So guys hello. Mick here from Louisiana. I am contemplating the purchase of a sheet metal /slip roller. It is of 36 inch capacity. The seller said it will handle 18 gauge up to about 24 inches. Also stated it will do 20 gauge to full width. I primarily use 18 gauge on most all my fab and repair projects. Might some members have any experience, or suggestions regarding a machine such as this? It is an industrial type machine offered by a retiring sheet metal guy. Also machine is a hand cranked unit. The price seems reasonable at 500$. I have not inspected it regarding condition yet. I just dont care to spend funds on a machine that wont fit my needs. Thanks for any input anyone may care to share.
If the rolls are built to handle 36" of 20ga,then the rollers should be 2 1/2 inch diameter or something real close to that. If they're 2" diameter, then it's a 22ga capacity.
HRP, is that pic one of those shear brake roll combo machines? Those critters are famous for breaking. The original machines the Chinese copied were made somewhere in Europe and of high quality. Also cost about 6-8 times what the copies cost. Wild guess would be the originals had ductile iron castings where the copies use plain old white iron which is weak and very brittle, as every pic I've ever seen of one that failed had a broken casting.
I have one that is at least 50 years old. I have not tried to roll a full 36". I roll 20 gauge a lot. If you dig and see what it was rated at, it might do that job. My exp. has been all of the newer stuff is over rated. Sheet metal brakes, bead rollers, shears. Try to find the brand name and go from there. If there is no name, I would walk away. I think $500 for a used roller is a little high.
The roller appears to be old. It is in a commercial sheet metal shop. There is an apparent tag on the unit. I could not discern what it stated and the seller said he was not sure. That I find odd since he said he has "rolled a lot of metal' with the unit. Its not far, so I will go take a look at it. Thanks for the information on the diameter of the rolls. That is most helpful.
Price is dependent on brand/country of origin And gauge. an overseas unit that is 52’’ x16 gauge is around $1300 Most I see for sale are 22 gauge units like this Pexto.
It would help if you could grab a pic and post it. Some of the really old ones are a real pain to use as you have to swing the end bearing down to unload the part. More modern ones, from around 1950 onward, have a latch that releases one end of the upper roll and a lever that raises the roll for unloading. Manual rolls really haven't changed much in the last 70 years, so it can be old and very serviceable, but there is a difference between old and dinosaur. FWIW, 16" of 18ga takes about the same forces to roll as 36" of 20ga, so, if its capacity is 3ft of 20, I wouldn't count on someone's word that it'll do 2ft of 18.
If it's a Di-Acro and originally brown, there's a good chance it was made in Mexico. The castings on those are suspect. If it is a Di-Acro 36", it'll only be rated for 22ga across the entire width. Will they do more? Sure, but the replacement rolls are expensive. Damon
Thank you Sir. Good information to know. I suspect it is rated for 22 gauge. I have passed on a few that were. 22 seems to be the standard for sheet metal shops.
I have this one. I think it's intended for 36" 22 gauge but I've rolled 30+" 18 gauge driveshaft tunnels with it. I get the shape I want by very slowly adjusting the rollers tighter and gradually sneak up on the desired shape. I think I picked it up for $100 about 20 years ago when a sheet metal shop upgraded. For example...
What you may find is that as the thickness/length capacity of the slip roll increases, so does the diameter of the rollers. This matters because a larger diameter roller can't roll as tight a circle. The rollers musn't deflect just as the supporting end bearings must be strong to prevent breakage or deflection. The guy won't have any problem selling the slip roll. I'd grab it while its still available. If you decide at a later date that its not what you want, then resell it. You won't lose any money. I've bought and sold a lot of them over the years. Finally decided that the best all around one for me was a 36" one. I had bigger and smaller, but this pretty much does what I need. Its always nice to have one and just keep your eye open for a better one...........not having one at all is a bummer. Don't pay attention to the "48"...........it's a 36 I put everything on wheels.......
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