Bead Roller Modifications Harbor Freight

[bpote]

Eastwood and Woodward sites say their 3/8" main body is "plate steel".
Harbor Freight says theirs is "cast iron".
I bought the HF unit yesterday with a 25% off of $149.95 (coupon on HF main site, good till 12/18/2016)

Questions: is the HF unit cast iron? If so what rod is everyone using...or does it matter, when adding re enforcing braces?

[C-Bag]

I was just looking at one the other day. It sure didn't look like cast iron, just laser cut plate to me.

[Jon]

Not sure about the cast iron vs. plate steel wording, but altering HF tools is popular around here, especially the bead rollers. Some examples of HF altered bead rollers are listed here:

Homemade tools made with Harbor Freight tools

[Ralph]

Eastwood and Woodward sites say their 3/8" main body is "plate steel".
Harbor Freight says theirs is "cast iron".
I bought the HF unit yesterday with a 25% off of $149.95 (coupon on HF main site, good till 12/18/2016)

Questions: is the HF unit cast iron? If so what rod is everyone using...or does it matter, when adding re enforcing braces?

If it is cast iron what I do is pre-heat the metal and use a 6011 or 6013 rod. After I weld a bead I ping it with a ball-peen hammer.

[locostracer]

The Harbor Freight Bead Roller is plate steel and easy to weld reinforcing plate steel to. If you go to youtube, there are a number of good videos on modifying it for better stiffness, motorized drives, stands, better shaft adjustment for tightening, and several other areas. I just bought a complete gearmotor kit from ebay that has variable speed, and is reverseable comes with the wiring schematic, foot pedal, and reverse switch.

[C-Bag]

I just bought a complete gearmotor kit from ebay that has variable speed, and is reverseable comes with the wiring schematic, foot pedal, and reverse switch.

Mind posting a link? I'd love to see the kit and it's not always easy to find stuff on eBay. And way to easy to get distracted

[locostracer]

The Harbor Freight Bead Roller is plate steel and easy to weld reinforcing plate steel to. If you go to youtube, there are a number of good videos on modifying it for better stiffness, motorized drives, stands, better shaft adjustment for tightening, and several other areas. I just bought a complete gearmotor kit from ebay that has variable speed, and is reverseable comes with the wiring schematic, foot pedal, and reverse switch.

My mistake, it was FB, here is the advertisement. The gentleman has been making lots of 4-6 of these at a time and filling orders as he gets enough to buy parts at a discount.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/5549...32637113545832


Best to you, Barry

[acourtjester]

you can check out many mods to the HF bead roller here.

Metal Meet Forums

[C-Bag]

Sorry, I don't FB Barry, but I appreciate the try.

Acourtjester I'm not a member of MMF and don't usually join something I can't check out first.

[bpote]

thanks. so it too is steel.