rolling mill

[steamschooner]

Well I went and bought me a rolling mill so I would not have to pester a friend who had a bead roller I have used. Used for what you ask?  A rolling mill purpose is to flatten soft wire, brass, copper, soft mild steel, even aluminium. The rolls are adjustable so one can get different widths and thicknesses for each gauge of wire. The flattened wire can then be used for a number of things like, mast bands, straps. hinges and more.

The rolling mill I purchased is one of their economy models (lowest cost ) and weighs 50 plus pounds. It is about 8.5 x 8.5 x 12" with handle.Granted you can make alot of flatten wire in a short time and will not have to use this tool often. But hey you know how us model builders like "Toys=Tools " Here is a sample of flattened wire. Here are some bands I have made for a project.

[texxn5]

Fun tool, wish I had one. Not sure what I'd do with it right now since I don't have a project, but dang, it'd be fun anyways!

John

[jud]

Been looking at those combo  Shear, Break an roller presses. Harbor freight has one for less than $400 that will shear and bend 30" wide 20 Gage steel, rollers are 1 1/2" so that is as smallest size you can roll anything, be it wire or sheet. Do know where one is that was never used. The owner passed on, but I have been avoiding descending on his widow like a vulture, but boy, he had a lot of nice tools and machine shop equipment.

jud

[reklein]

Nice tool  !!. Is it from Grizzly? One of those would be a jewelers delight. Bill

[steamschooner]

Bill, It does have that grizzly green dosn't it. It's from a jewerly supply called Contenti

[MEPering]

I have consider buying one of these for a long time.  I hadn't really thought about it for ship modeling purposes though.  I wanted one to flatten silver wire for doing wire inlay in the work I do.  But it looks like it does have a purpose here... It had just never occurred to me, I guess.

 

Matt