Wire bending/ring making tool

[tmac1956]

All:

I snagged this old German made heavy ring making tool. My problem is that I’m not exactly sure how it works. It seems to me that there needs to be some way to anchor the end of the wire before bending can take place. Otherwise the tool just rolls the wire between the rollers and leaves it pretty much straight. Clearly, you can hold the wire with one hand and turn the tool with the other, but its difficult to keep the wire hard up in the tool and keep it consistently so. I need to bolt the tool to a table top but I thought I’d get some information first.

Here are a few pictures…

Oops… wrong tool…try it again.

Thanks!
Tom

[david pierce]

Tom,
In order to make this tool function for your needs you will need to make roller dies to suit your application. Take a look at the George Daniels pocket watch bows to get a sense of direction on the finished diameter of the bow. The dies need to be two round pieces of steel with V Grooves machined into each wheel. The stationary diameter will determine the diameter of the bow. The rotating die needs to meet the stationary die to encapulsate the wire between the V Groovs. To hold the wire drill a hole in the stationary die in the center of the groove. To allow for the wire buckling at that point grind a relief into the V Groove to give the wire a place to go. Don’t worry about heat treating the dies if you are only going to make a few parts.
david

[tmac1956]

David:

Thanks!

Tom

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