Bead Roller/Sheet Metal Roller

[pieter]

Hey everyone one,

Something that I will need to obtain when I do the buildup of my trailduster is a bead roller and sheet metal roller.

Bead Rollers:
I see cheap ones for about $125(manual)
expensive ones up to $350+(manual)
then electric ones beyond $500

I wish I could find the big hunky old ones schools often have in their metal working shops. I know my highschool had all sorts of bead rollers with tons of different dies...

Sheet metail rollers and I haven't seen anything all that affordable just yet.

So, does anyone have experience with any specific make or model? Anyone want to sell one they have tucked away somewhere? any places that you know of that sell them?
I'm not sure if there are places that would rent them?

I really don't want to spend a ton of money as I have limited funds and things like driveshafts are a necessity.

I have to make rear inner fenders/fenderwells and also front inner fenders.
I guess if all esle fails I can draw what I need in cadd and take it to a metal working shop... But that kind of defeats the purpose...

Thanks,
pieter

[JimmieD]

Two-bit opinion: seems to me that as far as bang for your buck you'd be far better off to simply buy wrecking yard, E-bay or NOS parts, or even aftermarket stuff. Unles you have a further use for the machines that's quite a lot of investment and effort to fabricate something that already exists at a reasonable price.
That's assuming you aren't making some radical one-off parts to accomplish some monster tire's clearance issues or something.

Front inner fenders are same-same for Dodge trucks, 2WD and 4WD for about 15 years, and those and the other stuff are available rust free out west here fairly cheap. Matter of fact I've got a pair of front inner fenders off a '78 D-200 that will probably fit, cheap. You might be able to easily adapt the inner fender wells from a pickup bed for a lot less money and effort as well.

Something to think about at least...

JimmieD

[pieter]

Originally posted by JimmieD
[That's assuming you aren't making some radical one-off parts to accomplish some monster tire's clearance issues or something.

Oops GUILTY
11R16 Michelins(but designing for 12.5r20's) with no lift...

You have a good point. I'll have the fenderwells off of the bed from Brutus that I could splice into the trailduster fenderwells....

This is going to work well to have ideas bounced across many people. And yeah... even with my next 2 projects in my brain, I wouldn't need these tools again...

pieter

[dodgenut78]

Sheet Metal Tools

Pieter,
Being an old tin knocker ( sheetmetal worker ) and a Blacksmith I have had some experience with these tools. The Hong Of Cong versions of these tools are very poor quality, lacking in adjustments & finish quality and might fail while you are in the middle of your project. I recomend watching E-bay for an old PEXTO bead roller with a complete set of dies. The Pexto tools will last many lifetimes and hold their value quite well so if your not a tool hoarder (like me ) you can sell it when your done and get your money back.

It only takes one trip to the emergency room to prove that GOOD tools are cheaper than Cheap tools ;)

You might also be interested in this tutorial on how to build an English wheel :
http://www.roddingroundtable.com/tec.../12ewheel.html

I Hope this helps ,

Jens