TOP 10 HINTS & TIPS FOR ROLLING SHEET AND WIRE Special effects from


Rolling sheet.


First ensure your sheet’s ready to roll, in other words annealed, cleaned and dried. Then adjust the width of the rollers (many machines have a dial gauge to facilitate precise rolling gap measurement). First try a little test by pushing the sheet between the rollers. If it passes through OK the rollers should be adjusted so that it won’t go through.


Once the rollers are in the right position the mill is ready to roll down the metal. Support the sheet in one hand and turn the handle with the other, drawing the sheet through the rollers. Catch the sheet as it comes through and check thickness with a vernier/calliper. Then re-roll to get the thickness you need.


Rolling Silver circles into ovals.


To create an oval take a silver disc, set the rollers as you would for rolling sheet and feed the disc through. Once the disc has been through the mill, check for thickness and length using a vernier/ calliper and repeat as necessary. When you feed the oval through the mill again, make sure it’s fed through the rollers in the same direction to make sure it elongates the oval.


Shaping wire.


Using a rolling mill with square grooves allows you to shape and taper round wires. Before you start, anneal the wire, pickle, clean and dry thoroughly. Then push the wire between the square grooves and turn the handle so that the wire is drawn into the grooved section of the rollers. This will shape the wire. Then, to ensure you get the right shape, turn the wire each time by 90 degrees.


Forming D-shaped wire.


Rolling mills with D-shape channels allow you to form D-shaped wire. Simply follow the same principles as shaping. Feed the wire through the D-shape section rollers and, when the wire has passed through, check for thickness. If it is not the right thickness, simply repeat the process.


roller printing.


Many diff erent objects can be used to make patterns but, if they’re too thick or three-dimensional, the results will be less than satisfactory. Hard metal objects in steel should only be used with the two-sided ‘metal sandwich’ method to avoid damaging the steel rolls. The rolls should be cleaned thoroughly after using gritty materials like sandpaper. Thin metal should only be used with thin objects. Deep imprints will weaken the metal.


Here are some of the most popular materials and objects to use:


Metal, feathers, lace, wire, plastics, sequins, leaves, thin keys, sandpaper, netting and chain can all work well, while paper can give you a wonderful, sharply detailed imprint on well annealed metal as it will pick up the matte texture of the paper. Where shapes have been cut out, metal will contact metal leaving a shiny pattern to contrast with the paper texture. Shapes can be cut out with a knife, with fi ne nail scissors or by folding the paper and cutting into the folds, which is great for achieving an overall repeat pattern.


Masking tape gives you a textured pattern recessed into the surface of the metal. Lay the tape out on a glass sheet and cut shapes with a blade. You’ll fi nd that, because the shape sticks to the metal, there is little movement of the design during the rolling process.


If you do fi nd that something else works equally well why not share it with your fellow Cookson jewellery makers through our website or forum?


Avoid false economies


Top tip


Rolling mills are one of the more


expensive of the jewellery maker’s tools but they’re also one of the most versatile.


And we know it’s a bit of a cliché but when you’re buying a mill, like many tools, buy the best you can aff ord. The simple fact of the matter is the more advanced models are more


robust and will last longer with their heavier, stronger rollers.


Metal patterns and pierced designs.


You can cut diff erent shapes out of the metal and use them for imprinting. Cutting into a sheet of metal can produce intricate designs to emboss the fi nished piece. Drilled holes will give you small raised circles, saw cuts fi ne raised lines.


Hammer and punch textures.


You can create designs on a sheet of unannealed metal using punches, coarse fi les and hammers. The patterned metal can then be used for a one-sided imprint (making one copy only).


Because the pattern is recessed into the pattern plate, the pattern produced on the fi nished piece of metal will be embossed.


Rolled plate as pattern.


Designs can be imprinted onto a metal sheet which can then be used as a


pattern. If the original design is recessed, it will give you an embossed pattern with a really interesting quality as it’s one step removed from the original process.


Aluminium plates.


These can easily be engraved with gravers or dental burrs on the fl exible shaft. They are good for just one or, at the most, two passes. The thicker the aluminium plate the deeper the cuts and the embossing.


Etched plate pattern.


You can etch brass, bronze, copper and mild steel to create patterns for roller printing. Steel is useful for a plate you may want to reuse a number of times. Thick brass and bronze will also produce plates that can be reused.


Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions before installing and using your rolling mill.


For more Rolling Mills visit www.cooksongold.com


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