Need to make rings....lots of them

[Kaizen]

Gearing up to start making some metal fences. Up here I’m nowhere near anyplace that sells steel panels so shipping makes buying not worth it. I want to have metal rings between the pickets. Not sure if it’s economical to make out of half inch round stock as they are about 90 cents for a 4” ring. (About an extra 20 bucks per panel)
Don’t want to try using a roller as that would take forever. Saw one guy wrap around a pipe like a spring and then cut them out. Any way I can use a press and a mold? I have an air hydraulic cylinder.
Potentially will need hundreds of these.


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[Moosefire]

Chop saw and a steel pipe?

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[dr_clyde]

Man, that’s a tricky manufacturing problem. Not enough to warrant custom machines but too many to make by hand.

My first instinct was to use a Di-acro universal bender with a rod cut to perfect length. Might not be acceptable due to the end flats.

The large spring idea is a good one, but would require a high horsepower winding tool or heat/labor. I’d look into winding it on a decent size lathe around an undersized mandrel to account for springback. You could make a custom infeed roller to mount to the toolpost, time the threading feed to match the wind, and coil up full bars in one pass. You’d want a lathe that can go like 30 rpm and has a decent geared head to make this work. Then you could split them off the coil with a grinder or bandsaw and weld them.

 

[dr_clyde]

If they can have square corners, CNC oxyfuel burning/laser cutting from plate will be the cheapest.

 

[Kaizen]

Chop saw and a steel pipe?

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Hard to find pipe with a half inch approx wall. Have a bandsaw but cost of pipe and worn blades I think would be more then buying


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[Kaizen]

If they can have square corners, CNC oxyfuel burning/laser cutting from plate will be the cheapest.

Lots of ideas sir. The Cnc waste I think would make price high. Cost of rod I think would be cheap which is why I’m thinking of a winding or bending idea.
Even if I make a mold and press half circles and tack together it might work.


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[jim faston]

Do they need to be round? Perhaps slice them from 3-1/2" schedule 80 pipe.

 

[SweetD]

I'd be surprised if you couldn't buy them for a reasonable price in bulk.

 

[Kaizen]

Do they need to be round? Perhaps slice them from 3-1/2" schedule 80 pipe.

Just the pipe is 2x the cost of buying them


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[Kaizen]

I'd be surprised if you couldn't buy them for a reasonable price in bulk.

I quoted that earlier. With bulk it’s 90 cents each. Probably the best option to just complete the project.



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[dr_clyde]

I would probably just buy them unless you can find a method that works good for you.

90 cents is hard to beat, really.

 

[PCustoms]

What's your design?

How much fence?

Total rings?

 

[harley jim]

I cut my 4" rings from 3" x 1/2" wall black pipe on a horizontal band saw the outside diameter is 4" they are a good size.

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[Kaizen]

What's your design?



How much fence?



Total rings?

Initially 30 ft so about 60 but have a lot more if it goes well so if there was a press or tool I would get it.


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[Kaizen]

I cut my 4" rings from 3" x 1/2" wall black pipe on a horizontal band saw the outside diameter is 4" they are a good size.

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This might be the ticket. For one ten foot stick I can get over 200. I do love playing with my bandsaw. Just have to call around and find the price. Plumbing supply around here include condoms with purchase


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[DenisG]

I've made rings by slicing along the length of a spring and welding the gap. If you can find a spring of the right diameter, it might work for your project.

 

[MushCreek]

We used to make SS rings at a shop I worked at back in the 70's. We had a huge old metal lathe that was geared way down. There was a solid steel mandrel for each ring size. The feed on the lathe was set to match the stock thickness, so 1/2" stock would be 2 threads per inch. You stuck the end of a bar of stock into a hole in the mandrel, the rod was clamped in between phenolic blocks in the tool post. You turned the lathe on, and it slowly wound up a 'slinky' as we called it. Off to the bandsaw to cut the rings off. Then, you clamped it in a vise, and used a tool (just a flat bar with a slot in it) to take the helix out of the ring. The guys would then weld them shut. Crude, but it worked!

 

[BD1]

I use my RIDGID 400 pipe machine with foot pedal to make rings. I have schedule 40 pipe in assorted diameters with a plate and stub welded on that fit inside machine jaws. There's a hole/slot to remove rolled coil.
I have only used 1/4", 5/16" , and 3/8" rod.
The rolled rings are a little larger than pipe outside diameter. So 3" schedule 40 pipe is 3 1/2" OD. Ring will be close to 3 3/4 " or 4".
Here's a video I found using a RIDGID 300 machine. The 300 is a later model than my 400. I have made 100's with this.

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[Kaizen]

I use my RIDGID 400 pipe machine with foot pedal to make tongs. I have schedule 40 pipe in assorted diameters with a plate and stub welded on that fit inside machine jaws. There's a hole/slot to remove rolled coil.
I have only used 1/4", 5/16" , and 3/8" rod.
The rolled rings are a little larger than pipe outside diameter. So 3" schedule 40 pipe is 3 1/2" OD. Ring will be close to 3 3/4 " or 4".
Here's a video I found using a RIDGID 300 machine. The 300 is a later model than my 400. I have made 100's with this.

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Thanks. Looks like the tool I need if I have a lot to do.


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[BarryWells]

At a buck a piece I'd just buy them.I make my own scrolls but scrolls get spendy to buy.

 

[Kaizen]

At a buck a piece I'd just buy them.I make my own scrolls but scrolls get spendy to buy.

just found a place that makes them out of 1/2 tube for 57 cents. no brainer. Don't think i can even get bar stock that cheap.

 

[rbgearz]

We used to make alot of hangers and such at our shop, planters and ornamental things for gardens and greenhouses.
I made a jig for the lathe to wind the round stock around a pipe, like a spring, then cut it in half and weld the pieces back together. Eventually we needed so many of them that it was more economical to buy them. It was a place in Chicago. Don't remember the name but they were quite reasonable.

 

[rbgearz]

Too bad you couldn't use 1/4 " round for the rings. I have a 55 gal. drum of 4" rings in my garage.

 

[sberry]

Buy. Even if the material is free it's a bargain. This is a great project to get a grip on stuff like this and can't say I havnt done it the hard way.
I got a bud stop the other day,, was looking for another bigger lathe to replace the one he doesn't use now. I asked why. He is going to do a brake job on an old truck and needs to turn the drums.
I would have simply put some shoes on, gonna do an all star job to a truck so worn it won't go 50 miles, been sitting 8 years, doesn't even have it apart yet and look g for a lathe to save all this money on 2 worn drums.

 

[Dave Paulson]

mrpete222 tubalcain just did a youtube on making rings
Dave

 

[speed bump]

Just doing some quick math a 20' stick of 1/2" round stock is something like $7 a stick and gets you roughly 20 rings. That leaves $9 worth of labor for you to make them. Personally I can get my brother (who is a decent fabricator) for about $25 an hour to fabricate for me and I'm not totally sure he could average 45 rings an hour for any length of time not to mention setup, consumables, and tear down. Unless it was something I needed right now or a one off job there is no way I could see economically making them at $.90.

 

[Kaizen]

Follow up question. I got my 100 rings today. Kind of like the added dimensions of the tube bending. Also got 100 finials. Just came to the realization they need to be cleaned. Any suggestions? Parts washer? Dip in something and wipe?

As a review of these for anyone looking. I ordered from tsdistributors.com. Rings were .49 cents and finials .39 cents. Total was 88 bucks and shipping 61 bucks. I don’t have many choices up here so knew I had to man up and pay shipping. Arrived in 5 days. (edit...looks like i got the wrong finials. These are like 1.32 each.)





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[BD1]

Do a test and soak a few in white vinegar.


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[Kaizen]

Do a test and soak a few in white vinegar.


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what should i be looking for?

 

[MrSurly]

Ok, those rings look pretty cool!

 

[Kaizen]

Ok, those rings look pretty cool!

yes i like them. Couple the tacks did not hold so will need to reweld. overall pleased with the results and cost.

 

[larry_g]

Do a test and soak a few in white vinegar.


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yes i like them. Couple the tacks did not hold so will need to reweld. overall pleased with the results and cost.

Your going to have to be careful here. It seems that your ring is hollow and not sealed. Soaking will fill the ring with fluid maybe. I'd be inclined to wipe each one with lacquer thinner to remove the oils. Then weld. But you also may make a bomb if you get flammables into the ring and then weld. Maybe soap and water to clean.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[txvwnut]

A quick dip and shake in acetone or lacquer thinner followed by a wipe down should get them clean enough to weld. I had a neighbor that did ornamental iron fence and he made tank that held 35 gallons of a citrus based cleaner. As the metal was being cut the cuts would get put in the tank. One guys job during cut and fab was to pull the pieces and wipe the cleaner off. He never left anything in the tank for more than a couple of minutes as that cleaner would knock the oil right off.

 

[BD1]

I didn't look closely enough to see they are hollow.
Maybe use wire wheel on compact die grinder.
I have a Metabo that would be great for that.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FDLB9OC/?tag=atomicindus08-20


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[Kaizen]

I didn't look closely enough to see they are hollow.
Maybe use wire wheel on compact die grinder.
I have a Metabo that would be great for that.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FDLB9OC/?tag=atomicindus08-20


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More interested in just getting the oil and dirt off. Not much millscale that I see. Just want to make sure welds easy and paint sticks. Guess it’s just gonna take some wiping.


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[Jlarson]

Any time I do fence stuff I just wipe the metal down with acetone. We figure that and rags into the price.

 

[rbgearz]

We threw ours into a cement mixer with sand for a few hours. Wipe them down and ready to paint.

 

[dkmc]

just found a place that makes them out of 1/2 tube for 57 cents. no brainer. Don't think i can even get bar stock that cheap.

Just imagine how cheap the Ding-Dow ring factory in china makes them for.....prolly 27 cents. All you need to do now is find them.