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Mar 09, 2024

DIY Metalwork: Taking Baby Steps Into the Art of Bead Rolling

Related Video Last year I began diving into (very) amateur level metalwork that I could apply to some of the project cars I'm constantly tinkering with. Having relied heavily on a good friend and

Related Video

Last year I began diving into (very) amateur level metalwork that I could apply to some of the project cars I'm constantly tinkering with. Having relied heavily on a good friend and fabricator to recreate in aluminum the many brackets and filler pieces that I've drummed up with cardboard and blue tape in my garage, I felt it would be a good idea to try and learn to do some of the metal work myself.

After digging into write ups, scouring some DIY forums, and watching quite a few YouTube videos, I reached out to our friends at Eastwood for some of their user-friendly essentials so I could get some hands-on practice. The group is well known for their massive array (over 4,000 products) of tools and supplies used by professionals, home garage builders, and, as is my case, ground-level beginners.

In the previous installment I got to work with Eastwood's Electric Metal Cutting Shears that made quick work of some aluminum sheets so that I could toss them into their Versa Bend 20-inch Sheet Metal Brake. A few straight bends followed by using their Metal Punch and Flaring Dies and my door sill cover plates were done, along with a few other pieces

I also cut some large panels to cover some stripped interior walls in the rear of a project car. I was able to use Eastwood's Metal Bead Roller to apply a few lines which add substantial rigidity to the panel as well as a custom look, but it was much harder than I could have ever imagined. The pros made it look so easy in some of the videos I viewed but the reality is holding and sometimes turning the panel with one hand, while rotating the crank with another in order to keep the dies rolling smoothly, proved very difficult. So, I reached out to Eastwood once again and they suggested adding their Bead Roller Drive System.

Those real fabricators showing their handiwork online were using motorized bead rollers so they could place both hands on their work, which obviously benefits not only a seasoned vet, but someone just starting out. The Eastwood Bead Roller Drive System bolts directly to any of the Bead Rollers in their line up and uses an industrial-style 1.65-amp motor and 75:1 gear reduction that's strong enough to handle as much as a half-inch bead into 18-gauge steel. With the included foot switch allowing start and stop privileges at will, and a user-selectable variable speed control along with forward and backward options, you get full control.

The Bead Roller mounts right inside of my Eastwood 8-inch vise and the motor installation was very straight forward. I began by removing the Metal Bead Roller handle to expose the lower cog.

This included adapter has a groove to meet the integrated keyway on the new motor's driveshaft. Set screws are then fastened to help anchor it in place.

The snout leftover by the removed crank handle fits into the other end of the adapter with a pair of set screws used to fasten it. The drive shaft and the crank snout just need to be evenly aligned with one another for smooth operation.

On the back of the Bead Roller, the new motor attaches using heavy duty hardware that's a bit longer than the original bolts in order to allow space for the thick bracket to slip into place. Here it sits a little loose as I used one hand (and arm) to wiggle it into place, and the other to tighten the bolts once I had it completely level. There's a bit of weight to the motor so a second set of hands would probably make the process a little easier.

A safety cover is also included and bolts to the motor's housing, covering the cogs and offering some safety reminders.

Plug the motor in to a standard socket, chose forward or backward for your direction of choice, select your speed, and you've got motorized action.

I picked up a sheet of scrap aluminum and cut it down into multiple squares, all about the same size. These would serve strictly as practice pieces to get comfortable with the process and experiment a bit to figure things out. The panels were small enough to easily control and already scratched up and dinged enough to not feel like I was wasting material.

Using a Sharpie to plot straight lines, following those lines was a breeze with the foot control allowing me to call the shots, and, after a few attempts, I felt comfortable with the speed setting at about 15 percent for the majority of operation. Obviously, most project designs aren't going to be simple, straight lines, and I wanted to get a feel for making turns as well as maintaining a single line going through multiple direction changes. I drew a few simple, elongated triangles to get some practice.

With the ruler only allowing sharp angles, I used a socket to guide the marker around to create a smoother radius, then wiped away the sharp corners.

A struggle ensued with getting a straight line after completing a radius. After a few attempts, though, the key seemed to be getting my line of sight very low, right in line with where the bead roller dies touched the panel, to stay right on top of the line I'd drawn and not stray away. Eventually, I was able to get a decent follow on the marker line and even after making an almost 180- degree turn on some parts, was able to continue the line and connect to its starting point without any major creases or major signs of overrun.

The more times I ran beads, the more comfortable I became with handling the panels. The Eastwood Bead Roller Motor Drive System worked flawlessly and presented no issues as I went through a full stack of metal panels during the afternoon.

To get some practice with even tighter turns, I used the same sized panel and drew out my initials.

This would require stepping down the speed of the Eastwood motor so that I could stay in front of the dies and not get jumbled up, given how compact this design was.

The tighter transitions created a greater rate of panel warpage, though much of it could be rectified with simply laying it across my thigh and applying pressure to bend it back into place.

The two photos above show my second attempt as I botched the first one by setting the speed too high and going well off my Sharpie line. For this one, I was able to stay on course throughout the template.

I then swapped over to an offset die set from Eastwood's Bead Roller Forming Die kit.

With this die, I was able to get an offset crease along the bordering edge of one of the panels rather than plunging into the material and creating a separation of sorts. Both techniques added rigidity to the panel that you can feel when you pick them up or try to twist them.

Some valuable takeaways revealed themselves with these first few sessions of practice, the first of which is I needed to slow down. Longer lines at lower speeds require more patience, but the result is a cleaner transition in and out of a turn. I also got an idea about how much the panel would warp based on the amount of bead rolling performed. It's something to keep in mind as too much stretching might not allow your panel to fit perfectly with the surface slightly contorted during each pass. If there's room to play with, fastening the panel in multiple points can take care of that.

Next up is of course more practice. Bead rolling is something that's as fun as it is frustrating for me, but the learning process keeps me very motivated. I'll continue to dedicate some free time to experiment, make some mistakes and hopefully find more success as I dive deeper into DIY metalwork in my garage.