Machinists and Metal Workers, I have a question.

I need to make a Slip Roll Machine.
The kind that usually roll sheet metal, into circles.

However, My material is (#9), 3/4"- Flat Expanded.... (3/4" carbon steel grate).
I need to roll 16" circles, out of 9" wide pieces.

All the retail machines are "20ga max".... Unless I spend $6k.


Is it possible to make a Slip Roll Machine, that rolls #9 flat expanded?
Can any of you machinists point me in the right direction?
I cant imagine that a 12" capacity roller, that rolls a 16" diameter circle, is too hard.



Thanks in advance.

 

Can't help with building one, but there is a huge one at my buddies shop that would laugh at that #9 grate.
If you can't get it done locally I'm sure he could handle it for you. Not sure of the cost though.

 

I'm guessing these are for his smokers and not a one time thing...

 

Yea... For my Fire Baskets.
Ill need them done weekly.

It'd be more cost-effective for me to build a Slip-Roll.
The amount the Steel supplier wants, to roll grate, is ridiculous.

 

Buy a used one.

If you need measurements or some close up photos of the plate roll we have let me know.

 

Thats the problem, tho....

A used one that does 14ga is a couple grand, and usually 3-4 feet wide.
I just need a 12" wide machine, with the same capability.

 

Could you build a radius bender at the edge of a work bench and bend it a little at a time?
It might not be a perfect circle but it would be cheap.

 

Thats kinda what i'm doing, now.
I have a homemade tool, that I use to make the bends.
It does a damn good job, but a Slip Roll would make it much faster.

Not to mention, safer.

 

Agreed.... can you find a local place that can handle it yet still be cost affordable?
I guess a lot of that would depend on the volume of parts you are getting made.

 

I need to make a few hundred.

Ill just sweet talk somebody into a good price.

 

I'd love to get my buddies shop to do it for you, but I think the shipping from San Diego would kill your profit margin.
I can give you the e-mail address of the production manager if you can't get something done locally.

I'll also keep an eye out for a used plate roll. Used machines from lathes, cnc mills to belt sanders roll through his shop every week and I get dibs on anything I want.

 

Really?

They seem very different, but, I dunno...

 

Thanks. Appreciate it.

Shipping them from SD would prolly ruin it.
But, a machine I can swing a trip for.

 

Much less surface area to bend though...

 

I think Ill just order a $200 Roller, and see if it explodes?

Ideally, Id like to own a machine.
So, I can give my cousin-in-law a summer job.

 

as the others mentioned, I don't think any machine will give you a prob.. as long as it's wide enough and you go in small increments......

take a big sheet of expended, just as easy to bend that as sheetmetal, even if it is 1/8 thick...

 

Going out of town, for a few days...

Gonna order a roller when I get back.

 

Lots of people have built their own, even some guys on Pirate, so how hard can it be...............

This might give you some ideas.

http://www.homemadetools.net/tag/slip-roller

For production, you will want a fast way to adjust the rollers. Either a cam system or a hydraulic one. Such as a bottle jack.

Screw down adjustments are fine for one-off, but not when you have to make a lot of pieces.

Seems like you should be able to adapt some parts from a drivetrain.

 

I'd just make a dedicated 12 1/2" wide rolling machine. I bet you could scab together a cheap rolling machine for that material.