Ring Roller

[brian Rupnow]

I'm a bit bored this morning--Was supposed to go across town on a design job, but it got delayed until 1:00 this afternoon. So---Time to play!!! This is an idea I seen somewhere, and the beauty and utility of it just dazzled me. Many times over the years, I have wanted a ring roller. I never bought one nor made one, but check this out for a nifty idea. Keep in mind, we are machinists here, so the red rollers could be just about any shape you could turn on a lathe. Please excuse the rather cheesy looking vice--I just made it up out of my head after a quick trip out to my main garage to look at my own vice. This idea is a concept only. If you make one, it`s up to you to figure out the details. The beauty in this is that you can vary the size of ring that is rolled by simply opening or closing the vice a bit. This is the neatest thing I have seen in a long time.---Brian

[Toolguy]

Cool idea Brian! The simple ones are always the best. It seems to me like one could make a set of jaws for the mill vise with the rollers on them, maybe with the axle supported top and bottom and just put them in the vise when needed. Definitely on my future project list.

[enl]

I worked in a shop that had one of these a bunch of years ago that was similar style to the one here: http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/thr...oller-question (post 6)

[Stepside]

Brian

If you have bolt on jaws for your vise, you will not have to drill the vise or the vise jaws. If you make new "Roller Jaws" include a means of making an adjustable stop so you get the same diameter for sets of rings.

Pete

[Weston Bye]

Good concept. I can testify that it works. Did this 15 years ago. Adding the crank is advisable, but not necessary.

[softtail]

That is an idea that has been done before with varying success both commercially and 'aftermarket'. The problem with drilling into the vise is that the vise casting will break. The rollers need some kind of support from above as well, or better yet do as Weston has done.

[fixerup]

I had the need to make a roller to build my grape arbor. I had seen some similar image to your design on the web and like the simplicity of the design. I did not want to drill the jaws, so I took them out and made my roller assembly to fit the mounting holes. The fix jaw had two cast iron caster mounted on a steel square tubing approximately 8" apart. The movable jaw had a single caster with a nut driver for the roller. I manage to roll four arches of 1 1/2" square tubing 3/32" wall X 20' long. I think in my case, rolling the heavier stuff, it would made more sense to locate my roller in the same plane has the vise jaws and not on top, because my rolling assembly was not very rigid and the rollers were bending outwards, but I did manage to get the job done without spending a dime, using materials from my scrap bin, exactly were the roller ended up after this job

[flylo]

I have one I bought used for $70, it's vertcal with a hyd ram like on a cherry picker to move the one roller up. The 2 other rollers are adjustable with 3 holes for each I think as I bought it for 1 job & haven't used it since. It did work well & rolled a 6' circle no problem.

[boslab]

Really very good, I can see that being a usefull tool, I'm going to give that a go, there's nothing wrong with the drawing, I'd does exactly what it was meant to do,
Thanks for sharing
Mark

[wdtom44]

Making the parts to fit a milling vise might be better than using a bench vise as bench vises usually have a bit more play and the screws that hold the inserts in a milling vise are usually a larger size than on bench vise. A good idea though, have to remember it.

[Robin R]

If you were using the mill vise, make the driving roller with a shaft that extended up far enough that you could drive it in the mill spindle. Someone over on PM did that succesfully a number of years ago.

[boslab]

I think I remember that, I also remember thinking how much I'd break my gearbox then I crapped out of that idea, probably wouldent, I'd feel more comfortable if there was a drive shaft arrangement with some shear pin or somthing if you see what I mean, like on a leadscrew.
Mark

[JoeLee]

I once saw a larger version that was motorized. The two back rollers were adjustable in width. Great weekend project.

One of the local fab shops has a roller that will roll 1" plate 8 ft. long. It's massive !! Something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF5izhdvvp0

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

[Black Forest]

I have thought about using my horizontal mill as a ring roller. It is a medium size mill with 7hp and weighs 4000lbs. so I think it would be stout enough. The big reason I haven't done it is the spindle reverse is somewhat cumbersome.

[garyhlucas]

We just rolled some rings, 24" diameter in 1/4" x 1" 316 Stainless the hard way on edge, for 8 full turns! Used a Hossfeld bender with edge bend dies. Essentially press forming. Came out amazing round too and on size. We stretch it out to a spiral 4' long , then insert it into a drum screen by torquing it so it shrinks on diameter and goes right in.