Does anyone use a tube roller much in their home shop? I need to build about 330' of truss for a curved LED wall and I'm debating buying a cheaper rig (Swag) or if I should look at something like a Grizzly or Baileigh for a nicer setup. I can think of a couple things that would be cool with a nice radius vs my usual bend but not sure the floor space is justified. Am I overlooking the usefulness of a roller set up?
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total newb
senior jerk ass
If it has any decent wall thickness get a powered unit.
My buddy bought a hf and added a garage door motor then eventualy a hf corded pipe threader as a driver. To hand power decent material is a shit ton of passes.
My buddy bought a hf and added a garage door motor then eventualy a hf corded pipe threader as a driver. To hand power decent material is a shit ton of passes.
speed bump
Red Skull Member
There was a big long thread on the old site about the harbor freight roller leading into the SWAG upgrades and finally the swag roller. Seemed like people who needed it really liked it.
Personally I don't have any use for one at home but I keep trying to come up with a good reason to buy the Edwards roller (we already have one of their power packs) for rolling DC flanges out of angle at work.
Personally I don't have any use for one at home but I keep trying to come up with a good reason to buy the Edwards roller (we already have one of their power packs) for rolling DC flanges out of angle at work.
Bacho
Yellow Skull
I briefly had an HF one. It died after 2 sticks of 1.75” .120 wall AL.
I would like to get another, certainly powered and not HF based. Since having it I have noticed other uses.
I would like to get another, certainly powered and not HF based. Since having it I have noticed other uses.
total newb
senior jerk ass
The swag is the same basic concept, better built, with more options.
tac1
Red Skull Member
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I have the swag one, I bought all the swag upgrades when I bought it and the hub to drive it with the HF pipe threader and setup a foot pedal. It works great, I've done 1000's of feet with it, but I've never done anything thicker than 1/8 wall steel tubing or any really tight radius stuff. Changing dies and re-centering everything takes a minute but unless you are doing commercial work it shouldn't be a huge deal,
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I bought the HF roller as a base to start from and made my own powered version that used their dies that I also modified some. I've had it for a long time (about when the SWAG mods were just starting) and I don't use it very often in my home shop but it does come in useful at times. Ive mostly used it to roll square tube for arched gates and a few times for making windshield bars in cages to match the curve. The capability to make rolls is nice to have but its not something I take advantage of too often.
If the job is paying well to justify spending the money on a nice machine go for it but otherwise I would say you'd be fine with a SWAG or similar model with a power adder because hand cranking sucks, especially with as much ft as you will be putting through it.
If the job is paying well to justify spending the money on a nice machine go for it but otherwise I would say you'd be fine with a SWAG or similar model with a power adder because hand cranking sucks, especially with as much ft as you will be putting through it.
Attachments
854xtoy
Small PP Gang
I've got the SWAG roller as well with the H.F. pipe pony. Definitely get the DRO chingadera from SWAG too. Makes nice, repeatable bends without too much fuckery.
Firstram
Red Skull Member
I'm very happy with the Swag roller and HF threader, they have a huge selection of dies at a very fair price.
If you do go with a HF threader for power, buy 2 and rotate them out when they get hot.
If you do go with a HF threader for power, buy 2 and rotate them out when they get hot.
Jeffh555
Red Skull Member
Roll-a-round bender stand - HomemadeTools.net
I found a set of plans on eBay for this stand. I built it using reclaimed 2 x 2 x 1/8 wall steel tubing and an eBay air over hydraulic bottle jack. I
www.homemadetools.net
No affiliation. Just saw it a though it was clever.
That is pretty slick.
Roll-a-round bender stand - HomemadeTools.net
I found a set of plans on eBay for this stand. I built it using reclaimed 2 x 2 x 1/8 wall steel tubing and an eBay air over hydraulic bottle jack. Iwww.homemadetools.net
No affiliation. Just saw it a though it was clever.
Firstram
Red Skull Member
Not the best pictures but here's mine
Few bucks into that setup! Very cool.Not the best pictures but here's mine
rattle_snake
Fuckwits
I'm a cheap fuck so I used my HF pipe kinker to roll 1.5" 14g Sq tube. Mark every inch or two and give it a set amount of pressure.
Else It seems $1000 to get into a roller and decent amount of dies, or $300-400 and roll your own dies.
Else It seems $1000 to get into a roller and decent amount of dies, or $300-400 and roll your own dies.
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rattle_snake
Fuckwits
Nice setup
Landslide
Red Skull Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2020
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- 422
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This one I bought a bunch of years ago and found dies here and there on the internet back then. I bought the cHiNa HF one first and was totally let down by how cheap pos it was. I looked at the swag upgrades for it and the total cost of all that without my welding time was higher then just buying a good one from the get go. So I took the pos HF cHiNa one back and got this one.
I’m going to convert it over to full hydraulic operation when I set it up to use. I have the pump and spool valve for it so far.
I’m going to convert it over to full hydraulic operation when I set it up to use. I have the pump and spool valve for it so far.
UPS had an issue and my order isn't showing up till the end of the week. I have to get a stand built for this thing so it can immediately get to work. Can anyone confirm the mounting dims on the Hulk roller? Site says 30"x9".
CarterKraft
Red Skull Member
I have the HF roller with swag wings. Machined my own 1.5" square dies from the small square dies HF has, worked great for misc ornamental gate shit.
But for anything big/long I'd just order it rolled from a steel supplier.
IT is a full ASS whip to manually roll a 10ga or heavier tube in 20' long lengths, powered would be required IMO.
But for anything big/long I'd just order it rolled from a steel supplier.
IT is a full ASS whip to manually roll a 10ga or heavier tube in 20' long lengths, powered would be required IMO.
tac1
Red Skull Member
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Overall dimensions on the bottom flange are 8.5" x 30".
Holes are 3/8" diameter centers are 7.5" x 29" on the flange with a centered middle on each long side.
You don't really need a stand or cart to start using it, I c-clamp mine to a welding table normally. I've also just used it on the floor at jobs
Thanks man!
Weird situation, I'll be doing this on site in a casino ballroom. They have a 1:1 mdf template that I need to match the radius on. 330' of fun.
tac1
Red Skull Member
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Just a word of advise depending on your experience, it is tricky to eyeball radius off a template especially over longer distances and/or full sticks. Get a straight bar of a known length and measure drop at the exact center with calipers or an indicator. The indicator on the bender is nice for repeatability but it hard to zero it perfectly to get an actual radius measurement off of.
If this doesn't make any sense let me know I'll try to draw a picture, but basically this concept. I do it much more crudely.
I have almost zero experience rolling tube (going to be interesting) but get what you're saying.
Here's what I'm up against:
Are the radius gages from Trick Tools worth investing in?
tac1
Red Skull Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2020
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I have no experience with that type of gage.
CarterKraft
Red Skull Member
Rolling is more art for sure.Scrapped a lot of pipe today. This thing is way harder than learning on a bender. Tiny input pressure increase equals big changes to the radius. Slow going.
Do you have some BIG gauges or are you trying to free ball it?
Free ball'n it unfortunately. I bought the radius gauge shown above but apparently missed the "up to 144" part. Hacking a real rough gauge together tonight, more of an adjustable "go/no-go" deal more than anything even remotely scientific though.
Firstram
Red Skull Member
Building a gauge is easy. A piece of sq tubing 2" long with a hole drilled and tapped in the center for some all thread is all you need.
If you're rolling multiples, progressively feed all of the sticks at each setting instead of rolling each one to completion. It's a pain in the ass
If you're rolling multiples, progressively feed all of the sticks at each setting instead of rolling each one to completion. It's a pain in the ass
Firstram
Red Skull Member
I missed your post the first time through, that's a really nice gauge. That must be incredibly accurate and quick to dial in a radius with very little wasteJust a word of advise depending on your experience, it is tricky to eyeball radius off a template especially over longer distances and/or full sticks. Get a straight bar of a known length and measure drop at the exact center with calipers or an indicator. The indicator on the bender is nice for repeatability but it hard to zero it perfectly to get an actual radius measurement off of.
If this doesn't make any sense let me know I'll try to draw a picture, but basically this concept. I do it much more crudely.
Do you have a link, or is it that much cheaper to make one
tac1
Red Skull Member
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I missed your post the first time through, that's a really nice gauge. That must be incredibly accurate and quick to dial in a radius with very little waste
Do you have a link, or is it that much cheaper to make one
I was just using the picture to show the concept of how to measure a large radius. My gage is just ground flat stock with a hole in the center and an indicator.