Curled brass texture plate

[susieq]

Probably a silly question or two, but here goes.

I textured some silver sheet in my rolling mill using a brass texture plate but after using it a dozen times or so, the texture plate has gradually curled, still useable but getting more-so each time I use it.

Presumably I am doing something wrong, just not too sure what. I used just a single piece of silver with the plate. Should I have sandwiched it between another piece of metal, and if so, is the silver the sandwich filling or the texture plate?

Now for the really silly question(s) - can I just anneal the brass plate and try to press it flatter? But if I do that, when I use it next time will the annealing process mean that the texture flattens?

Thanks, Susie

[Dennis]

Hi Susie,
I don't buy texture plates for that very reason, that they eventually become damaged in a mill. I guess they are really meant for wet clay?

I think you can delay the damage if you change the position at each pass, by turning it upside-down and also by rotating a half turn.

You can also use it in the middle of a sandwich between your metal-to-be-textured and stiff paper or soft metal. But then your metal-t-b-t will curl instead.

At this point annealing it will make it vulnerable to becoming less sharp, but you could try opening the rollers and putting it through sideways, sandwiched in thick paper, several times, with not much pressure. Just close the rollers gradually but stop when you have a good enough result.

Anyhow, what I do is have a large collection of found objects for roll texture, particularly fabrics and discard that piece when used once. If you can wrap it around the m-t-b-t, you get a texture on both sides, so you can choose the best of the two sides. But you also get a really flat sample.

Try; net curtaining, bandages, art paper, wrapped sandpaper(escaping grit spoils rollers) iron binding wire, brass mesh etc etc. I keep offcuts of textured silver for future use, as in my Modern London and the London Eye brooches below. Dennis.

[caroleallen]

Those are fab Dennis.

I have the same problem. Once they curl, they're not much good. The long steel ones which I get from Rio Grande won't go through sideways. If I thought they would flatten out, I'd chop them in half, so I'll be interested to hear if it works Susie.

[ps_bond]

One of the things that's been discussed at ACJW meetings is salt-water etching steel plates, hardening & tempering them (which is where I come in) and then using them to roll print with a sacrificial brass sheet to protect the mill.

[camalidesign]

Hi Susie,

Some people etch their own texture plates, at least when they become unusable you can etch new ones! Not sure how crisp textures you get and also you would have to invert the pattern to get the correct texture on your rolled silver. Perhaps someone who does this can tell us about it?

Cheers,
Carin

[susieq]

Thanks for all the suggestions - at least I know it's not unusual for this to happen. The plate is a little too curved to put through the roller sideways so I currently have it resting pattern side down on some thin polystyrene packing paper with a heavy flat metal stake on it and then my tool box on top of that. Will leave it for a day or so and see if it flattens enough to put it sideways through the mill.

I have tried some of the alternative textures - I particularly liked what I got with rough sandpaper although never considered protecting the rollers from loose grit. Oops - I learn something every day here. You have reminded me, Dennis, that I keep meaning to detach the lace from my wedding dress, now several sizes too small (must have shrunk after being scrunched up in a box these past several decades ...) and do some texturing with that. I want to make some lentil beads and I think a lace pattern on one side will do very nicely. As usual, Dennis, your work is beautiful from design to finish.

Carin - I have done a Saturday etching course using photo sensitive film and nitric acid, and got very good results, but I don't think it's something I feel able to replicate at home. Salt etching silver with battery is definitely on my very long to do list though - had not given it a thought that it would also work on steel, Peter, although as my soldering skills are rather hit and miss I think it's fair to say trying to harden and temper steel plates is well beyond my capabilities. Although, I have today successfully and very neatly for me, soldered some .7mm wire jump rings. I'd like to be able to say I used hard solder, but easy solder won the day and they are now tumbling happily away.

I'll let you know how I get on with the brass plate Carole - after confirmation that annealing it may soften the pattern I'm reluctant to try it unless as a last resort - if I can't flatten the plate it'll be unusable for texturing anyway - although maybe I could make brass lentils with it, solder it on to silver and have brass one side and shiny silver on the other? But then I'd have to protect the pattern whilst I was doming it in the block ... hmmm, knew that leather I cut out of an old handbag may come in useful one day.

Susie

[mizgeorge]

Susie,
I've successfully flattened out brass plates by just passing them through the mill upside down and on a very slightly looser setting so they don't stretch. I sometimes start the flattening a bit with a rawhide mallet on an old chopping board to get the worst of the bend out.

I tend to etch silver with ferric nitrate now as I'm a bit of a wuss about using nitric acid - I find it less of a faff than saltwater/battery, but like Dennis, I tend to use found objects, especially old lace and hessian for texturing as the results are so instant. I just make little packages of metal/texture/metal (usually silver/fabric/copper) enclosed in a fold of paper and find these seem to warp less. I do anneal and pickle my silver several times before passing them through to get a nice soft layer of fine silver on the side that's going to be textured.

[trialuser]

Susie,
........ I do anneal and pickle my silver several times before passing them through to get a nice soft layer of fine silver on the side that's going to be textured.

That seems like a really good idea, I'll pinch that one if you don't mind. :-)