Here's my take on the whole beef up the roller thing. Rather than weld to the existing plate, I just made two new ones and used the original as a guide for drilling the holes and stuff. I had a big piece of 3/8" plate that came with the house when we bought it 10 years ago, and I had most of the other materials on hand as well. I did have to buy some bolts and a couple of shaft collars to adapt the crank handle and the T steering wheel. The spacers are cut from some DOM tubing I had left over from building the suspension bits on my truck. I cut the plates out with the torch and bandsaw, cleaned them up with a grinder and drilled and tapped them. I determined how much room I needed and cut some spacers out of the leftover DOM. Anything would have sufficed really.
I drilled and tapped the top block to accept a spring to raise the die up rather than fighting it all the time. While I was at that, I drilled and tapped all four blocks for grease Zerks as well. I also welded up an adjuster handle out of plate with a shaft collar welded to it. Disregard the shoulder bolt as I ended up using a small piece of tubing, a carriage bolt, and a low profile nylox nut for the handle. I know you're thinking , "Why didn't he just tap that upper plate for the clamp instead of welding that square nut on there?" Well I did...but it was crooked .
On to the stand... I had a cutoff axle housing. I had to buy a piece of tubing to extend it a bit, and I welded a disk to the top. I sectioned a piece of channel iron I had and welded it to the top of that. The body of the tool is drilled and bolted to the channel. I bolted the whole mess to a junk brake drum (thanks Kevin!) and now she's upright! I also adapted the $5 swap meet T wheel with a 1" I.D. shaft collar welded to it. The wheel had a break in it so I splined it with a couple of biscuits. I also welded the pieces of the spokes together (originally just riveted.) I'm not sure if the T wheel is strong enough. I guess time will tell.
How well does it work? I had about the same idea in mind for mine. I have access to a laser. So I was planning on having two 3/8 plates laser cut and spaced very similar to yours. Curious to see how well it all works before I spend the time and money. Thanks
It works a lot better than it did. I've been using it for years with only the addition of a steering wheel and a piece of angle iron clamped to it to control the flexing. I've tested it so far with the 1" bead dies I've got on it in the pictures. I was able to put a full depth bead in a piece of 18 gauge steel. That is probably the most demanding task it will have to perform for a while. I'm happy with it. I probably spent more time on it than I should have ,but I enjoyed doing it and its more fun to look at now.
Thanks guys! Ian, that means a lot coming from such a talented mofo as yourself! Steve, I had a machinist friend of mine make those for me to help with the resurection of a '34 coupe. Hopefully, some serviceable quarters will be made with those.
Nice job. Only downside is the original purchase money going to the chinamen. Almost made the whole thing yourself anyway!
Very nice work, Mike!! Looks like it should be very sturdy and durable. I took the easy way out and just welded some rectangular tubing to mine... as well as adding a steering wheel. Malcolm
Hell of a job, like the way your mind thinks . you should have no probs when it come around to the 34 ( i seen your parts collection !!! on the other thread ) Don't forget a build thread on the 34 i will be looking out for it, when you thinking of starting? Now you have beefed your roller up you are on your way. Great stuff
Thanks Nick! You know, I have had the tubing purchased for about a year to do as you say you did to yours. I'm not sure what came over me to make this thing snowball the way it did, ha! That's an impressive pile of '34 bits isn't it, ha! I'm waiting for you and Andy (Thunderbirdesq) to finish your projects so I can copy them! I will deffinitely start a thread but I actually have a T roadster that is next in line. A '34 5window is my dream car so I can't peak too soon or I'll have to take up fishing! Cheers! Thank you Carl! Haha! Thanks Martin and yes I do actually! I will refer you to my last comment in your very own truck thread . Thanks!
That looks and I'm sure works killer! So if I buy one from HF, I can have it shipped here with a stop at your place for the same treatment? Nice work!
Holy crap CC! Is that yours? Wow! I do actually have plans for some sort of fence for mine as well. Thanks for the pics.