Abstract: A tire building machine and method employing a tire building drum for receiving at least one ply of tire material having an edge overhanging an axial end of the drum, a bladder turn-up mechanism extending axially outwardly from the drum, an annular array of radially contractible ply-down fingers movable axially to and from a position encircling the overhanging ply edge, and an axially movable ring device operative first to effect radial contraction of the ply-down fingers to turn the ply edge down over the end of the drum, then to set a tire bead against the turned down ply edge at the end of the drum, and then to push the bladder of the turn-up mechanism when inflated to cause the ply edge to be progressively wrapped around the bead and then over the drum.