Upgrading my HF Bead Roller
I've had a Harbor Freight bead roller for quite a while. It has been a workhorse in my shop for panel fab and now I think it is time to give it some love.
I am doing the tubing reinforcement to the base plate, adding a return spring for the upper die and reworking a Vise-Grip clamp to replace the tightening screw. I am also building a receiver tube so it can be plugged into my chassis jig or the tool stand.
I will also be adding a HF 1/2" drive drill motor to drive it thru an automotive flexplate and pinion gear. I have had a pretty good time getting this off the ground this week. Still have a bit to do but I got most of the welding done today to get the roller mounted so I can put it back together to work out the drill driver mounting.
These first few pics are of the adapters I had to make for the flexplate and pinion gear.
https://media.fotki.com/2v2HyvT7qx9EDKg.jpg
Starting the pinion gear adapter. You can see the ID's of the gear in this pic. I am turning the smaller one here. I will turn a shoulder to pilot down into the bigger ID then turn the adapter around in the chuck to spin it down to about a 1/2" to fit the drill chuck.
https://media.fotki.com/2v2HyvTWjx9EDKg.jpg
I made the flexplate adapter out of a piece of 3/8"s inch plate and a keyed bushing. The bushing will have to be bored out to fit the roller shaft and then welded to a plate. That I chunked out with the bandsaw and a cutoff disc then mounted it in the mill and cut the center hole with an 1 1/4" Rota-Broach. perfectly round hole and it fit the step on the bushing like a glove.
https://media.fotki.com/2v2HyvAuUx9EDKg.jpg
That hole was then used to bolt on a mandrel so I could chuck the plate up into the Lathe.
https://media.fotki.com/2v2HyvBYMx9EDKg.jpg
I faced the plate about a 1/16th on an inch and brought that diameter down to a snug fit in the pilot hole in the flexplate.
https://media.fotki.com/2v2HyvBEzx9EDKg.jpg
This locates the flexplate nicely so it should run fairly true to the shaft after it all put together. After drilling and tapping a few holes gets this bolted up. :)
https://media.fotki.com/2v2Hyvqo2x9EDKg.jpg
I'll add more pics later, it's getting late and I am ready for bed...
Mark