DIY - Building Rollers

[Grebel]

So has anybody had a go at building a set of rollers and been successful?

[nuge]

i guess those who've tried have so far been unsuccesful - bummer

[Grebel]

i guess those who've tried have so far been unsuccesful - bummer

 

Waiting for the afternoon shift to clock in...... I'm sure there is at least one smart arse that has given it a go.

[droo]

Haven't tried it, but can't imagine it's rocket science. You'll need a lathe though, and if you can operate one you should know enough to get it right.

 

If not, find a set that you can take apart to see how it's done. Just make sure you can put it back together again or you'll have an annoyed friend.

 

In my experience with this sort of thing though, it's usually far cheaper to just buy a set. School fees can be expensive, as can material bought in small quantities. That said, if you do go ahead it would be cool to see the results...

[Grebel]

I was thinking the same thing. I was going to approach one of our conveyor suppliers for a "donation" of three rollers and build the frame. Upon closer inspection though I see that the rollers look like they have a very shallow V which makes sense as that wouls track you to the centre of the roller.

[droo]

The ones I looked at years ago (Tacx) had 110mm dia rollers, straight, and made of PVC tubing. Your conveyor belt idea's a good one, just make sure the rollers aren't too heavy or you'll have a hell of a time getting them up to speed. Also make sure you've got some sort of groove to run the belt that connects the back roller to the front one.

[Grebel]

If I'm not mistaken, you can buy the roller ends separate. If the rollers are straight then it should simplify the process. You could use PVC pipe for the rollers and fit the ends while connecting them with a round drive belt..... Creative juices are flowing...

[droo]

Sounds like you're on your way... off to the catalogue to see what you can find.

[Grebel]

One phone call and my dreams are shatterred.... Turns out that the roller end plate diameters are not the same as the pipe diameters available.... The grooved end plates are smaller than the standard pipe diameters available. The other option is steel rollers. Problem is that the biggest diameter available with a drive groove is 89mm. Might be too small.

 

Reckon I might scrap the idea. Looks like too much effort. Would be cheaper to buy a set second hand. Damn, I should have bought the R150 set I saw in Cash Converters......

[TNT1]

My old man built a set in the 90's. Out of steel rollers from some old scrap conveyor machinery he came across. I rode them for many years. They just made a hell of a racket.

[TNT1]

Oh, and they weighed a ton!

Edited November 6, 2012 by TNT1

[Andymann]

I made a set about 10years back when I was stuck out in Ellisras. I used three old rollers from a tube conveyor (complete with bearings) and used an old belt to drive the front one. It worked ok, but was a bit agricultural! In the end I tossed it into the scrapheap and bought a new set!

[Grebel]

My old man built a set in the 90's. Out of steel rollers from some old scrap conveyor machinery he came across. I rode them for many years. They just made a hell of a racket.

Oh, and they weighed a ton!

 

Back to the drawing board..... I can get 89mm grooved rollers. Might just give it a bash for the heck of it and set up in the garage....

[RockCoach]

Sorry wrong thread... I thought you needed help with building jumps.

[Grebel]

Sorry wrong thread... I thought you needed help with building jumps.

 

We will soon. Have a plan up my sleeve to get ride of some excess soil...... Next time you are down this way, bring a spade

[MrJacques]

These look like they can provide quite a workout: