mickeyw Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 I'm planning some heater pipe modifications on the 110. The plan is to use some 3/4" x 18 SWG steel tube bent to the required shapes. All T-joins will be TIG welded, but I want to roll beads at the ends. So far I built this bead roller using bits 'n' bobs I had lying around. It formed some very pleasing beads on 15mm copper pipe with great ease, so I thought I would share this in case anyone else has the same need. Hopefully it will also manage 18 swg (1.2mm) steel tube, even if it takes more effort. I've seen the method of modifying a pair of Vise grips with a washer to form a bead, but that design would be a struggle to get inside 3/4" pipe and keep it beefy enough. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, other than to say the screws are M8 stainless cap heads and the steel plate is 1/2" thick. The internal former is another M8 cap screw with the head precision -hacksawn to 1.5 wide, as I had no lathe available. This was all done with minimal tools to hand: Drill Ø8.2 & Ø6.9 drill bits (Ø8.5 & Ø7 would have been OK too) M8 taps & wrench Round file < Ø8mm Flat file Hacksaw (no I didn't hacksaw the 1/2" plate ) MIG welder (only to tack the nut in place) I'm also keen to see any bead rollers others have made, so feel free to post up your ideas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 oooh I like that a lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoggyN Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 So do I. Nice one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoSS Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Thats quite nice, i might have to knock one of those up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landroversforever Posted June 27, 2016 Share Posted June 27, 2016 Do you think it would also work on bigger stuff? I'm going to need to do a load for my boost pipes at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
De Ranged Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 I'm away from the shed but my answer to the same problem was an old pair of "C" clip plyers, cut the ends off so only about 15mm long, welded a couple of lumps on one side and one on the other and filed them so they fit with about a 2mm gap I've used them on 10mm bundy tube (trans cooler line), light gauge steel tube think it was about 1mm wall, up to 3" dia alloy tube with a 2mm wall lol this took alot of work! that I didn't need to do..... didn't think about using the sheet bead roller till after I'd done the job lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted June 28, 2016 Author Share Posted June 28, 2016 Do you think it would also work on bigger stuff? I'm going to need to do a load for my boost pipes at some point. Bigger stuff is generally easier to work with Ross, as you can get a more substantial tool in there. IIRC aren't boost pipes generally made of ally, and therefore easier to form. I've seen plenty vise grip bead former. You could also try it this way: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Brilliant! How do you rotate the tube that you are beading? Only a couple of times have I needed to create a bead on pipe, and not being familiar with the vise grip and washer method I soldered a ring of copper wire, approx 1 mm diam, around the pipe and then filed it to an acceptable profile. Slow, but it did the job. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 Brilliant! How do you rotate the tube that you are beading? Mike The tube is driven by the inner roller as that is the one being turned in this instance. It takes some experimenting to get the correct load on the whole set up. Too big a 'bite' and the tube won't go round. It's a bit like using a copper tube cutter in that it requires small amount of pressure on the screw, then winding round a few times before tightening further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Hunter Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 So, does the "M8 cap screw with the head precision -hacksawn to 1.5 wide" have to be a tight/interference/loose fit within the copper tube to ensure that the tube turns and the bead is formed, or does the pressure from the rollers pressing the tube against the cap screw provide enough friction to ensure rotation? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickeyw Posted April 26, 2017 Author Share Posted April 26, 2017 On 15/07/2016 at 3:43 AM, Troll Hunter said: So, does the "M8 cap screw with the head precision -hacksawn to 1.5 wide" have to be a tight/interference/loose fit within the copper tube to ensure that the tube turns and the bead is formed, or does the pressure from the rollers pressing the tube against the cap screw provide enough friction to ensure rotation? Mike It just needs to be smaller than the pipe being beaded. I don't think I needed to reduce it - the screw head diameter happened to be just right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Some ingenious solutions on here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retropower Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Very neat indeed, in fact possibly nicer than my bought one lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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