted to bend back on themselves from their own weight if I didn't hold them up somehow. I used a bungee cord to the ceiling to get the job done and it worked surprisingly well, but I need a better solution.

[vpt]

Weather is warming up! Orders for fire rings are starting to come in! First two fire rings got made today. The roller performed flawlessly! Only 12x3/16" fire rings but the HF threading tool didn't even bog a bit. I have more faith in it now that it can do what i am hoping. It already paid for itself with the first fire ring.

[vpt]

That is very interesting! I will have to look up the process.