[TheForge] Rolling Mill

[theforge@mailman.qth.net]

I sell the plans for the rolling mill.  They are $25 plus $2 postage.  

The mill is easy to make.  Made one and it seems to work very 
well eventhough I've only "played" around with it for less than an 
hour.  The plans say that it only needs a half horsepower motor but 
I used a 1hp since it was available and was gear reduced to 50 rpm 
already.  The machine runs at 20 rpm so reduced the rest of the 
way with chain and sprockets.  The rollers are 2.25" since I had the 
material--the plans called for 2" rollers--they're mild steel which is 
fine since the material is hot.

The Kayne and Son rolling mill (see their website) uses pillow 
blocks which work well rather than the cast bronze bearings that 
the plans show.  

The biggest use for blacksmiths is that it will draw a taper but I 
think that rollers could easily be made to do other useful things like 
put a groove in stock or make a roller that could texture a piece of 
steel.

If I had to do it over I'd try to add some sort of ring roller to it since 
two rollers are already on the machine.  Talking about a ring roller 
that would roll maybe 3/8 x 3" or so.  

Norm Larson Books
Lompoc, California