Rolling metal?

I'm wondering if some of the more experienced metal rolling people out there can advise me. I generally use two gauges of rectangular wire, 6 x 2mm and 5 x 2mm. considering I'm using lengths between 12 and 16 inches long, is it possible to roll the 6mm down to 5mm along it's edge or will it just buckle and go all kinky?

In my experiments, I found that the lover something is as I roll it, the more likely I am to get weird kinks in the metal even when it's fully annealed. I'd really love to just have to buy one size of stock.

ta muchly :)

What *is* your predictive text up to???

At 2mm thick, you might get away with it, but you'll need to reroll it if you want 2mm thickness at the end. It will probably need flattening afterwards too. Another option might be extension rolls with the right profile? I've got half round on mine (keep meaning to ask Durston about oval rolls); the main rolls do flat & square.

ugh! I wasn't sure what you meant until I saw the first sentence on the second paragraph! I meant to say the LONGER something gets as I roll the more I get bends and kinks! possibly because I'm not rolling in one smooth go?

Will the 2mm squash out to thicker than 2mm? So far I don't seem to get much in the way of increased width when I've rolled, but I've just been rolling flat stuff flatter.

I don't think they do extension rolls in the size I need.

For oval wire couldn't you use two D rollers top and bottom?

Liz, have you considered using drawplates, then you will get perfect wires with no kinks.

James

I have, James, but have yet to find any that come in the 5 x 2mm or 6 x 2mm size I want. I even looked at some really pricy ones from the USA.

Hi Liz

Yes you can roll it down in its 2mm edge if you vae large V grooves on your rolling mill.

Open the rolls up wide and insert the 6mm width vertical between the V grooves. Now you can roll it down to just a fraction under 5mm.

The edge will be sightly wider than the middle but you pass the strip horizontal through the flat rolls to make it back to 2mm. By taking the vertical pass a fraction under 5mm, the horizontal pass will widen it back to 5mm.

Hope all this makes sense.

Andrew

Quote:

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Originally Posted by medusa

I have, James, but have yet to find any that come in the 5 x 2mm or 6 x 2mm size I want. I even looked at some really pricy ones from the USA.

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I have a French made one so they were available in the past, but I don't know who sells them these days, on my Joliot / Paris plate, hole number 13 gives 5.1mm x 2mm wire and hole number 7 gives 6mm x 2.3mm wire.
I bought mine from H S Walsh many years ago.

James

Attachment 3455

I just looked on eBay and there are these cheap Indian made drawplates see; http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/proops-jew...4#ht_500wt_969
If the holes are large enough it may get you close to your size and you could finish it on your mill.

May not be the right sizes but for just over £6 inc postage, it may be useful.
James

I'm looking at those Proops drawplates, I've had a few bezel mandrels, rivet plates and bangle triblets from them that I've been very happy with. So I'd be interested if anyone does have one!


Melanie

http://www.spinysharklythings.com

I have read this thread through three times and am convinced that the real answer is to design your pieces from only one size of stock. After all, the difference between 6.0mm wide and 5mm wide is not that great.

Alternatively you can take Andrew's advice and using the square grooves, accept the bevelled edges as a design detail. To avoid screwed up metal, close the rollers very gradually and turn the handle slowly.

Believe me, drawing down large rectangular wires is more difficult than you might suppose and needs a hefty draw bench. You also waste material by creating a taper and there will be annealing at every third or fourth pass. Dennis.

Hi Andrew,

I hadn't actually thought of using the wire rollers. I suppose I assumed I would have to crank them down to the final size. I wouldn't actually mind if they ended up with a slight bezel either.

James, I'd seen the ebay cheapo ones but because they don't always have the sizes marked I wasn't sure about getting one. The one's I've seen with the sizes marked didn't match the sizes I needed. I'll have a go though. I use quite a bit of wire anyway so it would be a useful bit of kit.

Dennis, it's a fair point about using the draw plate for that size of wire. I'd be tempted to enlist my neighbour's son since I don't have a draw bench. And yes, making them from just one gauge of wire would make life easier, but trust me, there actually is a difference between the two when wearing them. The 6mm is much heavier and not entirely comfortable for smaller necks. I was actually thinking of making the thicker ones much thicker, maybe 8mm because I sometimes think that on larger necks, 6mm looks a bit puny.

I have a bit of 6mm length, so I might give it a go and see.

Thanks for all the suggestions.