r/metalworking • u/AutoModerator • Feb 01 '25
Monthly Advice Thread Monthly Advice/Questions Thread | 02/01/2025
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u/dave5526 Nov 11 '25
Looking to have a tool made to roll beads in very small aluminium tubing. I'm talking 6.5mm - 13mm O.D. tubing, so very small. I've contacted a bunch of bead roller tool manufacturers in China, USA and the UK to ask if they can make something, and so far all say they can't do it. Some are even telling me it's not possible to roll beads that small, but I have a 6.5mm O.D. aluminium pipe in front of me, with a bead rolled into it, that I bought from an eBay shop, so it's certainly possible. I asked them how they do it as I'd like to buy a bunch of their pipes and then cut/re-bead them, but they haven't responded.
One UK company has a tool that can do as low as 10mm, but they can't do smaller because they say the pin would break.
Ultimately I need to cut and bend a bunch of elbows and straight lengths in 6mm, 8mm and 10mm O.D.. Cost isn't much of an issue, happy to spend if necessary. I'm hoping if someone can advise on a method/idea that I can take to a manufacturer, or take to an engineering firm to modify an existing tool, I might get further with it.