How To Make A Homemade Roller Bender || Metal Bender project 

Best DIY Inspiration yet, ... for a metal bending project in my future 🙂

It's crazy how much force this roller can produce. This was my second DIY metal roller - a better design than the first (by Diamleon) since you're turning the roller vertically instead of laterally. When you're rotating the crank on a plane parallel to a wall instead of the floor, you're able to use your body weight and gravity. When you're spinning the crank laterally, you can reach a limit of traction of your feet on the ground even when extending the crank arm with a pipe. This design did a decent job of rolling up to 2" wide steel bar that was 1/8" thick. I found that if I added 3" in length to my circle circumference, rolled until the ends touched, then cut off 1/4" from each end at a time, I could roll all the way down to a 4" radius. I rolled 2 of these, welded them together and made my own 4" long, 4" diameter. 1/8" wall pipe. As I kept using this roller, and kept stressing it, I found it's weak spots. The first was the weld on the on center vertical guide screw (at the 3:08 mark). The pressure I was putting on this weld caused it to snap the beads and break twice. My fix was to weld it in a second place - where it met the top of the lower square tube. This of course caused a clearance issue, that prevented the upper and lower square tubes from coming as close together. I fixed that by cutting a clearance whole on the bottom of the upper square tube. Cutting this whole also gave me access to the nut that holds the bolt that secures the center roller. I found that the nylon lock nuts would slip under enough pressure, and allow the bolt to tighten too much, and would stop the crank from turning. Changing all the nuts (used for each roller) to solid steal, and welding them to the square tube, also increased the amount of pressure I could exert. They were hard to reach though. After beefing up the center vertical screw's connection to the lower square tubing, and welding the nut for the center roller, I was able bend 1/8" steel bar more easily. I did notice some texture forming on the center roller - on the edges nearest the square tubing. I could also see that I was bending that whole assembly upwards. Because it was out of square, the work that I was rolling had a tendency to crawl towards the square tubes. Once it started to bend, it would try to get between the two square tubes, preventing itself from further bending. With the last pieces of steal I bent with this roller, I would tighten a the top nut a couple of half rotations, roll the work back and forth a bit, it would work itself between the square tubes, and I'd have to loosen it and reset it. My roller ultimately failed when I attempted to roll a 42" long piece of 2" x 3/16" bar. Somehow the force on this became so strong that it caused the top nut (used to lower the top square tube and roller) to shift on it's threads and cross thread. This was a 3/8"-16 steal rod and it was so cross threaded I had to use a 2' pipe just to turn the wrench enough to make space to cut it. The threads on the 12mm bolt that held the hand crank to the top square tube were also (gloriously) fouled up. I'm probably going to make this again, but more robust. I think a second set of square tubes parallel to these and welded onto a seriously rigid base (at least 1/4" thick) would make it much stronger. The crank would have to go on the outside, and looking at other DIY Slip Rollers, it looks common to have gears and a chain to link the two lower rollers together.

Simple and straightforward. Genius technique for captive nut assembly. I salute you sir!

I searched for a long time for instructions that were precise and gave the exact dimensions. Although I am not a native speaker, the video is well made and brilliantly explained.

What a wonderful job you do presenting projects that can be executed with basic tools but that are well designed and practical. Thank you!

Good to see a grinder being used with the guard still in place!

Thanks so much for the great idea! I am in the process and will post pictures when I'm finished. One thing I ran into was getting the nuts close enough to the side wall to "hold the nut." I did not get the hole close enough for that but it was too close to get wrench on. 😞 I do however have a MIG welder that fit right in there and welded the nut in place. 🙂 Also I am going to weld a shortened socket, 1/2 inch drive, to the "drive" roller to turn with a long socket drive or slow drill. Wish me luck! "Fabrication is a blast!"

The best design I saw in RU-vid. Also appreciate disclosing design dimensions, material specifications etc in the video. Every step is well explained so anyone can make this. Thanks for sharing your work !

This is the best project's, and it works perfectly I changed something's like, I used piece of tube to go over the bearings, only because I hadn't got a clutch piston. Thank you for sharing 😊😊👍👍

Wow! This is simplest, easy and practical circular Metal bending tool assembly I came across. Thank so much for sharing with us. Looking for more of such projects. God bless you.

What an awesome build... Very inspiring...

Great video and a simple concept, well done. I wish other video makers (especially Americans) were as straight forward and to the point as you. 😊😊😊

Great Idea! I have spent hours looking up how do make to bend the metal this is the best without a doubt. Thank you for posting!

Simple, effective and to store! Thank you, great job.

I have everything here to make this Roller Bender, excellent simple design! I will be doing this project, for something to do today, Well Done!

10/10 dude!!!! That was really simple but extremely clever!!!

Saving me literally hundreds of dollars. Thank. You.

I haven't even started the vid proper, and just from that image i can tell this is a brilliant little unit. Well...i have a lot of ball bearings with no use for, so i'm a bit biased. :))

This has to be the most simplest and easiest roller build ever and the best on RU-vid for design.👍

Great job. Thinking about this for sheet metal, but calibrating both ends may be problematic.

Great job and well thought out.... brilliant in its simplicity and effectiveness... WELL DONE

Simple, but brilliant! This is just what I was looking for/need for my little workshop! I might have to steal this for an upcoming project 👌🏾 Keep it up man!

Fan ducking tastic Excellent design and no welding to distort the press. I'm making one right away. Thank you.

Gran Maestro de la Creatividad en el Metal . Muchas Gracias por Éste Vídeo. Bendiciones

Hello I made one of these off your design and it works great. I used a coupling nut it covers more thread and I just wanted to share that with you.Thanks again.

This is just what i was looking for simple to make and looks like it works good. thanks

Super. Idea of making a metal bender with out any mess. Kudos.

Congrats! Certainly, one of the best projects that I´ve seen!

That is the best simplistic roller design I’ve seen in a while. Think I’m gonna have a go 👍

muy interesante y fácil de hacer, gracias por compartir.

Très beau travail à refaire simple et efficace

Great perfection!

They are great, but are they good for dealing with wood ??

cool project. Thanks for sharing !!!

What a great video You are a good teacher Sir Top simple Excellent to us beginners

abrazos desde ARGENTINA!!! me pasarias que medidas y mm de tornillos usaste. gracias por demostrar tus habilidades.

Definitely going to be making this in the near future, it's exactly what I need. Thanks for the video.

brilliant design, thanks for posting

it's the most simple I've ever seen. Thank you, I gonna make one.

Awesome video. Your saved me 80$. Was about to buy the one for harbor freight

Really great one idea. Keep it up

Good job ! Thanks from Russia.

Nice, simple design ! Was thinking of building a ring roller similar to the one made by 'This Old Tony' but I only need it for a few jobs so it's a bit overkill - this will do the job perfectly !!

Талант! Молодец! Очень хорошо!

This is AWESOME!!! Thank you for putting together such a great instructional video. :-)

Si supiera varios idiomas no dudo en escribir ,,magnífica herramienta felicidades súper practica 🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

Great job! Will it be able to bend a 20x20mm square tubing?

Здорово, очень изящная и полезная вещь. А, главное, маленькая и легкая.

Thanks very ingenious,oversimplified , thanks God bless you for sharing yr knowledge

Adorei, simples e eficaz.

Nice.....just love it. Thanks for such good idea.

Nice idea. What if I need to curve (bend) a square tube?

I really like it but from where to get step drill bits and bearings can you suggest me sir

Eh visto muchos videos de este tipo de herramienta pero este es perfecto me gustó mucho gracias 💪👌👏👏👏

Brake caliper pistons! Genius!!! OMG!

Brilliant design, Thanks for posting

One of the best Roller Bender and very well explain Thanks

Very cool. Could you add a "parts list", what to buy, sizes, etc. on McMaster Carr?

GREAT idea 👍👌🇲🇽

Thanks for your idea.

Exelente herramienta gracias por la enseñansa

Great video. For me, the hardes part is still to find the caliper piston of the right size... I looked up on internet, but the sellers tell you about the car models but the inner diameter of the piston itself...

Ačiū už idėją! :)

Отличная идея и исполнение. Решено. Буду делать себе такой же. Только чуть увеличу в длине. И закреплю стационарно.

Nice roller ! Simple, compact, gets the job done. Perfect for this Weekend Worrier 👍

Fantastic work. Greetings from Berlin city

Yes! Exactly what I've been looking for, much appreciated 🙂👍, you got a new subscriber 😎👍

Einfach genial, die beste Lösung die ich hier gesehen habe. Vielen Dank. Gruß aus Germany

Wonderful made! Thank you very much

I love this.

great video, what you think is the max thickness you can bend on mild steel?

Excelente tutorial!!

Great idea going to make one this week

Hello everybody, if it's not the best creation on the web, it certainly represents an excellent job! I was fascinated by the clarity of the images, the precision with which you work, the sobriety with which you propose yourself and the professionalism that spreads through your hands .... !! Sei bravissimo!! ;-) Antonello - Varese - I -

I like this movie. Knowledge with a story. I did make a copy of it. By the way, it works well with flat metal but with round metal it's rather complicated because the metal keeps sliding out. But I when changed the middle bearings with smaller ones, it worked very well.

Excellent design, everything was well thought out before the execution, all straight forward and simple, no improvisation. You are to be congratulated. Thank you so much for making it available on RU-vid.

Excelente amigo no entiendo inglés pero intentaré hacerlo

good job 👍

muy buena y perrona idea compare........la llevare acabo..............gracias ......saludos from reynosa

Отличная штука!!!👍👍👍

You are a genius. Thank you😮

Great tool. Can these be purchased? I dont have the tools to build my own but could really use this tool.

Excellent design, I permit to make it copy for my home workshop. Thank you.

Amazing! Can I do without a drill press and welder? This would also work for pipes right?

thanks for the video, it's so nice to look at the neat work well done, if there is a video or advice on profiling, I'll be glad to see it.

Very Nice! I just ordered the bearings to be able to make this.

Hey friend. If I want to make a bend for a larger diameter this device is suitable?

BRILHANTE!!!!

Fantastic work, dude! Nicely done!!! 😃 I'm going to make one as well! For sure! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

👍👍👍 thanks for the video

Muito bom show de bola!!! 👍👍👍🇧🇷🇧🇷

Really nice build dude! Clean and simple and very professional looking!!!🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Great job sir!

Very simple thank you

beautiful idea

Thank you for sharing this wonderful ideas

Ive Just Made this Thank you so much 🙏

First Time some one has shown those wonder bearings in detail and close up which we used to see everywhere...Thanks

excellence job

I need to make this for my school project on Solidworks program, is it a problem for you to tell me dimensions of these parts? Thank you very much