Slip Roller from an industrial sign machine

[Dragos28]

So I picked up this machine that was used by a street sign company. My intention is to use it as a sheet metal slip roller and my idea is to make twisted sheet metal art sculptures, sort of like what's in the picture just on a bigger scale.
Can anyone that has experience with a slip roller let me know if I'm close? I've never used a slip roller before.
The last video show the current state of the machine.
Thanks!

This is what it looked like when i got it

and how it worked in its original configuration

as I was removing rollers and getting it setup to run sheet metal through it... or at least thats what i think lol

The current setup... and i'm not sure if maybe i am using the wrong type of material. this is weldable sheetmetal, i stuck a magnet to it. but it doesnt seem to take any shape or bends... any suggestions or recommendations would be welcomed.

And i'm sure i've mentioned it, but i've never used a slip roller before. my intention is to make art sculptures like this but on a bigger scale.

 

[jackalope]

All your videos are private and unable to be seen. As for the machine in the picture, it does not appear to be a slip roll like I’m used to. I have a Lown roller and it works great. What you have looks more like it’s used to straighten bent sheet prior to processing as in stamping.

 

[Ries]

is there any information on the rolls? Manufacturer name? To me, those look like very light duty straightening rolls for thin aluminum, not slip rolls. What is the horsepower? What are diameters of the rolls?

What is “weldable sheet metal”? I often weld steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and bronze sheet. All are wedable sheet metal, but weldable does not tell you anything about tensile strength, for that you need to know the actual alloy.

I think you need better rolls. I have 2 different sets of rolls, a hand cranked 36” set, and apowered 48” set, both are built completely differently from your machine, and both easily do what you want. Sometimes a bargain is not worth the savings.

 

[HWooldridge]

I agree that it looks very light for the task. I have a 60” slip roll and each individual roll is quite heavy. I’m not sure if they are made from solid or heavy pipe, but they feel like solid shafting.

 

[boslab]

Looks like the front end of a scotchcal sign machine, the sheet and the sign with the silly picture got squeezed between the nip rolls the under the infrared heat wotnot and vacuum sheet.
You could turn it into a pyramid roll easily but the rollers are long and slim for thick plate, great fo sheet Ali and thin steel though, not sure about the spiral winding though , just shove it in at an angle I guess.
Mark

 

[Ries]

Looks like the front end of a scotchcal sign machine, the sheet and the sign with the silly picture got squeezed between the nip rolls the under the infrared heat wotnot and vacuum sheet.
You could turn it into a pyramid roll easily but the rollers are long and slim for thick plate, great fo sheet Ali and thin steel though, not sure about the spiral winding though , just shove it in at an angle I guess.
Mark

this sounds right. It looks very similar to this machine.
So its not a sheet metal bender at all, but, instead, a pressure roller to apply stickers evenly.
Scrap it and find a real set of slip rolls.

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/51259O/if-1-3-interstate-squeeze-roll-applicator-48-inch.pdf

 

[Dragos28]

Not sure if the videos are showing up now, but i'll re post them on here

 

[Dragos28]

All your videos are private and unable to be seen. As for the machine in the picture, it does not appear to be a slip roll like I’m used to. I have a Lown roller and it works great. What you have looks more like it’s used to straighten bent sheet prior to processing as in stamping.

Thanks, i think i got them working now.

 

[Dragos28]

is there any information on the rolls? Manufacturer name? To me, those look like very light duty straightening rolls for thin aluminum, not slip rolls. What is the horsepower? What are diameters of the rolls?

What is “weldable sheet metal”? I often weld steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, and bronze sheet. All are wedable sheet metal, but weldable does not tell you anything about tensile strength, for that you need to know the actual alloy.

I think you need better rolls. I have 2 different sets of rolls, a hand cranked 36” set, and apowered 48” set, both are built completely differently from your machine, and both easily do what you want. Sometimes a bargain is not worth the savings.

No idea on the manufacturers name, but someone posted a link to something very similar. The rollers are solid and really heavy. I can check the HP when i get home, they're 2" in diameter and the big one is about 6"

as far as weldable steel, please excuse my ignorance.. its a mild steel and thats all i know, its 20" wide and i have a coil thats about 1000' long.

 

[Dragos28]

I agree that it looks very light for the task. I have a 60” slip roll and each individual roll is quite heavy. I’m not sure if they are made from solid or heavy pipe, but they feel like solid shafting.

yeah the rolls are solid and extremely heavy.

 

[Dragos28]

this sounds right. It looks very similar to this machine.
So its not a sheet metal bender at all, but, instead, a pressure roller to apply stickers evenly.
Scrap it and find a real set of slip rolls.

https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/51259O/if-1-3-interstate-squeeze-roll-applicator-48-inch.pdf

thanks thats pretty much what this machine looked like, most likely a custom build for whoever had it before. Yeah if it doesnt work it doesnt work, i only paid $50 for the it so just the rollers alone are worth it to me, i have a fabric store and a fabric printing business so i'm always making something that uses rollers.

 

[Dragos28]

Looks like the front end of a scotchcal sign machine, the sheet and the sign with the silly picture got squeezed between the nip rolls the under the infrared heat wotnot and vacuum sheet.
You could turn it into a pyramid roll easily but the rollers are long and slim for thick plate, great fo sheet Ali and thin steel though, not sure about the spiral winding though , just shove it in at an angle I guess.
Mark

yeah the pyramid roller is kind of what i was going for, im sure it wont do heavy gauge but thin steel is what i'm wanting to bend anyway. i'm not sure if the sheet metal i have is just the wrong type as it wont keep a bend.. i'll have to try a different type of metal.

 

[surplusjohn]

where are you located? how thick and how wide of steel do you want to form? I may have something coming up.

 

[Matt_Maguire]

You're looking for an "initial pinch" or "pyramid" roll.

Good luck, Matt

 

[Dragos28]

where are you located? how thick and how wide of steel do you want to form? I may have something coming up.

I'm in Edmond, OK, just north of okc. I'm thinking 8-12" wide..

 

[Dragos28]

You're looking for an "initial pinch" or "pyramid" roll.

Good luck, Matt

Thanks, i was able to watch a few videos and that's actually really helpful.

 

[surplusjohn]

I'm in Edmond, OK, just north of okc. I'm thinking 8-12" wide..

how thick of steel?

 

[Dragos28]

how thick of steel?

14-18gauge should suffice

 

[Dragos28]

Specs on the motor

 

[Dragos28]

I'm starting to figure it out, this is the sort of bending I'm wanting.



I'll add more to it as I have time.