These will be going in my '42 Ford PU...so, I don't have a bead roller, but have two HF breaks, a 3 foot one and a 4 foot finger brake, I know I need to disrupt the metal so it won't bounce/vibrate and make noise...I've seen pic's of similar things with slight "break" in the middle of the metal...but not out to the edges...how is that done? I guess what I'm asking, how can I make a flat sheet of sheet metal rigid with my breaks I have, yet not break the whole thing...because if I do, the a flush fit is compromised to weld it in. I hope that makes some sense?
It can be done, but you won't get the rigidity you will with a rolled bead. Use a press brake ('finger'), install fingers in the length you want the 'rib', then press a light bend in; mark how much bend you make. This will bend the whole sheet some (but only sharply where the fingers contact), then turn the sheet over and press 1/2 the bend in degrees as close as you can next to the first bend. Usually the closest you can get will be dictated by about 1/2 of the 'die' (the piece the fingers press into) width. Repeat on the other side of the first bend. This should produce a low 'V' shaped ridge and bring the sheet back to approximately flat. You'll still get some warping, but this should reduce it. You may have to experiment a bit to get the results you want, I'd try a few s**** pieces before trying a 'final'. You'll probably get some shrink, cut the piece oversize and trim it to size after you do this.
I'll note that you can do the same thing with a conventional brake, but the 'V' will run the full length of the panel. One advantage of a conventional brake is you can get crisper small bends. A press brake is really designed to do only 90 degree bends, not so good on lesser angles.
Yeah, the HVAC guys do that to reduce duct rumble, but it doesn't add much stiffness. I've caved in many of those crawling across them....
Another thing you can do is make a V shaped stiffener and spot weld it to the bottom. (V shaped with a ledge on each side of the .... _A_ ..... sort of like this but upside down... LOL)
There a good tech thread on here about using a steel ruler as well a round rod, beat the beads in with a hammer. I'd ask around locally to see who has a deep throat bead roller, do your floor in a few sections and just pay a few bucks to get some beads put in. The time and money is in the fitting and installing
There is a thread on here where a guy cut a x in a piece of plywood, then used a wooden dowel to pound it in. .Clamped the hell out of it. I am sure there is more to it than that, but I know that is what I am planning.
There's at least 5 different ways to make beads without roller that I can think off The top of my head. The problem is they're all more work it will take longer than a bead roller does to do it. You can use your break if you want to. It will bend the metal all the way to the ends. Then you need to straighten/Flatten the ends. Not a very big deal just make cut , relieve the metal, Hammer flat weld it back together. You can make a small die, Make a small ram, And hammer them in. You could make them go around the corners over obstacles , blend the centers together if they cross. It's a great form work out. You could make a hammer form out of a piece of plywood, This would have a groove dadoed in the plywood the shape of your beads. And make a guide to follow the same pattern Place it on top with the sheet of steel in the middle. Now you can use a hammer or a rivet gun or muffler gun With the appropriate head and beat the beads in. All sorts of ways to skin this kitty
Eastwood has one for not a bad price http://www.eastwood.com/economy-bead-roller-kit-with-mandrels.html
Good stuff here for sure. If I were to hammer in a groove/dip ( I have a air hammer//chisel and can adapt it)...will the panel shrink up?...say take a 3 foot square piece of sheet ,eta;...beat a ridge in it, will it still be 3 foot square?
That depends on how much you hammer it. You could just sorta ding it in and you will loose some. You could really lay into it and stretch the metal in the bead and you could gain some. Anyway you do it other than stretching the bead the perfect amount the panel will distort some. Unless you take the beads out to the edge of the panel as a break will do you will hold its over all dimensions.
Wow, great pics there,Ian...I have an old Niagra tool, will get pics tomorrow, that ma be adapted to work.
This may be the route to take, I'm not concerned with originality, but function//...I/e I don't want stuff falling through, and don't want rattles...still torn on selling this truck, but still keep working on it!
Great photo. Is that the look of accomplishment, contemplation or exhaustion? There was a thread awhile back of a guy who made some nice beads by clamping two pieces of pipe together on the bench, laying the panel on top and beating something (a bar?) into the area between the pipes.
I've got an Eastwood economy bead roller. Just clamp it in a vise, turn the handle and you've got floor pans!
That's what I thought. I have that same blank stare now after only a few hours, especially when I come in and the wife immediately starts jaw jackin' at me. I tried to find that pipe method thread of bead making I mentioned above but couldn't. His results looked really good, I'll keep looking.
There are several ways of hammering and welding different metals together to achieve the desired structural stiffness in the replacement floor patch panels and although I'm not a huge fan of harbor freight tools the bead roller works pretty good and is cheap,and easy to beef up and make a great tool that will last for years. If you have a few extra bucks to spend it will save you a lot of time. HRP
...I like the braces on the bottom idea cuz it doesn't need any beads...jus sayin,...but then again, beads do look good especially if the floor is left bare to veiw it.
Eastwood's bead roller is $10 less than the Harbor Freight unit and appears to be the same unit with different colored paint. http://www.eastwood.com/economy-bead-roller-kit-with-mandrels.html
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