Rolling 4mm mild steel

[Thrashsmith]

Hello all, I have some Vickers Armstrong RP25 manual sheet rollers, 100mm diameter, about 4 foot long from memory.

I've never really used them much in anger. Would I be totally stupid to try rolling a couple cylinders with them in 4mm mild steel? 600mm long, 500mm diameter, or thereabouts.

I'd make a bloody big wheel, no way I'd crank the little handle. Thanks

 

[pressbrake1]

Pyramid or pinch?

 

[Agroshield]

If the desired size were outside the capacity of the machine, could you make the item from (for instance) three 200mm long parts and join them after rolling?

Can you find a machine of similar size and vintage where some published information on capacity is available? That would give you a ballpark estimate.

 

[pressbrake1]

If the desired size were outside the capacity of the machine, could you make the item from (for instance) three 200mm long parts and join them after rolling?

Can you find a machine of similar size and vintage where some published information on capacity is available? That would give you a ballpark estimate.

Type of roller give better approximation
If they’re pinch 2mm , pyramid 3 -4 depending upon radius

 

[Thrashsmith]

Type of roller give better approximation
If they’re pinch 2mm , pyramid 3 -4 depending upon radius

Embarrassed to say I don't really know what the difference is I guess pinch because the two nearest to you kinda pinch the material, then the bottom one furthest away raises up & down to affect the radius of the curve. At the end nearest the crank handle they've got grooves for rolling bar from 6mm through to 16mm I think. I did some 12mm round bar the other day.

 

[Agroshield]

If they’re pinch 2mm, pyramid 3-4 depending upon radius

When a manufacturer states those numbers, is it assumed that this is 'full width' capacity?

I wonder what a reasonable trade off between width and thickness might be - taking 3mm as the max., the OP is asking for 33% extra over 50% of the width, which might be ambitious.

It might be misleading to infer too much from the grooves for bar rolling. They are near one end of the roller, where least flexing of the roller would occur.

An expensive way to find out would be to roll a piece of 3mm full width and gauge how much effort it takes. Then start with a 50mm wide strip of 4mm and increase the width until the same amount of effort is needed.

Would it be possible to make from two pieces of 2mm thick and fusion weld the ends so it looks like a single 4mm thickness?

 

[Thrashsmith]

When a manufacturer states those numbers, is it assumed that this is 'full width' capacity?

I wonder what a reasonable trade off between width and thickness might be - taking 3mm as the max., the OP is asking for 33% extra over 50% of the width, which might be ambitious.

It might be misleading to infer too much from the grooves for bar rolling. They are near one end of the roller, where least flexing of the roller would occur.

An expensive way to find out would be to roll a piece of 3mm full width and gauge how much effort it takes. Then start with a 50mm wide strip of 4mm and increase the width until the same amount of effort is needed.

Would it be possible to make from two pieces of 2mm thick and fusion weld the ends so it looks like a single 4mm thickness?

I'm aiming to make some fire box burners to go on the back of a diesel bowser that I'm converting into a hog smoker, so it's got to be one piece of steel, not 2 joined together. Thanks for the thought though.

 

[500e]

Ours is 14swg aprox 2mm Max and it is old school still does not give the same bend in center compared with ends at full with and gauge, no much but it flexes rollers.