Technical English wheel/roller brand recomendationson

I will be needing an english wheel and a bead roller this yr. Mostly for making panels for chops and floor panel replacements. I been out the hobby some 15+ yrs and just getting back so I have lost track of things. Im on SSDI so not after super expensive shop grade toools just something that gets the job done right. I am willing to mod or upgrade my self too if needed. Also, what dies will I need to get me started. I will figure out the rest as I remember. I can sit here and search thru the HAMB for hrs but my eyes dont like staring at blue screens for too long,so here I am. I am in SoCal,San Berdoo if any one is selling too.

Thanks in advance
Chuy

 

Price range? SSDI indicates this isn't pro level flat rate daily use requirement, more hobby.
Skill level also enters into it. A great guitarist can make a kid's toy sound great.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=600ykNF3md4

 

There doesn't really seem to be a lot of middle ground type of tools for either. There tends to be the Harbor Freight style versions of both that everyone seem to carry a version of now and then there is higher end tools. Not sure what quality difference is between the English Wheels that Harbor Freight carry for $320 and the ones every one else carries for at least twice that because they all look essentially the same with different paint jobs on them. The hand cranked bead rollers all look to be the same units as well. After those you tend to step up into what would be considered more professional price points at least. Over $1000 for either

 

San Bernardino is close to Los Angeles, too.
A chance for used (=cheaper) stuff is very possible.
Just educate yourself on the brands and quality so you don't pay too much.

Example, I am not familiar with the brand
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/tls/d/poway-mittler-brothers-metal-forming/7907237297.html

EDIT: Yes, Ramona is a bit far from Berdoo.

 

I’ve done ok with the HF one

 

One on Facebook MP in Riverside
https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:d0180392-387f-4c38-b331-2d8374c16801

 

And you need an ***ortment of lower anvils. I had major problems with Jeg's lower anvils in 2019 - it was a 6 wheel set. I posted some threads on this problem, the following is the most pertinent thread.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...wheels-and-use-on-a-hf-english-wheel.1142636/

I took a lot of heat at the time for my comments (I did get in touch with my inner-***hole on the first thread), I still stand by comments about the 2019 Jeg's lower anvil set.
The current Jeg's set includes 4 wheels.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Eastwood/334/20017/10002/-1

My eyeball tells me that these wheels are smaller than the traditional 3" diameter lower anvil wheel. The web site specifications are not very re***uring:
"Specifications"
"Package Depth 8.00
Package Height 8.00
Package Width 10.00"

7 years later, I'm still unimpressed - Buyer beware (Signed) Russell P. McLean, Sr

 

Check these out.
https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/81517/10002/-1?_br_psugg_q=english+wheel

 

I followed his link - Here are the answers to a couple of questions"
"· 7 years ago
Are the dies polished like the photo?
1 answer

1. · 3 years ago
   
   The Jegs 555-81517 May Arrive Black or Polished."

And
"8 years ago
What is the width of the anvil dies and the diameter? I'm looking for a 2" width and 3" diameter.
1 answer

1. · 8 years ago
   
   These dies are 2" in width, and they are a little less than 2" in diameter"

Russ

 

Wray Schelin has a video showing how he modified the harbor freight to perform better.

 

I'm thinking of ordering a set to try out. When I got my harbor freight wheel it only had 1 die with it. I do have a friend close by that has the Jegs brand with the full set of dies so I can borrow from him if needed. Just looking at the price now and needing to get a engine diaper for the race car figured I'd give them a try.

 

The HF English Wheel exceeds my skill level. Mine came with the additional rollers. It’s fun to play with, but be forewarned: I’m not an experienced journeyman metal worker. More like an old guy the likes to hack away at projects.

I would start with the HF or one of the many clones. I think Northern tool sells the same tool under their house brand, or did at one time.

 

A friend just purchased a Grizzly English wheel that looks beefy and well made. That brand may be n option.

 

All depends on how much you're going to use them, If you are making stuff for others, you would be better of buying the best you can afford (saves upgrading later). The bead roller needs to be powered; there are plenty of posts about how others have powered theirs but with the brought ones you don't have to muck around getting the speed right. Glen

 

If you're not doing high end metal finishing, the cheaper ones (with proper mods) seem to work very well. And to reinstate, buying used will get you better prices, sometimes on much better equipment.

 

As far as as the bead roller , check out what @NealinCA CA built. One of the coolest tech articles on the Hamb. Wrey Schelin of Proshaper.com has some great videos on tuning up a Harbor Freight Wheel. Not to be confused with a high end one, but it will get you started. Good Luck and have fun!

 

I'm going to say this half flippantly, but come to Alberta and I'll sell you mine. Really... As a guy who seemingly figured out how make do without it, hammer and dolly, when I finally completed mine, the dies lathed to the plans from a Street Rodder Tech article, slabs of machined 4130 radiused and fitted with bearings, a frame made... This of course before the popularity rose to the feverious pitch of everyone having a need for them to do metal working and m*** production began.


While I as a hobbyist didn't do the quality of work to justify owning one, or do enough maybe (?), I thought I did. Another tool another job that can be done was actually just another job done a different way and to a different refinishing standard.
While it's the principle behind it's operation that proved to be most useful, understanding how metal moves and how to move it, it in my garage just sits there now.
Do you really need to spend big money?


If anything, it was rethinking the tool that proved useful.



Could this tool use some redevelopment work, maybe a redesign? Sure. And depending on how you want to move metal around, maybe a broader selection of anvils. But as far as working goes, it did great.



Sometimes you don't need an expensive tool as much a specific one. Like a longer arm or an extra hand.

 

@NoelC nice work on the tools and the car!

 

Harbor freight bead roller, 250.00 total investment with mods. Used motor off of eBay. Switch on top is left/off/right then I used a foot pedal to control speed, also ebay, 20 bucks I think....

 

An English Wheel is one of the easiest DIY tool to make. Lots of videos and plans allover the internet

 

I've got an HF English wheel that was their floor dispplay model for a couple of years that I got on a steep discount after they moved it over to the discount it again corner and ended up getting an additional discount on that with my discount members card. I had to look up the extra rollers on line and go back and buy the set by giving them the part number. They actually had 3 sets on the shelf in the back room at that time. Non for sale locally right now but they don't usually ask much over 200 for one here But 200 Central Washington dollars = 400 So Cal dollars from what I see for So Cal asking prices on AD truck parts.

I bought an Eastwood bead roller on sale years ago and bought the motor kit on sale a year or so ago.

 

FWIW, HF no longer carties the English wheel, so the options are $500+ for the other imports.

I would like one, but haven't got enough need to justify it yet. I have the Eastwood bead roller with the motor kit. Still in the box for over a year. Maybe soon...

 

Well poo.

 

You may very well find what you need in CDN dollars by checking out Karl Fishers “Japhands” web site! He has designed some VERY good machines and the latest is a combo English Wheel/ planishing hammer I believe. Check it out and good luck!

 

Just moments ago on Jeg’s, they have the English wheel that everyone seems to sell, with the lower anvil wheels for $510.99. I bought one about 2 years ago and by looking at it and NOT immediately buying it, looking again about a week later, and repeating that for about a month, they kept sending me texts asking if I was still interested. And the price kept dropping. I pulled the trigger when it got to $300 and change, with free shipping. Funny thing, I still haven’t used it! I know, call me a slacker! I’d post a picture, but it seems IPads do their own thing with pictures. It’s disappeared.

 

Had to go to another thread of mine to find a picture of the English wheel I purchased.

Took this picture during the great garage reshuffle kerfluffle last year. I went online to Wrey Shelein’s website and found his series on English wheels. He uses this model for his cl***es with a few modifications. I have only done one so far, setting it up backwards as it were, so the double leg is in the rear out of the way. And building a base to raise it to a more comfortable height. He uses 6x6 lumber, I am no carpenter so I used 2x6 lumber and made what you see. Now if I can make myself get some sheet metal, and make myself give it a shot…

 

it's now an inch lower than spec--and looks fine!

 

@Dave G in Gansevoort I hope you and others get a chance to watch the most recent Cold War Motors videos, covering the Barracuda tidy up. He's got a wheel and does great things with it. However, he had his buddies give the wheel a try on a couple parts and it shows what happens when a newbie tries to use it. They were still able to make a repair panel, but they were clumsy at first. Gives us beginners hope.

 

The $200 shipping fee is what keeps me at bay on that one.

 

I can appreciate that. Like I said, I didn’t pull the trigger on the first look. Went to the site, took a look, read the specs etc, and decided to wait. About 3 days went by, got either an email or text message asking if I was still interested. Clicked on the link, looked again, spending a few minutes to check it out. Nah, I’ll wait. Next day or so, get another message, same thing, BUT they lowered the price!

Now I’ve been a customer of Jeg’s since I lived in Columbus in the 80s, I’ve been getting emails and texts from them for years, so I knew what would happen if I was patient. Sure enough, over the next couple of days to maybe a week and a half the price kept coming down, and the crowning touch was the free shipping! It just takes patience and time. Give that a try and see if the cost or shipping come down. Keep us all posted if it works for you.