[Scratch]

What kind of tool would I need to roll something about the size of a firepit ring? Let's say no thicker than 1/4"?

Any links...?

[trubleshtr]

Slip roller (big one)

Or, you might be able to tack weld one end to a metal work table and heat the rest with an Oxy acet. torch, bending around an object of the correct diameter, and continue to tack weld as you are bending to hold the shape. Or tack weld to a metal object already in the shape you want (maybe a steel truck rim?) and heat and bend.

good luck

[Cal Blacksmith]

1/4" x ????

You could do this with bending forks, a common tool in blacksmithing. If you were only bending say 1/4" x 1/2" you could do that cold easily with forks. A fork looks like this ____________!_! You use them against each other, one to hold the stock, the other to bend the stock. The bending takes place between the forks. If you have a well mounted bench vise, you could make one of the handles very short or even just a "U" shape and clamp that in the vise and use the fork against that. Make a full size layout of your project and check the bending progress against the layout to see where it needs to be made more open or tighter. Have more questions? Just ask!

[Scratch]

Okay let's say 1/8" steel...

I know those machines are out there, I just don't know what their called.

Slip Roller?

[trubleshtr]

slip roller...

http://search.ebay.ca/search/search....oller&x=25&y=5

[wizard]

Um why bend or roll when you can buy a piece of pipe cut to the hieght you need?

I understand the need to aquire tools, (have had that bug for a while) but here you are talking a farily substantial tool and pipe is available just abuut anywhere. Even if you where to do a couple of these you could do it yourself with a plasma on a long section of pipe instead of having the supplier cut it. You might even be able to find cut offs from piping contractors and such very reasonable.

Given that you don't want to do that approach for some reason consider the alread suggested rign rollers. This would have to be a DIY machine to keep cost reasonable but would be flexible and useful machine to have around. I can't tell you what the correct roller diameter would be, not an engineer and haven't even thought about a self made design yet, but if the rollers are kept short you should be able to keep the machine reasoably sized.

Look on this forum for info on Ring rollers. There are a number of threads.

You could potentially just hammer the thing into submitting to being a ring. Lots of fun but is likely to cause problems with the nieghbors.

YOu could also cold bend a strip around a tree or another form with chain falls and come alongs. Just weld or cut something to allow for the hooks and pull until it beomes a circle. As always when cables and chains are under tension do take percautions and keep safety in mind.

Dave

[Cal Blacksmith]

Ok, are you bending a piece of flat stock ¼” high and 1/8” thick? Or are you bending a cylinder?

If it is the former, that is much easier to bend by hand, your bare hands than any other way.

If you would like to make a machine to do this and have it be CNC controlled, that is a major project. You would have to have a positive feed and a liner actuated roller. A very complex machine for a DIY project.

A simple ring roller would work or you could just cut the stock to the correct length, (2x diameter x PI) and pull the ends together and weld, true as needed after welding.

[Weldtutor]

Here is a link to a slip roll former the designer says will do what you wish on 1/8" material.

I like my steak medium well, thanks! I'll bring the :cheers:

http://www.metalwebnews.com/howto/rolls/rolls.html

[MechWerks]

http://www.chopperweb.net/forum/show...threadid=11750
Here is a post I did on another site for a copy of a popular ring roller...maybe the pics will help figure out how to make one of your own.

[Scratch]

Thanks for the links guys...
It's not that I want to make just a firepit ring, also lamps and stuff after they get cut out with a CNC Plasma.