# Best Homemade Tools >  Tube Bead Roller

## Astro

My latest tool project is a bead roller for forming a bead on the end of a tube. I need to use this tool to make new engine coolant tubes for my racecar. It could also be used to make intake tubing for turbo applications.
I saw the design concept on the net, and made my own version.




This is a small test piece to show the results.

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blkadder (May 25, 2015),

Frank S (Nov 25, 2017),

high-side (Jun 26, 2020),

Jon (May 23, 2015),

kbalch (May 26, 2015),

NortonDommi (May 5, 2020),

panosam (Jun 3, 2015),

Paul Jones (May 26, 2015),

PJs (Apr 20, 2018),

shaheenshah (May 26, 2015),

Sleykin (Jun 26, 2020),

Toolmaker51 (Aug 9, 2018),

Trojan Horse (Apr 20, 2018)

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## Altair

I love the neat and compact design, no gears exposed whatsoever.

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## Astro

Hi Altair, the dies are not connected in any way, the process relies on friction on the inside of the tube to turn the tube. I have not yet experienced any negative issue with this arrangement but if I do I may bead blast the internal die for more grip.

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Toolmaker51 (Aug 9, 2018)

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## blkadder

I like simple machines like this one. Looks great, and I just may have to steal your idea.

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## kbalch

Thanks Astro! I've added your Bead Roller to our Bead Rollers category, as well as to your builder page: Astro's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:












Bead Roller
 by Astro

tags: bead roller

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## DIYer

Beautiful work!  :Bow:

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## Nitrous

Can you clarify "not connected"?
Is the only driven element the bottom die?
If you have any pictures of the top die, that would be helpful.

Great project! Thanks.
Doug

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## Astro

> Can you clarify "not connected"?
> Is the only driven element the bottom die?
> If you have any pictures of the top die, that would be helpful.
> 
> Great project! Thanks.
> Doug



Hi Nitrous, thanks for checking out my tube beader. You are correct in that the only driven element is the bottom die.
I have taken some pictures of the upper die and other detail.

 this is the backside of the die with spacer ring

 this is the front side of the die, 6203 bearing

 profile of the die

 rear of die axle detail

 front of die axle detail only the outer circlip groove is used, the inner one was a mistake.

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Paul Jones (Jun 26, 2020),

Sleykin (Jun 26, 2020)

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## Nitrous

Get detail!
Thanks for taking time to post these photos
Doug

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## Altair

Thanks for the clarification, Astro.

Al

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## Paul Jones

Hi Astro, 

Thank you for the extra construction details and great photos. Nice workmanship in the parts and assembly.

Paul

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## tberrygt

Astro
I work for a tubing manufacturing company. I think your tool will be the next addition to my tool box. I think it will work great for prototypes. Quicker than making dies and a punch.

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## Murph1090

Great design and execution, I would consider putting a torch attachment so you can hot roll a bead in heavier tubing if need be

I had to do that job once,, took 3/32" wire, made a proper sized ring and brazed it to the tube on the ends, once the hose was on and cinched, it worked well and nobody saw it. Did that for a customer once, cheap wanker wasn't happy with it, told him that's what you get when you you only want to pay a tuppence for a quid's worth of work, and to sod off and be glad with what was done for him.

Now, I do this for my own work and NOBODY ELSE. Bugger the lot of them.

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## skypilot

Very nice design and super workmanship. Thank you for sharing.

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## G.Paul

I have made a tool that will give the same results as the one Astro made its also less labor to make it. I will post a picture as soon as I can find it.

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## Quivil

Could you please describe the materials you used? Great tool!

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## skypilot

Here's a list of the materials used to make the bead roller:

Base: 4"X8”X 1/4” steel tube End plates ¾” steel Bearing pillow blocks These were bought on Amazon and are very poor quality the biggest problem being that the mounting hole pattern is not square.The rollers are 2 ½”solid steel bar that I turned on a lathe. The challenge here was that I needed a 39” capacity and I have a 30”lathe so I needed to make some joints to make the rollers long enough, not only to accommodate the capacity that I needed but also allow for room for the bearings and chain drive.The chain setup came from the local Farm Store. The sprockets are called weld-on sprockets so you can buy individually size sprockets and hubs that you weld together. and it's a number 40 chain. The design didn't work out as well as I would have hoped and it will eventually be re-built. There are two main problems: First pillow blocks we're larger than the listing implied, which doesn't allow the rollers to make firm contact with each other. This causes the rollers to slip on the material. It works, just not great as I hoped it would. Second is a basic design flaw, The new one will use a gear drive rather than the chain drive so that two of the rollers can be pinched tight to each other. This is the way most of the ones that you see are made but I was trying to avoid the gears. The chain drive just didn't work out well.If you have any other questions let me know.

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Jon (Jun 29, 2020),

Paul Jones (Jun 29, 2020)

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