Making a slip roll?

[03protege]

Hey everyone I have a idea in my head for making a slip roll to do a project but I am not well versed in slip rolls,

I am looking to put a curve in 1/8" or 10 guage mild steel that is going to be about 6-8" wide.

I know I will need larger rollers, but I don't know what size. I am guessing around 3".

Instead of using solid steel for the roller I was thinking on using pipe and having two endcaps (for each roller) made so that I can use a pin that will go through the roller and into the "frame" of the slip roll. For extra stability I was considering filling these with cement. I was hoping the pins could be .75" diameter vs 1" just to make drilling those holes a little easier.

For compression I plan on using a bottle jack or maybe making it to fit inside a shop press.


Some questions I have:

Are all the rollers the same diameter?

Will having only 1 roller "powered" be enough to draw the material through?

How thick should the sides (frame) be? I would think this would bear most of the force. Would 1/2" material do?



This is all I can think of if anyone has any insight I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[kazlx]

What kind of curve do you need? How many do you have to do? You might be able to just heat and bend. Most slip rolls are pretty simple, you just need 3 rollers you can move together to create your radius.

Here's a pretty simple one.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/slip-roll-plans-ideas-73570/

 

[metaleltr]

Here is an idea for one to go in a press. One roller driving may work. Dimensions could be adjusted. Designed this around 3.5" rollers. If you need more dimensions let me know. Other angles shouldn't be a big deal either.

 

[03protege]

What kind of curve do you need? How many do you have to do? You might be able to just heat and bend. Most slip rolls are pretty simple, you just need 3 rollers you can move together to create your radius.

Here's a pretty simple one.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general-archive/slip-roll-plans-ideas-73570/

I want to try and make some fake structural beams sort of like what was featured on the home page.

If I had the tool and learned how to use it I am sure I would find all sorts of stuff to do with it. But I do think you are correct, I could probably pull this off with some heat and welding it in place as I go.

Here is an idea for one to go in a press. One roller driving may work. Dimensions could be adjusted. Designed this around 3.5" rollers. If you need more dimensions let me know. Other angles shouldn't be a big deal either.

Awesome thank you, I just started thinking about this and using round stock for the vertical travel never crossed my mind. That is much simpler than what I was imagining.

What thickness is used for the bottom frame?

 

[03protege]

Also before I try to make these cement filled roller concoctions does anyone know of a cheap source for rollers? Any item that is often scrapped that would be suitable in place of this?

 

[metaleltr]

I want to try and make some fake structural beams sort of like what was featured on the home page.

If I had the tool and learned how to use it I am sure I would find all sorts of stuff to do with it. But I do think you are correct, I could probably pull this off with some heat and welding it in place as I go.



Awesome thank you, I just started thinking about this and using round stock for the vertical travel never crossed my mind. That is much simpler than what I was imagining.

What thickness is used for the bottom frame?

the bottom frame was designed using 3/8, 1/2 may be better, but 3/8 would be easier to weld

 

[kazlx]

You don't really need to fill them with cement. Something like .250 wall 2" or 3" tube would be easily obtained. Cut out some side plates, add some bearings and there you go. If you need to drive two of the rollers, you can just link them together with chain and sprockets. On the sketch up above you can drive the two bottom rollers connected with chain and put pressure on the top roller via a press or even bolts leveraged from the frame. Just keep tightening until you get your desired radius, and then mark for repeats. Finer threads will give you more torque.

 

[StumpXJ]

+1 for skipping the cement. It wont do anything but make the whole apparatus heavier. Im a pipefitter and use bigger pipe all the time at work, I can tell you that having a .250 wall or thicker will be PLENTY for what you are trying to do. Its pretty stout stuff.

 

[Stooge]

I was hoping i had some pictures saved from it but i think that was before i had a phone that took decent pictures and could be emailed. I wouldnt classify what i made as a slip roll but i needed to make a curve in a piece of 4ft sheetmetal awhile back so i did this; took a piece of 3/16 ,with a hole at each end for a wingnut, as long as the table was wide and cut out 2 small rectangles about 2" long on the ends of the table to act almost like a t-slot with the bolt going through the bottom of the table and tightened from the wingnuts to clamp down the sheetmetal. Then i took a piece of 2.5 or 3" exhaust tubing in a 6ft length, same length as the table, drilled a hole through both walls on either end with 2 of the holes on one opposing length sides bigger to fit and weld a nut into, and a matching hole in the table for a welded nut. This allowed me to set the gap between the table and the tubing since neither nut would move and the tighter the bolt, the smaller the gap and vice versa. Seems like more work than it was, and i had the scrap strip and tubing so it didnt cost anything. Worked great and i ended up making a smaller tubing form out off a piece of maybe 1" tubing to make tighter bends. I just brought a new another table home from work so i may be making another one, but maybe try and incorporate a swing arm like on a real brake since it was a little hard to keep the pieces straight when bending a wider piece.

Edit;sorry, just re-read that and wasnt the most eloquent. Either way, i used it a bunch and it worked quite well, especially for smaller pieces. If i have some free time in the next few weeks and can clear out a spot in the shop, i'll make another and take some pictures.

 

[rodknocker]

If its just a one time thing to make a table, dig a hole and drive over them, or make a wooden buck to drive over. You're going to need some pretty serious rollers to bend 10 gauge. I have an old 36" PS&W with solid rollers and that flexes a bit just doing 16 gauge.

 

[03protege]

+1 for skipping the cement. It wont do anything but make the whole apparatus heavier. Im a pipefitter and use bigger pipe all the time at work, I can tell you that having a .250 wall or thicker will be PLENTY for what you are trying to do. Its pretty stout stuff.

What size should I do for the side plates? 1/4"?

 

[metaleltr]

Minimum I would consider would be 5/16, 3/8 for good measure.

 

[03protege]

Minimum I would consider would be 5/16, 3/8 for good measure.

Cool.


Trying to get all this laid out so I can order some material.

 

[bullnerd]

I;ve seen them made with cheap hiem/rod ends for the end bearings. Just crank one up and down.

 

[A_Pmech]

I can supply 3" solid roller material and turn the ends for standard plate bearings you can buy at any farm store. Send me a PM if you're interested.

 

[FMC]

a slip roller for this is not required and frankly will give you very varied results piece to piece, the gauge and width your looking at are nothing for a simple curve, heat would be totally unnecessary, a solid bench and a plywood buck is all that's required plus a couple of trials to get the buck shaped right. The fact the units have an inner spine just makes accuracy for shape no big deal at all

 

[bullnerd]

I think that bench is just an example? What if he wants to do different radiuseseses?A new buck for each part? Slip roll still a handle tool to have isnt it?

 

[kkroger]

Conveyor Rollers would work well for the "idlers" the driven will have to be made.

A "Ring Roller" just a bit wider is all you are making so look at that.

some plate for the ends bearings for the driven roller, and a drive.
Perhaps a pipe threading motor. You might be able to start with a Harbor Freight Tubing roller... and work up from that gets you in the ball park.

Something like this with wider rollers