I have searched and read a lot of mods on the H.F. bead roller. I like the one on the Dayton gear reduction motor and found one online and have it coming. Instead of beefing up the original 3/8 plate H.F. bead roller by welding on the top and bottom pieces to form a c-shape and then adding square tubing to one side why not have the new shape cut out of thicker plate like 3/4"? The wife works at a welding fab shop so cnc plasma is available. Also have not read anything on increasing the throat depth. The H.F. if you count the dies is about an 18" throat depth. While your modifying why not increase the throat depth? Any suggestions as to how deep you may ever need? I am looking at a throat depth of around 25" counting the dies. And obviously the shafts will need to be longer.
Good point. I beefed up my Magnum bead roller, and the darn thing is HEAVY. If I were to modify it as much as the OP is suggesting I would need a crane to move it around. However with the changes the OP is suggesting building from scratch would be the way to go.
Yeah I modified my HF beadroller also, added another side to it, and boxed it, side deflection is the problem with them, especially when you really torque them down to get a deep recess. I modified the throat also but only a couple of inches, anything deeper you would need to just build it from scratch..
This would kind of be from scratch. Would be using the dies that came with the H.F. bead roller. I guess the main thing I am wondering is if anyone has ran into needing more depth in the throat area. While I am modifying I had just as well plan ahead.
If you're into beadrolling into panels deeper than the throat then yeah.. HF one is good for flat patches or floor panels, but if the panels are anything but flat ( have a compound curve, recess, angles) it's better to have more throat.
I modified mine to be able to roll a bead 26" from the edge .Don't need one that deep for most jobs and if you do you will want a motor and a helper.2x3 angle welded to the back will help alot on deflection.If you want longer just pick up some 1" cold rolled shaft the length you want and have the ends turned down to match the old shafts.
Bought an Eastwood online; which is about the same thing as the HB Beefed up of the frame by adding 2x2x1/4 pieces of tubing, but didn't change the throat opening. Did some mods to the pressure bolt arrangement.....they had a rather small 8mm square-head screw in a rather light-duty bar just welded on. Removed that & made a new block for using a 1/2-13 SHCS inserted into the original crank that came with the bead roller; also with some mods. Added a return spring for the upper shaft. Powering it with a HB 440# hoist motor. Modified the FWD/REV pendant control to foot operating. The chain drive reduced the speed, too. Gatz
I modified mine to use a 3000lb mini winch motor also from HF for like 60.00, and made a forward/reverse pedal for it. Works great! slow enough, but powerful.
The throat on the HF roller definetaly needs to be deeper, especially if your trying to do a floor pan in one piece. On mine I added 1/2'' plate to the top and bottom thinking it would sturdy it up a bit, it ended up just flexing at the end of the throat. So I then boxed the back side with 2x2x1/4 tubing fixed that problem. The lever crank was the first thing to go. Luckily I had a steering wheel off an old street sweeper that worked out perfectly.
I cut a new frame from a 10" wide piece of 3/4" plate and opened the height of the throat up an inch or so behind the dies, to the center line of the drive shafts, and beefed up the clamp screw. I cut the throat an inch deeper than the HF shafts allow so the spur gears on the drive side of the mount plate are the first thing you hit at the back of the throat. So far that's been deep enough. The best upgrade was adding a hydraulic drive motor off an old Gleaner combine with a knee operated F/R valve, and mounting it on a fab tool roll around on a swing arm so it, the brake, the pinch roll and a couple big boxes of hand tools all fit in a little spot in the corner most of the time.
Lots of info... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=118726 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=610079
The Woodward Fab bead roller that I have was made out of 5/8" plate and it still flexed. I don't think that going up 1/8" in thickness is going to make much difference. The 3/8" braces I added are effective.
Thanks for the input guys. Looks like I will get the basic shape I am wanting cut out with a deeper throat and seeing as how it may still need bracing with square tubing I may use 1/2" to 5/8" plate.
I just kept adding to mine for rigidity. It needs to be stiff up and down as well as side to side. If the rollers walk forward or backward it takes a lot of pressure away. Power is a HF 12v winch motor run off one of their jump start packs. The drive can be disconnected from the motor and can be turned with the hand wheel for tight manuvering. Turns 6-7 rpm at the rollers with the motor..
This started off as a "HF" bead roller Decided it was easier/better to start again rarther than modify the original
Had a harbor freight bead roller that flexed a lot took some 5/8" plate the same shape, made a template and cut out and welded to it, no more flex! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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