Harbor Freight bead roller, Good or Garbage?
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- čas přidán 3. 02. 2020
- I bought this off shore bead roller for $150 from ebay. it is sold under lots of different names but all appear to be the same one. lets take it out of the box and see how it does. then in part 2 we will make it power and build a stand.
- Zábava
In the 60’s to power it up you take one medium size child (me) and he responded to voice commands - forward, backward and stop. Your “motor” could be switched out to do a lot of other manual tools - jacks, chain hoist, and could even be taught to fetch. “Get me a Phillips screw driver” etc. could even use a medium sized grandchild if previous “motor” got to big and moved out.
paulg did you have a camera there? Bad news about kid power supplies as they grow older they leave.
Thats exactly how I learned tool and die and Jig and fixture.
😂🤣😂 👍
@@901ronnie Not sure that's a bad thing, really.
Yup! Sometimes they even responded to the command "Beer"..and fetched a cold one from the fridge.
Craigslist ad: Looking for someone to turn a handle on a bead roller. Must also be willing to hold a GoPro steady and avoid stepping on old shop dog. Pay will be made in icee-pops. Come to town and ask for a guy named Mustie1... they’ll know who I am.
This must be the 1st video you've seen. (not amused)
And someone is a sore arse
@@fveggerby I thought is was funny.
Eremon1, thank you for understanding how this was meant to be taken... as a joke.
Yes someone is crabby it happens enjoy these awesome vids
I've seen some pretty good setups using this set and a window motor from a car (or wiper motor). They both have a serious gear reduction and are worm drive. Lots of torque, DC, and cheap.
you do NOT want a window motor for sustained loads. they don't have the cooling size for it. now where it's at is Wiper motors, which are specced for 100% Duty for extended periods
I used a wiper motor great torque and easily reversible
Use a winch motor. Forward reverse, gear reduction, easy to adapt the drive coupling. Runs off batteries, has a controller. Etc.
Make a fence you can clamp/adjust to keep your runs nice and straight.
I like this idea a lot.
Hey Mustie...Just wanted to say thanks for your videos, I enjoy them tremendously and learn a ton. I used your techniques for diagnosing and repairing my neighbors pressure washer today(Check spark, a little fuel in the piston, it ran...so knew it was the carb). As it is so often, the carb was dirty with water in the fuel. After watching you rebuild carbs on countless machine, I felt very confident as it took me about an hour. Seeing my neighbors face when the pressure washer was running was priceless.... Thanks again and look forward to the next video.
Mustie1, Being a child of the 60's, we always had rock music as a giant inspiration to who we were. You are truly a rock star to all of us DIYer's from shade tree mechanics to highly skilled craftsmen out there. Every show you do is like a rock concert. Thanks !
Came home today feeling a little sick warmed up my meal from the freezer. Landed on the couch. And what do you know......a midweek release of Mustie. YES right time, right place. Always interesting, educative and foremost cosie. Thanks again mustie. Keep up the good work 😉👍
World of difference with a motor! I couldn't imagine trying to crank mine while I was holding the sheet metal. Well worth the time to set up a motor and remember you can not make it turn too slow.
Hey Jonathan your definitely right about going slow
Eugene Rob AC motors can be made to operate down a stall, it won’t hurt them if you don’t overheat them.
I used a milling machine Serov motor with a footswitch to control the speed and direction on
my Harbor Freight bead roller. Then added adjustable guides into the C part of the frame.
Now I can use both hands to help guide on curves or use the C guide for super straight lines.
I agree with your ideas.
Do you have a model number for that please? I can't find a bead roller on HF's website. Perhaps they no longer sell it?
@@CajunGreenMan Try Amazon and or eBay for similar rollers, I can no longer find it
on the Harbor Freight site either.
@@dougtaylor6410 Thanks so much!
The longer the mustie video last the happier i get. Even if it's just me sitting there watching you weld or grind or what ever. I've learned a lot from you^^
I had one of those. Welded a 1/4" rod bent into an "L" shape to the tensioning bolt and some angle iron to the frame to stiffen it.
Interesting Darren, I have never messed with bending metal so the whole learning process is great for me. I always made everything square and welded it together. Thanks for the video and take care.
Loving the more frequent videos especially since they are about tools I'd like to have when I build my garage!
Always a good day when I can get up in the morning get my coffee ready sit down and relax and watch a mustie video to get my day going!
Agreed man!
Great to see another video. I've stuck in bed for 5 days. Watching your videos is much better that TV. Thanks
I have used one for over 20 years and the one i used to use was on a pedestal and we had a adjustable plate for a glide you place the work piece against to keep it level. the 3rd one you used is great for making 90degree bends on, just hammer over the folded bit on the edge of a bench. Great for spot-welding a lip.
Looks like a great addition to your shop.
If you put the positive die on top, you can follow your line much easier!
Good question in the headline.... I always wanted to know!
I think that this item will be a big help when you go to make more panels for the Econoline and other projects that have to have some metal work done. It could even make the patterns in the Bed of the truck. Keep making these videos Darren and teaching us.
If you are using the round bead dies, and you want to overlap 2 beads, like if you wanted to make an "X" for example, you can swap out the lower (female) die with a skateboard wheel. You'll still get the shape of the bead, but the skateboard wheel has some give to it so you can cross over the center of the "X" without leaving marks on the first bead.
cool to see you learn new skills and share 👍
Great addition to the shop Mustie, I KNOW you will find a way to motorize it.
Great addition to the shop.I wondered how well they'd work.A Car Window Motor and rheostat to adjust speed will work very well.
Eastwood warns that tightening that bolt on the top die too much will strip it out. Look forward to seeing what you do with this!
I had to do a circle once on one of those and found it helpful to drive a long nail with the head removed through the center of the circle. if you keep the nail against the body of the bead roller, it helps keeping it within the circle as all you have to worry about is the rotation. Just an idea. Good video!
It's a great piece of kit that lets pretty much any home restorer have access to kit only the pros used to have. It is very customisable and there are lots of videos about this and the very respectable results that have been achieved from it.
I have motorised my one and made loads of accessories like a table,adjustable stop, extra bracing and a adjusting hand wheel. A polyurethane wheel and lots of easily made home made rolls have been added. A floor stand with roller storage was an easy and effective upgrade.
Absolutely no regrets buying it,way more capable than price suggests. Plenty practice on scrap metal pays dividends
A bonus video from Mustie,gotta love it!.
GOOD JOB!! I have had one of these for 20 years, did not like the top part rocking/racking back and forth. Watching you gave me an idea on how to use 2-4" or 6" plates w/ 2-bolts clamped to stiffen machine when the full throat is not needed. Another set of rollers are "cutters". With a helper to crank, this would be really a neat tool. Motorizing quickly comes to mind with this tool. A motor/belt w/a foot press control would be good. I've not used mine much, maybe now I will.....thanks.
Hi Mustie, I really enjoy your videos. As I watch you trying this out, I was thinking, if you swap the dies, putting the “bead” on top, you can follow your lines a whole lot easier. Just remember you are making a mirror image! Can’t wait for the next video. There are lots of good ideas in the comments. Thanks.
Great video & purchase, a man can't ever have too many tools!
I just bought one of those too, so I'm, very interested in seeing how you power yours. Thank you!
I think your idea of the large starter motor off of a tractor, or such like, is great idea. You could have variable speed,with a foot pedal control, reversible and have both hand free to steer the work, Love your videos bro, cheers
Hey Mustie. When you are using the bead dies, I would recommend that you put the die with the groove to the lover shaft. That makes it more easy to follow your pattern.
The type of motor you need for this is a stepper motor for like a cnc mill there kinda complex wiring but there very precise when they start and stop. Thats how you could get the peddles for forward and reverse for it, and variable speed that is controllable. I would weld a old wrench to the adjuster bolt as well lol
Also i have been watching your content for years now and I can say that I love watching you work on anything lol. You have one of the best channels on CZcams of its type, you really make us feel like we're in the shop with you and taking part in your crazy projects. What I'm saying is keep'em coming.
The only other channel I have found that comes close to yours is south main auto Eric O. Is an awesome mechanic that owns his on shop and does diagnostic and works on newer cars.
Very cool. We met a guy that did bead rolling when we were building race cars. This guy could do some amazing work with sheet metal. Nearly any design you would want, he could roll it out. Door panels, dash boards, firewalls, just about anything. He was paid well for his craft also. ATB
This is where you need an english wheel to pre-stretch the metal before rolling your bead. Pre-stretching on your lines would have kept it from warping like it did.
I put a wheelchair motor on mine with a scooter speed controller and a car battery. I rigged up a foot switch so I could use both hands to guide the metal. Works very well
Nice addition to your Fabrication Arsenal!
Take care,
🤓 -Thomas
Western Washington State
To get rid of the distortion you have to pre-stretch the area where you will roll the bead
a 12 or 24v windscreen wiper motor geared down to a nice slow speed would have enough torque and work well to power the rollers, and being designed for more continuous use would probably last much longer ! Great video !
Very interesting stuff and something I know nothing about. It's kinda nice learning together, instead of watching a master at work. I think I learnt more this way.
Morning Mustie! There always as good as the person who uses them!
You have more patience with that thing than I did. I tried to make a sunroof cover panel for my race car and thought I'd run some beads through it to stiffen it up. It warped the panel too much to use. The beads shrink the panel. The recommendation I got to resolve that was to run an English wheel over the lines beforehand to stretch the metal a little then run the beads. How much to wheel it is a black art. And I wasn't going to spring for an E-wheel.
I'd put a gear reduction motor on that crank with a foot pedal control...and maybe some dial indicators on the rollers....I love to modify equipment to suit me...and yes t handles on the nuts supposing you can get sufficient torque, good stuff Dave, love your work.
Tuesday Morning ! Awesome addition to the garage you will master it with practice it will give you very professional look to your metalwork
Hey, unboxing with great Mustie1!
👍👌👏 For that inexpensive price this item is not bad, really not bad at all! I would like to own one too definitely.
Now what's next? English wheel probably?
Can hardly wait to see how a stabil stand is fabricated. Hope it will be made out of reclaimed material and maybe designed like your fantastic fantasy bikes and scrap art stuff.
Wow I had to check which day of the week it was, thank you sir, greatly appreciated unboxing review.
I have had one of these for a couple of years now and the first thing I did was to weld in 1" angle iron around the back side of the jaws fully and connected top and bottom at the back of the unit. That strengthened it a LOT. Stock, you can flex the pulleys apart by hand which means your dies will wander instead of track properly. Reinforced they don't deflect and run more true. Replacing the crank handle with a bicycle gear and chain to a low RPM drill motor worked pretty well to have variable speed, but I will likely go with an even slower option to control the feed rate.
A foot pedal to control it is very important! You want to have both hands on your work to control it fully.
It's an oversized pasta maker! Bonus extra Mustie vid, thank you!
Thanks for the video, can't wait till Sunday's video!!!!!
Make a fence on the backside with angle iron for the straight bends.
Not a bad tool for the money. Looking forward to the power conversion. Either that, or get Mrs. to turn the handle for you.
I would retrofit it with a treadmill motor. good hp infinite speed control. and easy and cheap to find
How would you reverse that?
That's what I did also, and wired in a reverse switch and a foot pedal. #25 chain drive.
Why not a 12 cylinder diesel motor?
Any treadmill motor I have would be way to fast. You slow them down over half way and they lose a lot of power. Take a lot of pulleys or sprockets to get them slow enough for a bead roller. 2 of them 5000 rpm other 2 4000 rpm.
NEEDS A HEMI
I used one for my Kubelwagen project. I had to reinforce it a little and modify to use an Eastwood die, but it did the job.
Wow! This is a form of art. Great video!
These also really benefit from a couple pieces of angle iron being welded to back to stiffen them up. Also add a large wingnut or knob on the tensioner, as you make adjustments a lot an the wrench gets annoying I like mine. Great for making floor pans. A motor or a helper makes it much easier.
If you want to add power to one of these, a heavy-duty garage door opener works. It's already got a sprocket for chain drive, gear reduction for torque and turns slow enough to allow good control. Since most of them are 115 volt, wiring in a foot pedal is easy. A thin coat of grease on the metal and the rollers makes the job a little easier.
Thanks for the vid Mustie. That was fun! Cheers, Steve
Looking forward to part 2.
I really enjoy the background sound :-) it's kind of a relaxing thing to me :D
I have access to an old industrial bead roller that was used to shape panels in a factory in the early 60's. It has about a 30 inch throat. It is powered by an old electric motor and has a foot pedal, but it runs real fast much like an industrial sewing machine. You have to tap the pedal to control the speed.
On the tension bolt. A socket with an old school tee handle that just lives there
just weld a piece of steel bar on the bolt, or a bolt across it. surely he has scrap laying around :)
** better yet, just weld an old wrench on at an angle like he was using it :))
And paint one end red, the other end black, to make turns count easier to keep accurate, especially if there are distractions that can lead you astray in mid turn.
I make all my t handles out of #4 rebar. It fits nicely in your hand and the texture gives you grip
Thanks for the upload. I'm sure there are a lot of things that can be done to help make it easier to use. Maybe a guide for straight runs, although I'm not sure how it would connect to the roller.
Yeah, it looks like there's some skill involved, meaning it just takes practice. Thanks Mustie, I think it'll make the collection that much better.
THANK YOU...for sharing. Very nice.
That tool will be handy for making beads but also for bends with curves. One thing I can think of is hoods, door panels, trim parts ect...
That's awesome, look forward to the motorised version.
Looks like fun. I'm liking your truck way cool
Only run the bead roller on a single pass. If you go back and forth weird things happen to the metal. We had the exact same bead roller and built a few dozen race car interiors. .
31.16 mustie your the best! thats why i watch. you never know what your gona run into! its awesome.
Looks like it could definitely use a tickling on a lathe to smooth out the roughness, but overall it's a neat tool, you could even use it to make fuel cells for project cars, bikes or boats... :D
Always enjoy watching you use those precision measurement tools to draw circles... Lol
I don't know anything about a roller or metal stretching. But I have the utmost confidence you can add a motor to anything.
Great winter project
great way to start the day, coffee with Mustie
I ADD THE BIG BREAKFAST
Pretty good roller, especially for the price. Great demo. Thanks!
Those locking collars are so you can align the dies to make sure they are centered over one another.
0:52 In today's episode, Crocodile Dundee opens a box! "That's not a knife! THIS... is a knife!".
Looks near identical to my Woodward Fab I was lucky enough to get for a song. Used it to put beads in the end of boost pipes for silicone couplers. Worked well enough, but I do have one massive issue with it. The hex key grub screws are 100% frozen solid in both the dies and the gear stops. One stop is slightly offset too, so there is tons of slop in the whole system. Really need to figure out how to get those buggers unstuck! I let them soak in penetrant for weeks multiple times. Actually, while writing this, I think I figured it out. Time for a torch!
You look like a slightly younger David Gilmore from Pink Floyd. I love your channel, keep up the good work.
Unless those center roller bars can be used for something, I don't understand why they made it so long. Like you said, it's hard to keep your eye on the work with that crank handle way over there.
The old fashioned versions of this tool, that I have seen, don't have the center bars at all. The crank is right along side the dies.
Thanks @@ruben_balea, I'd totally missed that cutout. Now that length makes sense. The rollers would also provide a bit of support to the piece being worked. I suppose our man, Mustie1, would have done better to feed the piece through the rollers instead of "way outboard" like he did.
Great Tease at the end "Coming Up POWER"
Bonus video! Awesome!
I don't know anything about bead rolling, but it looks good to me. Cool video
Hi Mustie, I'm really looking forward to seeing how you've powered this, as that's the main reason I haven't bought 1. I'm about to restore a '69 Bug over here in England, where they rot almost beyond recognition, so I'll be fabricating MANY panels! 🤣 Subbed, your content is always excellent. 😎
add a HEMI or a small gasoline motor
@@gertraba4484 Bit overkill for a bead roller! 😉😂🤣😂
From other video, they sell almost every part you want to restore bugs, of almost any years. No need to fabricate parts unless you really, really want to.
I really want to do some of it myself, I'm aware of the excellent aftermarket of parts, but feel like trying my hand. 😀 Plus, there are cost implications, if I buy every panel required I'll go bankrupt! 🤣
Just a heads up you can pretty much buy a Volkswagen just in panels and assemble it yourself. They reproduce I would guess just about every part for the bug. I’m willing to guess that’s the most produced car of all time
Edit: yeah I just read the rest of the comments. If you want to make your own I would say get your welding gear in order first bc you have to attach the things you make. A torch is invaluable as well
As far as a nice portable light source, we used a flexible neck, LED rechargeable magnetic base light for looking inside tires while fixing flats
I've only used one of those for making beads on the end of tubing so rubber elbows can be clamped on.
G'day Kevin here from Australia.
Looks promising especially the electric motor idea.
Owe and I'm loving your new security system. (The big hunting knife hanging off your belt) 🤣
✌ Peace man
"Now THAT'S a knife..." - Crocodile Dundee
OOPS...MISQUOTE!
You can buy more rollers for these, but it will require some research. One set I would use gave a fluted edge, but that was when I worked at a custom lighting factory, this is also a very handy tool for tin knocking! And as with all new equipment, practice will help!
Love your box cutter. I have one just like it.
It my only justification to have a big knife. And I made it myself :)
i use the same one at work and i have one for myself, the one at work has an old large steering wheel instead of the crank, i replaced the 1/2" block for the adjusting screw with a piece of 1" square drilled and taped for a 7/16" bolt with a handle welded on the top, on the back side of the frame opening is some 1" by 2" by 1/8" tube for stiffness, you start trying 16 ga hot rolled and the frame will open up and twist sideways, to make it easy to mount in a vise i welded some angle to the lower frame so i can just sit it in the vise and it will stay while i clamp it, i have a gear motor from a linear actuator i removed from a hospital bed i plan to mount and an old double roller timing chain and sprockets, i see some people use a 110 volt HF winch to power them, when you have one of the rollers off measure the shaft as you will need some good fitting flat washers as spacers from time to time.
Actually, it seems pretty neat, for the money. It'll take a bit of practice though. A good purchase, that will expand your possibilities quite a lot. A couple of bevel gears and shafts to relocate the winding handle to the front would've been handy to have.
Really enjoying this van. Have a look at Trevs blog. He is a great metalworker. Also Macromachines. Keep up the good video work. Thanks.
Watching metal bending and paint dry are my idea of a good time.
I ALSO PREFER THE SQUIRTY BOTTLE AND A BALL PEEN HAMMER
@@gertraba4484 Don't forget the coffee cup......
The panel is stretching when you roll beads.
If you "prestretch" the metal along the bead line before you roll the bead in the opposite way it wont warp.
Hi Mustie 😄 Love your new tool lol 😆 Great if you get a motor to work as it’ll make a great video 🤣🤣
Holy jumpin’ look at that knife. Hey MUSTIE , how about a windshield wiper motor for that feed system. I think it would run slow enough for what you are trying to achieve. GREAT VIDEO.
Try using a treadmill motor they are dc variable speed and most of the time the control is already there may have use a pedal to reverse direction but if you run it slow enough you could walk it back and forth to really define the shape you need ( also treadmills are cheap at salvation army , Goodwill ) were I live people just seem to throw them out. Love the channel, great content.
Mount a laser pointer on a bendy arm pointing down the center line of the die on to the material. Perfect centering everytime.
lazzemetalshaping Here, metal shaping teacher Lazze, demonstrates how to use a pointer, to help make a straight line in any bead roller when you can't use a guide or fence for support
That’s my kind of Xmas wrap job. Add a bow and it’s perfecto! LoL