post pics of your home made bead roller for the budget fabricator Ican't afford a bead form machine right now and i want to roll the pipe myself. also, what does everyone use to cut pipe on a bend, where a regular round and round pipe cutter won't do the trick? Horizontal bandsaw?

 

uh im confused how do you roll a bead on pipe? and why would you want to do this? and about cutting pipe you can use a variety of at least 20 different tools just use a metal blade. but if you use a bandsaw i would use a vertical saw.

 

you do it with an expensive machine, but i cannot afford one. you CAN do it with a vice grip plier but I don't know how, hence this thread. You would want to so that couplers don't blow off the pipes from the pressure.

 

yeah still confused are you talking about flaring out the end of tubing? what are you building that you need this done (it might help me understand)

 

it's for intercooler piping... it's a raised lip on the end of the pipe so that when the coupler is on there clamped down it doesnt just slip off.

 

could just weld a beed on the end of the pipe, preferabaly a nice thick mig weld. haha

 

oh ok duh i see what you mean but ive never heard of using vece grips but i think ive seen some tools that would do it from the eastwood company that are more for small jobs like yours and shouldnt be all that expensive

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Superorb &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it's for intercooler piping... it's a raised lip on the end of the pipe so that when the coupler is on there clamped down it doesnt just slip off.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i don't know of one off hand, but just think like a tuna can opener. Would work in a similar fashion, but that instead if cutting it you want it to roll the bead. You would probably also nead a mechanical advantage as far as gearing goes, but it could work.

 

i have made a make shift beader with a vice grip, buy welding some steel rod on to the surface of the clamp and applied pressure.

 

i know this has been done. i don't have access to a welder though... i might as well just have a bead welded oin when i get my piping welded anyways.

any advice on cutting pipe with something other than a c-clamp pie cutter for the different angles?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Superorb &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i know this has been done. i don't have access to a welder though... i might as well just have a bead welded oin when i get my piping welded anyways.

any advice on cutting pipe with something other than a c-clamp pie cutter for the different angles?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yes grinders with cut off wheels, hacksaws, bandsaws, chopsaws, etc.. etc.. etc... the list goes on.

 

You'd have to make the dies on a lathe....the rest should be pretty easy. I just bought a lathe, maybe I'll make one. What is the smallest diameter tubing you would be rolling beads on?

 

http://www.roadraceengineering...d.htm

 

That would take forever to do on a 2.5" pipe.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LBHgti &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You'd have to make the dies on a lathe....the rest should be pretty easy. I just bought a lathe, maybe I'll make one. What is the smallest diameter tubing you would be rolling beads on?</TD></TR></TABLE>


2" pipe would be the smallest diameter pipe, max of 2.5"

 

The cheap Harbor Freight bead rollers get the job done. They are like $110 and you'll have it forever. I actually use mine as a shear more often than a bead roller.

 

I'ved used a bead roller for 1/2 inch diameter 3/2.5 titanium. It was designed by an engineer but all it looks like is a mandrel w/ rubber around it, two blocks cut out to shape the bead, the tube sits flush against the end of the block, insert the mandrel, crank it over. I believe that the mandrel squeezes the rubber together allowing pressure to push out and form the bead. This is just from what I experienced from bead forming