1. Emboss Patterns on Sheet Metal The number one reason I used our studio rolling mill was to run brass pattern sheets through it. It was fun to imprint patterns onto the annealed copper sheet. I would quickly have patterns on a copper metal sheet that was ready to go. We also annealed copper and ran found objects through. 2. Melt and Roll Scrap into Usable Sheet It wasn't until I attended Michael David Sturlin's retreat that I realized how important a rolling mill is and I really learned to appreciate it. It was the first time that I ever saw scrap metal melted into an ingot. Next, I watched as Michael ran that ingot through a rolling mill until he had flattened it into the gauge that he needed. 3. Draw Down Wire Gauges This new outlook on jewelry rolling mill machine really changed how I felt about them as tools. One day I put it to the test on a project I was recently working on. I was learning how to wire wrap and we had run short of a gauge that I needed. It occurred to me that our rolling mill came with wire rollers, so I unwrapped them from their boxes and above is what I found. 4. Harden your Sheet Metal Occasionally you'll need to harden your metal and a rolling mill works great for hardening sheet and wire. You've already learned that if you want to imprint your metal it needs to be annealed, however, every pass you make through the rolling mill is work hardening your metal. 5. Fold Forming Yes, you can fold form without a rolling mill, but the creases in your metal will be so much more pronounced if you run it through a rolling mill. Your metal folds will be tighter and look so much sharper that you may use a rolling mill with all of your fold formed jewelry. Give it a try and see what you think! See more at Jewelerstoolsmall. Some GEM Lapidary Equipment You Should Have
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