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From Flat To Fab Pattern Metals With The Economy Compact Rolling Mill PDF
From Flat To Fab Pattern Metals With The Economy Compact Rolling Mill PDF
This lesson, intended for the intermediate jewelry artist, will pave the pathway to making
new discoveries in patterning sheet metal using the economy compact rolling mill. It is
written from first hand experience and includes specific examples. While it is not
specifically project based, it does assist the reader in finding a new comfort level with
working with a rolling mill. Learning the techniques outlined in this lesson will expand
creative horizons and the results will take your jewelry fabrication to a new level.
Copyright 2011 Susan Barzacchini, WiredLotus.com. All rights reserved. These instructions are for personal use
only. Please do not distribute, lend or copy any portion of this document. Reproduction and or distribution of these
instructions in whole or in part, in any form, without the author's written consent, are strictly prohibited. This tutorial is
presented solely as an educational tool; and to hold Susan Barzacchini free of any and all claims. You may make this
project for limited sale, but do not mass produce, or claim it as your design. Please give credit where credit is due, it is
the right thing to do.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 2
Supplies:
*Economy compact rolling mill
*Sturdy table to bolt machine on
*Machine bolts
*Drill and bits
*Wrench
*Light machine oil, like 3-in-One
*Soft cloth or paper towels
*fabric grocery bag or pillow case to cover machine when not in use
*Non ferrous sheet metal, such as sterling silver or copper, 24-20 gauge (Several square inches)
*24 gauge soft copper sheet (several square inches)
*Patterns (patterns can be punched cardstock, patterned brass, leaves with deep veins, low relief
laser paper, plastic potato bag, lace, patterned fabric, burlap or sandpaper)
*4 or more sheets of 80 pound cardstock or two manila folders
*Metal sheers or heavy kitchen/craft scissors
Optional Items:
*Butane torch
*triple filtered fuel
*fire brick or other heat proof surface intended for soldering
*pickle
*liver of sulfur or other patina solution
*micro fine sanding sponge or 0000 steel wool if using liver of sulfur or patina
*feeler gauge (for realigning the rollers)
*rawhide mallet and flat wooden surface or anvil
Overall dimension:
Height: 12 inches (30.5 centimeters)
Width: 8.5 inches (21.6 centimeters)
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 6
Gear Reduction
Gear Reduction is the number of times it takes for
the two rollers to go around one time with multiple
turns of the side handle. With no gear reduction
the rollers roll around one full revolution for each
one full turn of the side handle. With a 4:1 gear
reduction, as with my rolling mill, it takes four
turns of the handle for one full revolution of the
rollers. This reduction decreases the amount of
pressure and fatigue while turning the side handle.
Safety:
Pull shirt sleeves up when using the mill
Secure long hair
Remove long necklaces and bracelets
Pull fingers away from metal once metal
engages the rollers.
Wear flat comfortable shoes for good
balance
Dont try to force heavy and thick objects
and metals through a narrow opening in
the mill, as this can cause strain on the mill
and table causing roller mechanism and
table damage.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 10
Realigning the rollers of the mill If you notice that your metals are curving to one
side or the pattern is imprinting heavier on one
side than the other, then your rollers may be
misaligned. If your rollers are misaligned, then
they can be realigned to a parallel position
following the manufacturers instructions.
Step 1:
The top T handle is lifted straight up and out
and set aside.
Step 2:
The left and right index gears are manually
turned clockwise until the mill rollers nearly
touch. Both of the indexing gears are turned
counterclockwise a half turn. A feeler gauge
or perfectly flat piece of metal is used to
check spacing between the rollers. A feeler
gauge is slid from side to side along the
rollers. If the gauge slips through one side,
but not the other, then on the side where the
roller is more open the gear needs to be
adjusted slightly counterclockwise. This is
continued until the rollers are perfectly
parallel.
Step 3:
The top T handle is replaced and the rolling mill
is ready for use.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 12
Annealing process
The metal to be annealed in put on a
firebrick or an annealing pan.
The room lights are dimmed to assure an
appropriate color change during annealing.
The torch is lit and a large bushy flame is
produced.
The flame is moved back and forth in a
constant steady movement over the metal.
Once the metal begins turning a slight
orange glow, then the heat is removed as
in this photo.
The metal is quenched in a water bath.
The metal is pickled in a mild acid pickle
solution and then rinsed.
The metal is thoroughly dried and is now
ready to accept a pattern in the rolling mill.
Tip: After rolling the metal through the rolling
mill the metal will be hardened again and if
further forming is needed to be performed on the
metal, such as forming or dapping in a dapping
block.
Tip: When dapping the milled patterned metal in
a dapping block, use a wooden block and wooden
dapping tool, not steel. The wood block helps to
preserve the pattern of the metal.
Step 1
Trim pattern edges to the size of the piece you
want to create.
Step 2
Cut the metal to be annealed as the smallest
component. Like the pattern, this is rough cut
and will be cut to the final shape after
patterning.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 17
Step 3
Anneal the metal
Step 4
Make a sandwich out of the pattern, annealed
metal, 24 gauge copper sheet (2) and the
80#cardstock or manila folder (2)
Step 5
Slide the sandwich together and make sure that
all the components are lined up. Remember to
keep the pattern and the annealed metal at the
very center of the sandwich. Pinch the
sandwich and take it to the rolling mill.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 18
Step 6
The rolling mill rollers are opened by turning the
handle at the top of the mill. The sandwich is
inserted into the rollers and the side handle is
turned. If the rollers are too tight to catch the
mill sandwich, then the top handle is turned a
quarter of a turn to loosen the rollers and is
checked again. This process is repeated until
the rollers catch the sandwich.
Step 7
Turn the handle from the front of the machine to
the back to propel the sandwich through the
rolling mill.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 19
Step 8
At the time, the sandwich propels forward through
the rollers with some resistance, but not great
difficulty, then the result should be a nicely milled
pattern. Note that this takes a little bit of muscle to
move the metal sandwich through the rolling mill,
as a great amount of pressure is exerted onto the
metal. Understanding the tension needed on the
rollers for milling is determined by practicing. This
is a case where practice will help you to understand
the feel of the handle tension. This is why I stress
greatly the use of inexpensive non-ferrous base
metal for the first several rolling mill projects.
Step 9
The metal and pattern sandwich will fall to
the back shelf after being milled. The metal
will slightly curve and the pattern and
cardstock will be rendered useless for
further pattern use, unless using a mill plate
or patterned brass. The copper cushions can
be annealed and used again.
Step 10
The milled metal is patterned and ready for
cutting.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 20
Step 11
A template is used to cut the desired shape out
of the now patterned metal.
Step 12
The patterned and cut out metal is enhanced by
dipping the piece in a bath of liver of sulfur to
give the pattern more definition.
Step 13
The metal is buffed with 0000 steel wool or fine
grit sanding sponge/emery. Here the patterned
metal is made into earrings with little effort.
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 21
Pattern life
My go-to patterns
Sandpaper pattern
Feather pattern
Gallery
Low relief laser paper on sterling silver Patterned brass on sterling silver
Low relief laser paper on copper with silver wire Brass pattern on silver and copper
Copyright 2011 Wired Lotus Page: 30
Notes:_______________________________
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If we are fortunate, we have one strong mentor who imparts his or her wisdom upon us so
that we might set forth and make a difference in the world of art and the lives of others.
Tela Formosa, artist extraordinaire, has been that mentor to me. Thank you for all of your
guidance, Tela.
Copyright 2011 Susan Barzacchini, WiredLotus.com. All rights reserved. These instructions are for personal use only.
Please do not distribute, lend or copy any portion of this document. Reproduction and or distribution of these instructions in
whole or in part, in any form, without the author's written consent, are strictly prohibited. This tutorial is presented solely as an
educational tool; and to hold Susan Barzacchini free of any and all claims. You may make this project for limited sale, but do not
mass produce, or claim it as your design. Please give credit where credit is due, it is the right thing to do.