Rolling angle iron

rockcity

rockcity

everyday is a chance to get better
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Greenville, NC
I have a project…


And need a couple pieces of 2” angle iron rolled to a 38’-6” radius. Total of about 12-15’ long. Both of them leg in and opposite hand of each other. Basically going to use them as parallel tracks that I can use to install my sawmill cutting head on to cut curved timber beams for my house.

Anyone have a way to roll these? I’d assume it would probably be reasonably easy on a tube roller with some die changes or adjustments. Maybe?

I know I can order them from a metal fabricator but we aren’t getting all that fancy here.
 
Layout the radius on the ground, notch one leg and weld it back? Figure how much you need to remove for the radius.....??? just spit balling this is how we frame walls with metal track that needs to be on a radius. Won't be a perfect radius (segmented) not sure if that would work.
 
repeatedly heat and quench the leg that needs to shrink on the flat side. In a v pattern evenly spaced. But not sure if you could shrink it as much as what is required to get that radius

Or

figure out how much material is extra in flat side, cut out evenly spaced v shapes with portaband and weld back up

Or

Throw together a DIY large radius roller similar to a swag- HF pipe Kinker turned roller setup.

Could potentially do that with flat bar on edge, and then weld corner to make angle.

I’m thinking it would take similar Time to do either
 
Can’t segment it as it will cause issues with the wheels that roll on the vertical leg of the angle iron. And I prefer not to weld on the vertica leg as it will cause some inperfections and bumps on the rail that my sawmill head will feel and it’s a pain to work around.

So, best thing is to try and find a way to roll it affordably. The 38’-6” radius isn’t too tight, so I’m thinking maybe the HF tube roller may get enough roll to it to be functional without too much modification to the roller, if any.
 
This sounds like some fancy shizz...

Alternative thought that might be easier to implement...just make a flat surface to roll on, and use a 38'6" (minus the width of the mill head) long post/beam with a pivot point on the other end to control the sawhead motion.

Here’s a hi tech manucad illustration:
IMG_0835.jpeg
 
jeepinmatt said:
This sounds like some fancy shizz...

Alternative thought that might be easier to implement...just make a flat surface to roll on, and use a 38'6" (minus the width of the mill head) long post/beam with a pivot point on the other end to control the sawhead motion.

Here’s a hi tech manucad illustration:
View attachment 405357
Click to expand...
that would work if I needed a horizontal radius but I need a vertical radius. Think, hang the mill head from a tree with a 38’-6” rope, so I can get the radius I need.


Or, just make some new mill rails with the radius and bolt it to my current rails temporairly. Maybe. Somehow. Kind of.
 
Cut timbers straight, soak in a river for 2-3 years, bend it with a press and let it dry on the press?:laughing:

I'll see if a misc steel guy I know would do it at a reasonable price.
 
rockcity said:
that would work if I needed a horizontal radius but I need a vertical radius. Think, hang the mill head from a tree with a 38’-6” rope, so I can get the radius I need.


Or, just make some new mill rails with the radius and bolt it to my current rails temporairly. Maybe. Somehow. Kind of.
Click to expand...
How big are these timbers? (cross section)
 
Well, they can be as wide as my mill can cut, which is 30”. But likely closer to 12-16”

Basically I have a bunch of curved rafter tails I need to cut for my house. They are 2X material.

I was hoping to just cut a curved cant at the radius I need and then flip it 90* and then mill a bunch of 2X curved tails from the curved timber. Figured it would be easier that way than trying to cut a bunch of individual curves.

I need about 250 curved rafter tails. Of course I could send it to someone to do it with a CNC router or otherwise. Just trying to figure out a reasonable way to DIY with the tools I already have. (Mill and welder and minimal fabrication and construction skills… 😆 )
 
rockcity said:
Figured it would be easier that way than trying to cut a bunch of individual curves.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, I see you think like me. "There is a good logical way that most people would do this with limited equipment. Instead, let me build something complicated or buy something expensive that allows me to do it efficiently on a production level for this one small batch task, and then never use it again."
:laughing:
 
Based on what you're looking for, I'd rig up a 6 roller fixture and buy a $300 Delta vertical bandsaw. You'll be done making them by the time you'd finish figuring out how to align the sawmill head on your custom track.
 
Go buy a ring roller from HF and roll some 2" flat stock into whatever radius you want then weld it perpendicular to some other flat stock that ties the two rails together. Rolling angle iron requires special dies, most large welding shops and steel supply places should be able to do it though.
 
It'll be easier to roll flat bar and then "build" it to an angle iron. If you go that route, we might be able to bend it at our fab shop in Winston, though that's a big radius for what we have. We contract with a guy who can do wth ever you need. I've seen 12x12x1/2 HSS tubes rolled.
 
JSJJ388 said:
It'll be easier to roll flat bar and then "build" it to an angle iron. If you go that route, we might be able to bend it at our fab shop in Winston, though that's a big radius for what we have. We contract with a guy who can do wth ever you need. I've seen 12x12x1/2 HSS tubes rolled.
Click to expand...
This. Get a sheet stock wide enough to accommodate the radius draw directly to sheet to weld and pattern too.
Cut sheet plywood to radius for forming buck. Clamp back to plywood buck. Match to sheet drawn pattern and tack up or weld.
Trim sheet to suit needs for your base.

My thought would be to make both sides on the same base if sheet width was doable and waste wasn't a concern. Box the underneath as needed to support and tie into saw track as needed.
Walla module that can be reused and stored.
 
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OnlyOneDR said:
Can you make a pattern and just use a plunging router?
Click to expand...
Or a jigsaw on a rope. We're talkin 2x's. But he wants to do it the hard, "efficient" way :D
 
jeepinmatt said:
Or a jigsaw on a rope. We're talkin 2x's. But he wants to do it the hard, "efficient" way :D
Click to expand...

I mean, I could use a router table with a jig.

But remember, I have like 250 of these things to make, so however I do it, it will be time consuming. The fastest way is to farm it out to someone with a CNC router or even a water jet table.
 
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