foundation mill manufacturing

[magnet-man]

Hey does anyone have an idea on how they make the metal foundation mill rollers now? Root says how they did it in the 1800Â’s, and I have seen lots of patents on how to make the rollers. If these patents were actually feasible, I donÂ’t know. I would assume that a cnc mill might be used.

[Todd Zeiner]

CNC mill would be my guess. It is very easy to do the cad work and get the mill to do the work. Not cheap by any means. I had 14 years in Tool and Die prior to beekeeping. I'm not sure on the patents. Maybe Jim F can answer that one.

[peggjam]

From what I have read the rollers are actually tin embossed with the cell design and then welded(?) onto steel rollers, one on top roller, and one on the bottom roller.

peggjam

[beegee]

Imagine how much fun you could have by hand-carving hexagonal cell patterns in a couple of wooden rolling-pins on cold winter evenings?....I think the CNC, a CAD program and a laser or water-jet would be the way to go. You could make the cells any size you wanted. It wouldn't be cheap, I don't think. :D

[fat/beeman]

I have a mill from tom's industries and for the money you will spend trying to make it you will come out cheaper buying it. he sells for $800.00 shipped to you. I have one Don

[Sundance]

Does he have small cell mills? If he does........ do you have a contact email or phone #?

[fat/beeman]

yes he has small cell mills=that's what I got from him
Tom's industries=P.O. box 26001 Yuma AZ.

Don

[magnet-man]

I am not trying to make one. It is an academic question only.

[magnet-man]

I am not trying to make one. It is an academic question only.

A.I. RootÂ’s machine chiseled three flakes out of the roller and then stamped the indentation, If I remember his description correctly.

One patent I have on my CD has the individual cells cut on top of a metal rod. The rods are inserted into holes in a hollow cylinder. The cylinder is then filled with a chemical that causes the rods to rust and thus seize in place. If the drum surface was damaged, the rod could be removed with some effort. I donÂ’t know if this method of making rollers was ever used though.

Does anyone have one of Tom's Industries mills?
is peggjam's description correct?



From what I have read the rollers are actually tin embossed with the cell design and then welded(?) onto steel rollers

[Jim Fischer]

The Wooster Ohio bee museum has at least one, if
not several machines that made such rollers.

They looked to me that they could be oiled a
bit and returned to working condition.

These days, the roller would be made by a
CNC machine, as it is a classic "step and
repeat" pattern.