Using Your Vertical Mill As A Ring Roller.

[Wendelspanswick]

Saw this on another site, guy is using his Bridgeport as a ring/tube roller.
Not sure I would be happy using my mill like that but its a solution to a problem!
http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/showthread.php?p=47260#post47260

 

[BrokenBiker]

hmmmm...not entirely sure a mill is supposed to take the forces involved with rolling but as long as its a heavy enough set up it should be ok for the odd job

 

[rikrobson]

an expensive ring roller!!

 

[brightspark]

balls to that no matter how heavy the machine is -I like the tee slots in my mill. its only single wheel drive as well pretty crap

 

[AdrianH]

I guess if a very strong quill head and you have leavers and clutches and it is easy to reverse etc then I can see it. If I was going to try that then would have to be in Horizontal mode so that I could have bearings both side of the driven die utilizing the overhead arm and the knee movement to apply pressure, but with my small harrison, not something I would like to do, it gets used for a lot of other things, just not that.

Adrian

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Here a pic of it in action rolling 1.25" aluminium tube.

 

[Screwdriver]

Should rename the thread "converting your mill into a ring roller".

That's what the guy is doing. All those forces going through a precision system like that, something is going to give...

 

[AdrianH]

Looks like it was a case of needs must in restoring a bi-plane.

So well done to the original op for ingenuity.

Adrian

 

[AndyStobbs]

I would certainly try it in my horizontal maybe not my ajax turret.

 

[Kent]

Can't see it being a big issue to such a machine to roll some relatively small ali tube 20 mm solid steel bars and such might be dumb
How much force is involved taking a big cut off with a fly cutter? Heck I have seen brigeports worked to jamming up solid doing that sort of cutting

 

[Welderpaul]

Is it me...do mills not spin at a ridiculous speed - i can just see that tube shooting through the machine and flinging it against the wall....

 

[mike os]

Is that ever going to work as a mill again?

 

[Kent]

Is it me...do mills not spin at a ridiculous speed - i can just see that tube shooting through the machine and flinging it against the wall....

You can slow them down though
Be funny as though flinging bent bits of tube across the shop with1500 rpm

 

[Kent]

Is that ever going to work as a mill again?

Sure will I bet it's only smallish ali pipe
I just think why not once you go that far add a few more bits and make a ring roller anyhow as a separate item

 

[Screwdriver]

I imagine the idea is to force the wheel against the opposite rollers and draw the bar through by hand. It's only alloy bar so bending it isn't so much of a problem. But the machine is not designed to generate that much force, even though it may have to resist similar forces in operation. I would imagine at the very least it's going to wear the table drive mechanism and at worse, distort the table/bed relationship.

 

[Kent]

I imagine the idea is to force the wheel against the opposite rollers and draw the bar through by hand. It's only alloy bar so bending it isn't so much of a problem. But the machine is not designed to generate that much force, even though it may have to resist similar forces in operation. I would imagine at the very least it's going to wear the table drive mechanism and at worse, distort the table/bed relationship.

No its driven at 80 rpm
I don't see a big issue other than you might as well finish the job
I started out in the machine shop working with a load of self employed lads they used to push them brigeports within a few thou of thier lives - often working three a time ( before you ask there were a few cutters stuck in the walls lol)

 

[AndyStobbs]

I imagine the idea is to force the wheel against the opposite rollers and draw the bar through by hand. It's only alloy bar so bending it isn't so much of a problem. But the machine is not designed to generate that much force, even though it may have to resist similar forces in operation. I would imagine at the very least it's going to wear the table drive mechanism and at worse, distort the table/bed relationship.

You don't distort cast iron in a hurry. Its not exactly bendy stuff, it either remains the original shape or cracks.

 

[Screwdriver]

Well I can't see it doing the machine any good at all. There's a lot more force in bending that rod that you'd usually use for cutting operations so everything will be strained. I assume too much pressure might overcome the oiled ways/bushings and cause greatly increased wear. eventually something will distort in the head, you wouldn't be able to just keep piling on the pressure without something giving way. The only question is how bad the damage might be and how much force would it take.

But cast iron does bend. It can even sag under it's own weight if you're talking about thousandths.

S.

 

[squazy84]

I guess if a very strong quill head and you have leavers and clutches and it is easy to reverse etc then I can see it. If I was going to try that then would have to be in Horizontal mode so that I could have bearings both side of the driven die utilizing the overhead arm and the knee movement to apply pressure, but with my small harrison, not something I would like to do, it gets used for a lot of other things, just not that.

Adrian

What Harrison mill have you got?

 

[tinman123]

Is it me...do mills not spin at a ridiculous speed - i can just see that tube shooting through the machine and flinging it against the wall....

i can slow down my bridgeport to a tapping speed so that wouldnt be a problem.

if all he is going to do is bend alu tube just that size then i cant see any problem with it tbh.
and dont get me worng here, i try to treat my mill with as much grace as possible and only use it for the jobs it was intended for.

its certainly not designed for rolling tube but again the alu stuff wouldnt be too much pressure for it.
if he was looking to bend steel we would be into a whole different ball game.
by just rolling his tube there its a lot less pressure on everything compared to taking deep cuts with a roughing cutter say.
its border line tho.