steel for rollers in a small benchtop rolling mill?

Long running computer programs - TANGENT ALERT. Some years back my geology instructor in college told me I had an A even if I bombed the final exam. So made a big show of it when I got up and walked out with a week of classes left. I was just being an ass and having a little fun of course. I stopped by his office later to make sure he took it in fun. While I was there he showed me a water saturation model he was running that took "only" a couple days to execute each time he changed a parameter running on his brand new state of the art 386 computer running a BASIC interpreter. I brought him a BASIC compiler from the computer lab, showed him how to clean up his code so it would compile, and let him have a go at it. His saturation models went from days to hours just by running compiled code instead of running it in an interpreter. After that I told him if he really wanted it to run fast learn to program in C+ and only include the math and display libraries.

Back On Topic: Where (generally) are you located? If you can't make what you want yourself ultimately you will probably have to have somebody make it for you. Yes, unpack the darned thing all freaking ready. LOL.

There are creative solutions as well. Maybe, find little doodads that are shapes you want that might hold up for a few runs. Screw them to a ring. Slide the ring over a drum. Lots of mechanical details there to work out, but there are tons of steel stamps out there used for various projects in leather,metal, etc you could just buy, and cut the pattern off the end to screw/solder/welder/glue to a roller.

You might even be able to use hard wood patterns for short runs.

...While I was there he showed me a water saturation model he was running that took "only" a couple days to execute each time he changed a parameter running on his brand new state of the art 386 computer running a BASIC interpreter. I brought him a BASIC compiler from the computer lab, showed him how to clean up his code so it would compile, and let him have a go at it. His saturation models went from days to hours just by running compiled code instead of running it in an interpreter.

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I wrote an IC demo board application program in compiled QBasic that used the printer port set up as an I2C interface to program the device. To auto-adjust the timing I wrote a servo loop that timed the execution of integer FOR loops. It turned out they ran at half the clock speed.

The minimum pulse with of a printer port output bit was ~1uS, controlled by hardware. The clock tick interval was 55mS, 18 ticks per second.

Bob La Londe snipped-for-privacy@none.com on Fri, 18 Mar 2022 10:18:38 -0700 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

There's a long way to go from "this would be cool" to "and that's what it makes." I'm right now working on the "okay, how might I go about this?" Matching rollers is a clever idea, but one is faced with indexing them so they're "in sync".

Maybe ...

There's a Maker Space at the Community college a couple miles from here. That's sort of "where I'll go with this." Eventually.

"Now that's an idea.... do I still have those teak bits?"

There's a long way to go from "this would be cool" to "and that's what it makes." I'm right now working on the "okay, how might I go about this?" Matching rollers is a clever idea, but one is faced with indexing them so they're "in sync".

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I doubt you could DIY for less time and money than purchased texture plates.

Further details on this project:

I have it apart in a box for later "fixing". At a minimum, wire brush everything, and replace the bearing (needle rollers). It appears to be Uncle Bob's home built gizmo for rolling out stock, as it has a fitting to ratchet the gears. Could even have had an electric motor.

This morning I realized a small issue: the gears are held on by set screws. Meaning that there is a missing tooth on both gears. As long as I go slow it won't be a great problem, but ... "it offends my professional standards." "Not set screws! Key ways!" But between putting in key ways and possibly making new gears (and attendant design, machine and shop time), and replacing the bearings, this is starting to look like more like "complete over haul" than a "quick" fix. It might be worth the money to get a second hand mill (is such a thing is possible?)

OTOH, I am retired, so I don't have a lot of money. Or spare time, either

pyotr filipivich snipped-for-privacy@mindspring.com on Wed, 16 Mar 2022 15:48:50

-0700 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

Both of the rolling mills I have use bronze plain bearings, the smaller UK made one bought new is IIRC a Durston and uses Oilite bushes, the larger I got 2nd hand and is older and it has solid bronze bearing blocks which supports half the shaft, the upper roller being supported by J bolts under each journal to stop it dropping and connected to a plate below the upper gears so they follow the upper roller.

Ah, an option I hadn't yet thought of. I mean, it is not like the rollers are going to be spinning at high speed. I suspect that "Uncle Bob" had a set of these rollers lying about when he built the thing, so he went with it.

Is your rolling mill home made? Is uncle Bob a stand back and hold my beer kind of guy?

The smaller one I have may be an early Durston and I can't find any labels on it but I have found the same units online labelled Durston and it appears very well made. It's built up rather than the current ones which all seem to be cast. Here's a link to one

I've been following this thread to see what people do or would do with rollers. So far I've been able to make the functional (not artistic) U shapes I need with conduit benders or cutting at angles and welding. I hardly ever use my HF Compact Bender or the rollers on my 3-in-1 sheet metal machine. It only made one section of stainless stove pipe from some scrap.

What would you make with a ring or tubing roller?

"Jim Wilkins" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com on Tue, 22 Mar 2022 06:58:22

-0400 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

as this is about 2 1/2 wide rollers, not sure.

I can see having a tube roller for making spiral tubing, say for a condenser / cooler tube. But ...

David Billington snipped-for-privacy@invalid.com on Mon, 21 Mar 2022 23:27:20 +0000 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

oops, I meant "bearings"

It seems so. It is rather well made, except for a couple design issues, which are as much "if I was making this, I do it another way."

As for "uncle bob" - no idea. I was gifted it a bunch of years ago

"Jim Wilkins" snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com on Tue, 22 Mar 2022 06:58:22

-0400 typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:

as this is about 2 1/2 wide rollers, not sure.

I can see having a tube roller for making spiral tubing, say for a condenser / cooler tube. But ...

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Thanks, that is a good idea if you already have a tube roller, but not much justification to buy one. I'd turn a wooden coil form from firewood or use brake line bending pliers, perhaps with a screw tapped in one handle as a stop.

I copied a long and complex replacement brake line in NiCopp using brake line pliers and was impressed with how easy it was. I think NiCopp is easier to properly double-lap flare than steel too.

I've bent this type a couple times now using just my hands. Lines that run along the rear axle. It seems to be very, very forgiving and is more like bending stiff copper wire than tubing. Well worth the extra price for it which isn't that much more really :)

I've bent this type a couple times now using just my hands. Lines that run along the rear axle. It seems to be very, very forgiving and is more like bending stiff copper wire than tubing. Well worth the extra price for it which isn't that much more really :)

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I've bent less intricate lines by hand, less neatly. This one runs from front to rear of my truck along a frame rail and dodges many attachments with sharp corners that might collapse if bent by hand, wasting the finished section of the line. The pliers bend over grooved rolls.

For high pressure tubing other than automotive brakes, Parker has the Ferulok system which is less uncertain than double-lap flaring. I used it to add hydraulics to my tractor.

That line needed to be replaced too ;-)

Along with another rear wheel cylinder, both front calipers, their hoses and lines leading to them... Plus numerous other things. I just sold the truck and told the guy about all its woes. But for rust I would still be driving it. Got tired of working on it for almost 40 years...

That line needed to be replaced too ;-)

Along with another rear wheel cylinder, both front calipers, their hoses and lines leading to them... Plus numerous other things. I just sold the truck and told the guy about all its woes. But for rust I would still be driving it. Got tired of working on it for almost 40 years...

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Once I retired and no longer had to drive in bad weather the rust problems almost stopped. Spraying LPS-3 underneath helped some but it didn't withstand the high speed blast of salty water or protect enclosed areas I couldn't reach well enough. So far the 1991 Ranger still passes state inspection (yesterday) and the body is all steel, just not all original steel. My MIG welder repaid its cost plus night school tuition on the first job. The body shop estimate to fix a dime sized rust hole was $800, before painting. The dealer wanted $3000, probably to replace the whole panel.

The inspector told me he was flat out busy because people are fixing their old cars instead of replacing them. I think I see why after test driving several. The new ones look nicer and have many fancy features (to break) but are less functional, my Ranger has a 7' bed that holds 4'x8' plywood or sheetrock with the tailgate tied half way up via a convenient notch. It takes strong roof racks that clamp into the rain gutters and effectively extend my ladder rack over the cab to carry 12' corrugated panels and 16' lumber and steel. My neighbors' high-end full sized trucks can't do that.

I signed up for two night school auto repair courses in April. Like the truck my knowledge is 30 years out of date.

I can do the rust work, mechanical, electrical... but it needs to be

I replaced it with a 2013 Chevy Impala LS. Actually like it a whole lot better than I originally thought I would. Next model up has a fold down rear seat back... but a couple bolts and some wrestling gets the rear seat back out. Was able shove a 10 foot stick of 1-1/4" EMT through the trunk and up past the tranny shift and still close the lid ;-) Trunk is pretty roomy and so is the rear seat area.

I drive less than 1000 miles now per year. Around three tanks of gas. This will likely be that last vehicle I own. They're just way too expensive to have around anymore...