So I bought a rolling mill. What next? Learning all about it of course!
Learning to use your tools properly is so important! So once the Rolling Mill had been mounted properly on a sturdy table (it is a heavy piece of kit! Weighs 28 kg.) it was time to get to know its various parts and how they slot in together.
Some of the steps in learning to set up the rolling mill
The first job was to open it all up and see what part was what. There are so many different bits that are screwed together to make up the tool. I took off the gears, those two round things and the one with handle on top. That is the easy bit. They just slide off. Then the screws have to be taken off. Thankfully it comes with the right spanners. And Mr A has a collection of spanners and ratchets in the right size too. If you don’t, they are not too expensive to buy. |
After I had worked out how to use the spanner properly and removed the screw I took the top off. |
The Rolling Mill arrives with a thick coating of heavy duty grease. Make sure you have a roll of kitchen towel handy to wipe off the grease as you go along. Don’t do this wearing nice clothes! Taking the the top off it exposes the top roller, which is a plain roller. Be careful not to scratch the rollers as any marks could (probably will) transfer to the metal when you roll it. |
Taking out the top smooth roller carefully. Make sure you have enough space around you to put these down safely. And don’t forget, these are rollers and will happily roll off the table so put it in a cardboard box, drawer or a tray. |
Changing the roller to one of the patterned rollers that came with the rolling mill. Contents of the pack:My Rolling Mill has 7 rollers: • 2 plain rolls for sheet rolling • 2 wire rolls for wire drawing • 1 roll with cross checks and flat checks • 1 roll with dull and lining • 1 roll with v groove and half round Plain rolls are already installed in the machine and the rest came individually packed and sealed in little cardboard boxes. There is a generous grease / oil coating which had to be wiped off with paper kitchen towel. In the picture above I have installed the cross & flat checks roller. Once I had installed the roller I put it all back together and it worked! 🙂 I have not really used the patterned or wire rolls yet, it will happen another time. I will need practice in using the wire rolls. After I had checked that the patterned roller was setup correctly I opened the mill up again and put it back with the plain roller. I have had a few sessions and rolled some patterned paper and stickers through the rolling mill so far and made some jewellery. I have a whole lot of things in my stash box that I will try rolling to create more pieces. |
One of the first pieces I made using the Rolling Mill – Handmade Paper Texture Earrings
If you are thinking of buying a Rolling Mill there are several models available to choose from
New Toy! I bought a Rolling Mill and I am so excited! 😀
Thanks to the wonderful customers who shopped in my online shop and at the ESC Artists Market in June I was finally able to buy a small Rolling Mill. It will help me create new textures and patterns on my jewellery and sculptures.
“Saree” Wide Fold Formed Copper Cuff. Individually Crafted, One-Off Fold Form Bracelets
