Rolling a Long Cone from Sheetmetal

See how to roll a long cone from 16-gauge (1.6mm) sheetmetal.
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[@Taygetea]

It hit me - the reason you seem so good at everything you do is that you're willing to experiment and learn and try again, and very quickly learn from those mistakes. Thats a great skill to have.

[@RonCovell]

You hit the nail on the head! For the record, I just don't make videos about the MANY things I am NOT good at!

[@badiyan]

Good and humble well conscious dedicated instructor.

[@RonCovell]

Thank you for the wonderful comment!

[@4themusiclovers]

It's such a pleasure to see the videos of a gentleman! Many thanks to you!

[@RonCovell]

So nice of you!

[@metalworkingdude]

Wow, great video. Love that fixture too! I remember when I first saw you forming cones out of 1/8” plate and using those cones to build stunning suspension uprights. That was a life changing experience.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks, Joe! Mike Cooper saw that simple design, and 'had his way' with it!

[@alancollard8939]

yes i like the fixture but it will only produce one cone angle , that a lot of work for one cone

[@RonCovell]

Alan - yes, I agree that it's a lot of work, and it can only produce a cone with one angle, but if you want to make a cone specifically like that, there aren't a lot of options.

[@alancollard8939]

@@RonCovell hi ron i have been rolling cones for expansion chambers , for nearly fifty years, now they are not as accurate as yours as they are hand formed and hammered straightish but we have so many angles our easiest way would be wood or steel formers but again you have to make a lot of cones to be worth while

[@RonCovell]

Alan - I completely understand. Sometimes you just have to get the job done, and there isn't time to make a fancy fixture.

[@RR-mt2wp]

Wonderful art, and homemade cone machine. Great video Ron.

[@RonCovell]

Thank you kindly!

[@youtube.youtube.01]

You have great mentorship skills! Thanks for a very informative and pleasant learning experience!

[@RonCovell]

I appreciate that!

[@jakobhalskov]

Great pleasure to watch and your warm smile is so appreciated ! Best wishes from Denmark

[@RonCovell]

Thank you very much!

[@TheMick26]

Good afternoon, Ron! I thoroughly enjoyed the video as always. That is a very thoughtfully designed fixture Mr. Cooper built with all the supports and the series of small rollers. I wouldn't have thought of that and as a result would have ended up with lots of flex as you described. I appreciate you taking the time to share the process with us and even more so for showing your solutions to the minor problems you encountered along the way. Using the simple hose clamps was brilliant and worked like a champ.👌 Cheers, buddy. I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks so much. Yes, the hose clamps were a great solution for pulling the cone up tight against the mandrel. It probably could be done with rope, in a pinch (no pun intended).

[@jerekirkpatrick2092]

Hi Ron. Fixtures are king. I like to design odd stuff just so I can make a new tool or fixture. Another project done well. Jere

[@RonCovell]

Thanks so much, Jere. Yes, sometimes the fixtures are as much fun as the project!

[@cest7343]

Mater Ron, how educative insight into the preparation and a nice recovery for the undercut 👍always a chance to learn something useful, as always

[@RonCovell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@billdlv]

Nice work Ron👍 Your friend Mike is very talented

[@RonCovell]

I think so too!

[@alejandrosantiago6080]

Thanks for the video, you are in deed a great master in metal forming and workshop technics.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for watching, and for taking the time to comment!

[@willclark491]

What a fantastic fixture! As usual, you give a super-clear explanation of each part of the process, and leave me with the (false) impression that I could do it too. 😁

[@RonCovell]

You probably could do it if you had that fixture!

[@franciscoguizardane9552]

Thank you for sharing your expertise in your videos, super interesting and very didactic, cant wait to experiment myself!!! Your channel is amazing! Greetings from Mexico

[@emoshawn77]

Wow! Cone engineering has everything. The first cone I made was with a free template download, hammer, and pipe. It was very challenging and looked like a sack full of walnuts. Great video as always keep up the content Ron. I'll say it in advance congratulations on the 200K subs!

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, I hope to top 200K subscribers in a few weeks!

[@OhHeyTrevorFlowers]

That green brake is a gorgeous machine.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks. It seemed expensive when I bought it, but that machine has served me very well for about 40 years!

[@kennethstaszak9990]

I remember Mike being featured in your How To Work With Tubing video. The things that go through his mind when he creates his sculptures! Almost as much work building the fixtures and tools as the actual sculptures themselves.

[@RonCovell]

There is a lot of truth in what you say!

[@IstasPumaNevada]

Impressively accurate for such long skinny cone dimensions. Very nice. Great finishing job too. For a wooden mandrel, I might worry about shape stability long-term as the wood slightly swells and shrinks due to changing humidity. Then again I've never made anything from wood that required tight tolerances so maybe I'm overthinking it.

[@RonCovell]

I think if a wooden mandrel was stored indoors, and protected from water dripping on it, it would be serviceable for decades. How long do baseball bats last?

[@ellieprice363]

@@RonCovell Would sealing the wooden cone with several coats of marine spar varnish help?

[@RonCovell]

I'm sure it would keep the wood a lot more stable. Wooden boats seem to go for quite a few years before they need to be re-sealed.

[@tomstiel7576]

@@RonCovell I had a wood mandrel,,,or buck made just like that aluminium cone to make a exhaust cone for a corvette restoration,, used a rubber hammer and hose clamps,,,worked quite well actually

[@RonCovell]

Hey, that's great! Whatever it takes to get the job done.

[@Euronasa]

😲 I instantly subscribed. I have always wondered how this is done. Now I know! Thanks Ron!🤗

[@RonCovell]

Welcome, and thanks for the sub!

[@martinsanders4087]

nice work Ron, i watched this this video because im involved with high quality double lock standing seam roofing, therefore i have to learn to fabricate waste stack vent pipe that wont leak from 26g painted steel. ive learned some techniques but id love to make a tool that would make some of it easier...

[@RonCovell]

Martin, Why don't you email me some of the details of what you want to do, and maybe I'll have some ideas on how to make it: [e-mail]

[@shinergriff]

Hi Ron, I appreciate all you do it's very interesting to learn form a skilled man such as your self. On the cone rolling fixture you spoke about the many rollers rather than the singular one you mentioned that it was the rigidity was needed you were of course correct, also I might add that the distance each roller must travel per revolution of the mandrel would also be a factor.

[@RonCovell]

You are absolutely correct that each of the rollers rotates at a unique rate, determined by where it touches the cone. When I made the 'heavy metal cone' fixture, there is only one roller, so I know most of it was sliding, but it still seemed to work OK. The issue would be greater on a longer cone, and on one with larger size differences between the large and small end, but I still think that bending is a larger issue than sliding. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k

[@stewartmcneill2262]

Hi Ron thanks again for your skill and knowledge your the craftsman

[@RonCovell]

Thanks a million!

[@lemontier]

I thought that this video was outstanding. Forming cones that have a fit up flat and tight is tough. Tig welding an inconsistent joint on a cone is to me the maximum frustration with no way to avoid the roller coaster weld. Not to be able to get to the inside for raising the low areas makes it worse. The fixture that you demonstrated is really a work of art. Thank you

[@RonCovell]

Yes, cones can be tricky to make, and I can see that you know the intimate details. Glad you enjoyed this video!

[@brianhaygood183]

What a scandal it would be if someday we found out that just outside the camera view of Ron's admirably clean workspace there were hoarded stacks of newspapers, piles of laundry on the floor, and teetering piles of tools and scraps.

[@RonCovell]

Well, I promise you that the rest of my workshop is nowhere near as 'squeaky-clean' as the area where I shoot videos, but I don't have piles of laundry on the floor, and I do stack my scrap metal fairly neatly. If you look closely behind my bending brake, you can see some real clutter: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZuaZZhtpZKLpNk

[@bubbleobill267]

I’m pretty sure all the grinding dust would levitate it’s own way into the bin!.

[@kalleklp7291]

I just use a normal straight roller. Of course, I have to pre-bend the edges. It rolls a cone but without any end pieces to it. These will be applied later if needed. On a machine, as you have I see it's much easier to get a nice shape without having to pull the sheet. Nice video. :)

[@RonCovell]

Sounds like you know what you're doing. Thanks for watching, and for commenting!

[@RelaxObserveAcceptPatience]

Beautiful work and presentation. I made a cone for my project just yesterday but mine is certainly crude compared to yours. Nevertheless, my cone is satisfactory for its purpose: it stands on a gas stove burner and is used to radiate heat into a small space. I did the math to make my pattern then placed it on a section of used black stove pipe to mark the cuts. I cut it out with a plasma cutter then rolled it into a cone shape by hand. Mine is riveted together. I like your idea of making a mandrel from hard wood - I will try that next time to get more control on the final shape.

[@RonCovell]

Sounds like you got good results from a much simpler setup!

[@sewasewa6585]

The Cone looks so Simple and clean, Your Method looks so Simple and Clean, Your Thinking looks so Simple and Clean. I am going to get up off my back side and do something.

[@RonCovell]

I hope you do something cool!

[@spidersinspace1099]

Ron is the Mr. Rogers of metal working.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for the nice compliment!

[@azyfloof]

I'm guessing the gap in the final cone was because the paper template was a lot thinner than the sheet metal used for the cone, and you have to account for the material thickness. I'm surprised the machine didn't have a big wheel to grab hold of and crank it round :D I was waiting for you to bring in this giant wheel from off camera and slot it onto the end :P Excellent stuff as always, Ron!

[@RonCovell]

I think your idea about accounting for the metal thickness is right-on. I didn't think it would matter that much, but experience taught me I was wrong. Certainly a giant wheel could be used to turn the mandrel, but my half-inch 'breaker bar' worked just fine.

[@azyfloof]

@@RonCovell I also wonder if running the material back and forth a few times will stretch the metal out enough to close up the gap. Will likely work better with softer more malleable metals like copper and aluminium, not sure about steel though 😊

[@RonCovell]

From my experience with an English wheel, which is designed to stretch metal, I don't think Mike Cooper's tool develops enough pressure to stretch 34" of 16-gauge steel.

[@1911wood]

Your are correct. When calculating the blank size of a cylindrical/conical object you must use the outside circumference. In a previous life I used an Excel spreadsheet and later a parametric modeling program and a CNC machine to develop the flat pattern. The rolling machine Ron borrowed is nice for a pointy cone, open ( the frustrum of a ) cone can be made with a store bought sheet metal roller. I also added extra material that was marked by the NC machine to be trimmed away after rolling. This allowed us to have the finished edges to meet without any flat areas. We were rolling 1/8” aluminum.

[@RonCovell]

Adding extra metal to the edge of the blank, and trimming after rolling is an excellent solution to eliminating the flat spot!

[@davidminarik1210]

That fixture is a work of art!

[@RonCovell]

Well, it was made by an artist!

[@johnmolnar2957]

another fine video. great work!

[@RonCovell]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Bigmansm]

Great video. That tool/fixture mike made is a work of art in its own way.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks, and I'm so glad you liked it!

[@jdeddy11]

Excellent info as always. Very thankful for the content you put out, it's an underappreciated resource. I got into metalwork at age 15, self taught from videos like yours over the last 15 years since. Keep it up!

[@RonCovell]

Great, and you can count on me to keep producing videos like this - I love it!

[@bake162]

Awesome Ron!

[@RonCovell]

Thanks so much!

[@floridian7143]

Always learning from you! Thanks for sharing!

[@RonCovell]

My pleasure!

[@kevinmartin7760]

The pressure rollers are segmented because they have to roll at a different speed. When the mandrel turns half a rotation, the rollers at the large end have to roll a longer distance than at the smaller end. By segmenting the rollers they don't have to slide on the metal, causing extra effort to do the work.

[@RonCovell]

What you say is certainly true, but I build a cone roller without segmentation, and it works pretty well - even though there is a lot of slipping going on: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k

[@Bobbitt3]

Clever idea. Great video.

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked it!

[@JunkMikesWorld]

Very nice! Hope we can cross paths again at the Detroit Autorama.

[@RonCovell]

Thank you! I don't plan to travel to the Detroit Autorama this year - maybe again in 2024.

[@kenknight4560]

A true Master using awesome tools to make the impossible. Spoke to him years ago at SEMA, a very nice person.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for that!

[@paulfisher1160]

Made a cone a few years ago. Just draw out the segment lines and as it rolled through the rollers i pulled the material so each line was parallel with the rollers. Cant even see my work no, its in the roof for an extractor. regards, Paul

[@RonCovell]

That's a clever idea - I hadn't thought of using lines for alignment!

[@paulfisher1160]

@@RonCovell I used a sheet of ali. It was in fact a oblique cone. Stretched and shrunk opposite ends so it would fit in and over the different size pipes i was connecting to. All starts with a drawing

[@hamdiklcarslan4435]

nice work mr Covell thanks for the information

[@RonCovell]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@atdlusdriver]

You are an inspiration sir! The next time I fabricate, I will be thinking about your craftsmanship. Absolutely excellent!

[@RonCovell]

Wow, thanks!

[@merlinmagnus873]

Trippy sculptures. Thanks for sharing the engineering behind making them.

[@RonCovell]

Yes, Mike Cooper is an extraordinary artist, and the techniques he utilizes to execute his visions are noteworthy in their own right!

[@jsleeio]

@@RonCovell the Tyrrell P34B recreation especially looked amazing

[@RonCovell]

I like that one a lot, too!

[@janeblogs324]

1:25 many rollers also because each roller is rotating at a different RPM as the cone varies in diameter. 1 long roller would be sliding on the workpiece.

[@RonCovell]

Of course what you say is true. I did make a shorter cone rolling fixture, and even though the single roller had to slide, it still worked pretty well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k

[@luisburgos2573]

Very good work, thanks you.

[@RonCovell]

I'm so glad you liked it!

[@lestrada1009]

I enjoyed this great video Ron. I admire your willingness to show how to make difficult parts. I also enjoy making seamless cones and round shapes in a spinning process. Working with sheet metal is my passion.

[@RonCovell]

Thank you for the kind words. I would like to learn more about metal spinning. Could a cone this long and slender be made by spinning, and if so, would you prefer to start with a flat disc, or a piece of tubing? If tubing could be used, could it be welded tubing - either DOM, or ERW?

[@karlp2560]

very good sir, I appreciate your skills

[@RonCovell]

It's my pleasure!

[@nicquintana1092]

I love watching you transform metal into shapes that seem only possible with machines!

[@RonCovell]

I'm glad you enjoy watching!

[@tasadduqmajeed68]

Once again a great idea to make the cone. It helps me to make conical strainers from perforated sheets. Thank you so much. Sir, Ron Covell.

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked it!

[@jimrobcoyle]

My first project in Sophomore Metal Shop was an Expansion Chamber for my 63 Yamaha 55. 20 ga. galvanized with a folded lap seam, brazed together. My Teacher was derisive, called it a pop pop pipe. Would not give me a grade for it. 😎

[@RonCovell]

I would have given you an A+!

[@miketownsend6108]

awesome job

[@RonCovell]

Thanks!

[@johnmcclain3887]

I've been working in metal since childhood yet I always get to learn a new technique, pretty much every time I turn around. I've never had to make a cone, but that would've been helpful in making a few other sheet metal shapes. Most of my welding has been structural, but I've made a few fuel tanks and other types of tanks and I've seen some better methods than some I've stumbled through. Thanks Ron, always interesting!

[@RonCovell]

Great! I'm glad to have you on board!

[@phillipyannone3195]

Working with sheet metal is a beautiful art and you do it so well.😊

[@RonCovell]

Thank you so much 😀

[@ukjt89]

Happy to see Colin furze shout you out in his new video!

[@RonCovell]

Oh my gosh, what a thrill that was! And I LOVE that crazy drift trike modification he did by hydroforming stainless spheres for the rear tires!

[@ukjt89]

@@RonCovell Thanks Ron 😀

[@aeiro5390]

Thanks for captioning this!

[@RonCovell]

My wife is hearing-impaired, so I have a good understanding of the importance of captioning. Also, I know that some people like to watch with the sound muted, for various reasons.

[@Joe.Doucette]

Hi Ron. He sure made an excellent fixture. I agree with you that wood might work well and it woudl be a lot cheaper than aluminum. Nicely done. Now you can start making horns for cars and musical instruments. ;)

[@RonCovell]

Thanks and musical instruments would be a fun diversion!

[@bearshield7138]

sweet job

[@cassiusclay7482]

Beau travail

[@RonCovell]

Merci beaucoup!

[@edwardtaylor4785]

Nice project. I think, maybe, that the multiple small rollers are to better accommodate the difference in surface speed at the various diameters along the cone and, as you pointed out, a single roller would have to be pretty big to be stiff enough. A single roller would have to slip or skid someplace to deal with the different speed. Not sure if that would make. big difference, but it probably wouldn't make things better. Many shorter rollers reduces this problem. Very nice fixture BTW. Those first few cones were pretty expensive if they had to absorb the cost of the fixture. I get a lot of cones for exhaust systems from CONE engineering.

[@RonCovell]

Yes, there is no question that breaking the rolls into smaller segments reduces the 'sliding' a solid roller would have. I have made cones with a solid roller, so that issue is not a deal-breaker: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k

[@rachelpunter1893]

Thank you for making this video, I’ve always struggled with making cones, but you have given me some useful ideas.

[@RonCovell]

I'm so glad!

[@DanLance100]

Oh my gosh ! What a great video ! I need to roll some cones from 1/4" aluminum. I will definitely watch your other video ....did you say the title was " Heavy Metal Cones" ? Thank you very much for taking the time and effort to compile and post this !!!

[@RonCovell]

Here's the link for the Rolling Heavy Metal Cones video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k I've never done it with 1/4-inch material. It should be possible, but it will take a REALLY beefy fixture!

[@ddblairco]

love watching a master at work

[@RonCovell]

Thanks - lots more to come!

[@erik_dk842]

Now Mike's art is art that I can appreciate

[@RonCovell]

Yes, Mike Cooper makes art that resonates with many people.

[@KikoValleyMan]

That was pretty cool Ron. Glad you shared this. 👍🏻

[@RonCovell]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I have another cone video you may enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k

[@jp-akai]

got smarter！😊 thanks for the fun video

[@RonCovell]

You're welcome!

[@valentinlishkov9540]

Instead of a drawing board, various graphic editors are used. they facilitate the work and give the possibility of automation of the design work. They share information through standardized file types.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for the info!

[@creast56]

Another great vid! 🙂

[@RonCovell]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@adambergendorff2702]

I love seeing custom home built tools, take the guts from one machine and turn it into a game changer for another job!

[@RonCovell]

Couldn't agree more!

[@Logicianable]

Thank you sir 👍

[@slypig24]

What do you think of having 3 tapered rollers, all in one, like a parallel roller, but all with the same taper, you may be able to direct roll sheet steel to form your taper.

[@RonCovell]

That would be the best way to go, and there are some specialized rollers made in that way: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3a8gKt6fJKHl8U

[@calipiomoraes9295]

Parabens Amigo, exelente trabalho, belissima obra de arte.👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏

[@RonCovell]

Muito obrigado!

[@Donald.W.Rissler-ARTS]

When you first showed the fixture I thought the setup was intended for the attachment of the leading edge of the sheemetal (not the middle). So that rotation was in one direction while slowly adding additional pressure every rotation , similar to sliproller.

[@RonCovell]

Well, you certainly could use this machine in a similar way, but that's not how Mike configured it. This video shows another approach with only two rollers, rather than the three on Mike's machine, and on a slip roll: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o564mIdoqb2mp8k

[@mahdigatie4]

nice work

[@RonCovell]

Thanks!

[@jamesa7506]

👍✝️🇺🇲💪 I think I'll have a go at making one of those horns they use on those old ricola commercials now! (I'll forward all of my neighbor's complaints to you)😉

[@RonCovell]

All the best!

[@ronmurphy9819]

Hey maybe next time you might include spec’s on your tig setting’s. Other than that it was awesome. I’m not sure where to start. Thanks Ron Murphy

[@RonCovell]

I sometimes do include the welder settings in my videos, but I didn't this time. Here's a rough overview: DC, electrode negative, 65 amps, 3/32" 2% lanthanted tungsten sharpened to a sharp point, at about 45-degrees, with 15 CFH argon and no pulsing. Did I miss anything?

[@keithjurena9319]

I made a flattened cone using the card stock layout method to form it from 16 gauge aluminum. T0 aluminum so it was like butter.

[@RonCovell]

Sounds like a cool project. I've found T0 aluminum rather difficult to source. It is not stocked by my local dealers, so I've had to special order it when needed.

[@erininstereo47]

Don't forget the essence of metal fabrication... it's about the cones.

[@RonCovell]

Yes - and circles, triangles, and rectangles are all quite useful, too!

[@pmcquay1]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think there would be a flat spot on this one, because the mandrel is always supporting the material against the smaller rollers, as opposed to a traditional rolling machine where the rollers are not the same size as the finished part, and it relies on having 3 points of contact to do the bending, so at some point you get the end of the material passing one of the outside rollers and the distance between that roller and the middle one becomes your flat spot. You lose adjustability with this method though, you have to have a mandrel for every size of part you want to make.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks for chiming in on this. It's true that the flat spot would be smaller on this fixture than on a traditional slip roll, but Mike Cooper (the fellow who made the fixture) told me that he got flat spots, so I thought I'd take steps to alleviate the issue. You are absolutely right that this design is locked in for one taper, although you could use selected sections of the fixture to make cones of different sizes, as long as the taper was the same.

[@teeess9551]

Go on... give this man a like :)

[@harryspeakup8452]

Thank you for some more learning, and the introduction to Mike Cooper's work

[@RonCovell]

Glad it was helpful!

[@davethurston753]

Thanks - you are a real artist.

[@RonCovell]

Thanks so much!

[@Jkauppa]

if you put that against gun fire (smaller cones) the crushing of the cone will absorb/deflect/bounce a ton of any incoming energy (like a bullet trap), hexagonal cone spike pattern

[@Jkauppa]

optional composite filling

[@Jkauppa]

its very light weight but strong, very low sheet metal volumetric density, very high filler/air density, as an armor

[@Jkauppa]

also the cone spikes mesh formation work like a rpg mesh grid pre-exploder in the abrams tanks

[@Jkauppa]

you could also directly crush-cast into cone spike form (molten or just push the metal into the form with a ton press)

[@Jkauppa]

push so hard that the sheet will be pushed into same thickness (with the mold inner cone pusher)

[@Karacan3655]

🥀We kiss the hands of the masters🥀

[@lloydprunier4415]

Wondering if you could show how to build a cone shaped multi section 45" firepit cover? I'm thinking of using galvanized flashing with seams like hvac ducting.

[@RonCovell]

I think your idea could work well, and flashing is inexpensive, and easy to work with!

[@dwarfet]

love your videos Ron keep up the good work, im currently making an exhaust for my motorcycle and i was wondering if it is possible to roll a cone with a normal slip roll

[@RonCovell]

Well, it's tricky, but it can be done. A standard slip roll can't make a cone with a diameter smaller than the rollers, and small rollers tend to bend once they get very long. Here's an example of what CAN be done: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haS2founhdhrhbs

[@ModeratelySpeaking]

I am just as impressed with this man's demenor as I am with his craft.

[@RonCovell]

I'll take that as a compliment!

[@tortron]

April 20th already?

[@RonCovell]

The Premiere is in 12 hours.

[@NotaRobot_gif]

LOL

[@Scodiddly]

Very impressive jig - when you first mentioned borrowing a jig I was imagining something nailed together from wood!

[@RonCovell]

Well, there are jigs, and then there are JIGS.

[@miinyoo]

What I learned. Air powah >>> electric powah! Those cleanup tools made finishing looks easy.

[@RonCovell]

Yes, the right tools can really make the finishing steps easier!

[@miklov]

Very conical video.

[@RonCovell]

HAH - good one!

[@dukenukem8381]

Ron is my admiration

[@RonCovell]

Thanks a million!

[@machcncsystems]

Ron great video. I noticed you did not show the transition when welding a long seam. Did you stop or was it continuous. I'd like a video on how to join long welds, with multiple methods if possible arc tig mig?

[@RonCovell]

It was a more-or-less continuous weld. I stopped a few times to re-position my body. Here's a video that addresses welding long seams in more detail: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pH-cnYaljNpqmMk

[@N.M.E.]

this comes at just the perfect time! Need something close to this (although WAY smaller) for a current project!

[@RonCovell]

Glad to hear it, and good luck with your project!

[@wbfaulk]

If I understand correctly, the implied first step in "how to make a cone" is "make a cone". ;)

[@RonCovell]

Well, in this case at least - yes!

[@Nomadboatbuilding]

Hi Ron, I’m in the woodworking trade myself, but I love metalworking for fun. I’m curious if there is a variety of sandpaper that you find best for this type of metal work? Not looking for brand names but abrasive type. I favour serated aluminum oxide for most of my work on bare wood and finishes for instance.

[@RonCovell]

I use aluminum oxide for most of my abrasives. I'm told that newer abrasives like 3M Trizact are superior (and considerably more expensive) but I haven't invested in them yet.

[@Nomadboatbuilding]

@@RonCovell okay, thanks Ron.

[@Nomadboatbuilding]

@@RonCovell on a similar subject, do you have any tricks to prevent aluminum from loading up sanding belts?

[@RonCovell]

Yes, I use bar soap to prevent aluminum from loading up abrasives, and it works quite well. Here's one example: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5WsnoKNh7qUosU

[@Nomadboatbuilding]

@@RonCovell Thanks so much Ron. That’ll save me a few buck for sure.

[@Jimmy_in_Mexico]

Thank you for teaching us this knowledge.

[@RonCovell]

My pleasure!

[@Akya2120]

Ron, I have a question that I think you could answer, and would make a great video. I want to make a set of fenders for my car, but what's a good method to get them to match other than just eyeballing it? I will probably make them from fiberglass or carbon, but ideally I just want to make one with clay on the car. Then I'd cast a mold and try to mirror it. How do you accurately mirror a metal fender, or part?

[@RonCovell]

Jeff, I do have a video on just this subject. Here's the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaXNZneNlrCLj6s

[@carlyleporter5388]

Wish everything you clicked on on KZbin was as well done and informative as this.

[@RonCovell]

Well, I can't control what others do, but I do my very best to make good videos!

[@jjd1983]

Very nice work! Looks like a very expensive and time consuming process to fab one size cone. A slip roll and beakhorn stake would be my choice. Because I'm a tight wad😂

[@RonCovell]

Glad you liked the video. Yes, you would need to make quite a few cones to justify making such an elaborate fixture. If you had to do it by hand, the tools you mention would be a good place to start!

[@joevostoch8768]

Great video! I have a sheet metal question. I need to drill 54 1/2" ID holes along the long side (3/4") of a 1/2" x 3/4" x 36" piece of 1/16" thick aluminum angle. The centers of these holes need to be spaced 2/3" apart so there is a 1/6" wide space between their edges. Also the bottom edges of these holes need to be flush with the top of the short side (1/2") of the aluminum angle so there will be a 3/16 space between their tops and the edge of the aluminum angle. I only have a drill press to do this work. What is a good approach to accurately laying out and drilling these holes?

[@RonCovell]

Many approaches to this. Ideally, I'd use an annular cutter to make the holes (like a Rotabroach): kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5ykoYx9oJemh7c First, I'd lay out a centerline for all the holes, spaced 5/16" away from the corner of the angle.. I would do the layout on the OUTSIDE of the angle, so you will have to find a way to hold the angle upside down and horizontal in your drill press. A drill vise is a convenient way to do this. Next, I'd use a pair of dividers to lay out the hole centers along your layout line. Last, I'd centerpunch the center of each hole, and drill with the annular cutter. Easy peasy!