Tool Tech: Another HF Bead Roller Stand...

I bought a HF bead roller a couple of months ago. I was trying to figure out a stand for it when Paul, posted this...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100759

I basically copied what he did then added a little turn of the century "style".

Here is what I got from Harbor Freight for $99...



Not only did it need to be strengthened, it needed some style...



...and a base (tractor wheel weight and a 30's Ford truck torque tube).



I cleaned up an old wood rimmed steering wheel that was hanging on the wall, added a little paint, and ended up with this...





Here is the backside with extra die storage (again copying Paul's design)...



And the modifired brass tag from an old orchard sprayer...



I like old tools just about as much as Hot Rods, so now it will fit in with the rest of my old junk.

Neal...inCA

 

Great Job!

 

very cool!

 

Too cool!!!

 

Very nice job Neal.......the time you spent was worth it, i think it would look right at home in Jack's museum & easily fool a few people!

Does it work as good as it looks?

Kev.

 

Neal -

Great job - a beautiful piece! Got a question though.

I was just looking at one of those at the Harbor Freight outlet in Omaha last Monday. As long as you are adding all the additional strengthening and support pieces, would it be OK to go ahead and cut the "throat" a few inches deeper? It looked to me like that might be possible.

 

VERY cool!

 

That is completely over the top and sick! I love it!

 

Awesome!!

2 questions

#1 - what was your thinking when you put the square tubing on the back side? - did you not have faith in the flat plate "designed" part - I would almost think that that would have been enough to strenghen it up

#2 - any reasoning to having the square tube on a right angle to the stand instead of a little lesser of an angle to further eliminate the possibility of flex (i know with the designe part of your stand it would have been hard to do this.)

Nice work

But as asked above - How does it work???!!!

 

Looks cool Neal. I too made one after droping off some parts to Paul and seeing his. Mines not nearly as fancy as yours but it works very well.
I'll snap a pic when I get home. I do need to find a wheel to replace the handle that comes with it.

 

arkracing... the biggest problem that many people have with the strength of the HF bead rollers is that the upper- and lower parts of the frame tend to flex back-and-forth, not really spreading vertcally. I have one of these, and that's exactly what happens. So you need to stabilize the HORIZONTAL movement of the frame more than the vertical. I didn't have any square tubing on-hand to beef mine up, so I used heavy angle iron, which was a 95% cure...

Also, having a wheel instead of a crank handle makes it possible to use this thing by yourself. Nearly impossible with just the crank thact comes w/ the HF unit.

Nice job, NealinCA!

 

ok...that makes more sense to me now...thanks

 

ok, neil, the one thing i see that you didn't spill is the great little adjustment wheel that you replaced the bolt with. what did it come from?

very cool piece...

 

love the looks of it. now im going to have to buy a new one to make it look as good. when i fixed mine i was in a rush to use it and did not spend the time to make it look good.

 

You are right, it will fit in with the rest of your very cool shop. Nice job.

 

Looks good - now make me one!

 

Nicely done, looks great.

 

I was going to make one, but I found this in McMaster Carr...

http://www.mcmaster.com/ctlg/DisplC...log&CtlgPgNbr=2074&sesnextrep=526848747042946

Part #6403K42, 2-3/4" Solid Diecast Hand Wheel, slightly modified. They must have just went up in price, because it was only $5 when I bought mine.

Glad you all like it. I have yet to do any "real" projects, just test panels so far. Seems to work good...I just need to practice!

Neal

 

Neal,
What a timely tech post !Just got HF sale brochure in mail today and am headed to town tomorrow to buy one for use in building the floor in my channeled A Tudor.
I've seen several posts on the HAMB on how to strengthen the HF roller but most look pretty cobled up. You did it with the style of the true Arteest !
Thanks, Ted

 

That is really great looking and engineered really well. I've had one for over 2 years and am getting close to using it. I think I'll copy some of your ideas before then.

I took the liberty to lighten the one picture up so it is easier to see all that you have done to the back side. I like how you made a place to put all the dies.

Thanks again,

Sum

 

wow! that looks great!

I put a wheel on mine since posting that thread,
I found a large valve handle at a swap meet,
it has lots of weight to it,
the thought was it would help smooth out the action,
seems to work just fine

but your's has style!

 

That is one of the coolest modifications I've seen--and I've looked at a ton of them. Not only is it functional, but it LOOKS great! The curved design, the stand, and the wooden wheel just makes it.

Seriously, send those pics to a magazine and make a couple bucks. That'd be a KILLER one or two-page tech article for one of the rod magazines.

-Brad

 

I agree with everything said already, that is so cool. Love the antique brass id plate. I've got one of those units, I just cobbed some reinforcement onto it, man I feel like a fucking hack now.

 

What thickness is the plate you used?

 

3/8" plate, which is what the HF frame is made out of. The flange around the edge was some oddball 5/16" x 1-3/4" flat bar that came off of an old truck bed.

The tube is 2 x 2 x .250 which is overkill, but I had it in the scrap pile and didn't figure I would use it anywhere else.

Neal

 

I will probably steal this idea.....

 

That's what we are here for....

Neal

 

Nice job. You are supposed to be working on that 32. let's see some updated pics.

 

Damn that looks good... I got one of them from HF a few years ago, I don't even know where it is. lol...

 

I'm kiinda like the Chinese. I can reproduce anything....I just don't have too many original thoughts.