Taking Care of Your Rolling Mill

by Judy Larson

I recently visited a friend to help with new skills needed for a beautiful pair of earrings she was making to match a necklace her husband gave her. One thing led to another and we started working on how to use a few pieces of silver that had cracked, which led to the rolling mill she has had for over a year and used quite often. Since it had started to rust, I gave her a little tutorial on roller care - after removing as much of the rust as possible.

Instructions

Rust is the nemesis of rolling mill rollers. If the rolling mill is used or stored in a humid climate, the rollers should be cleaned after every use or the end of the day of use. If the rolling mill is subject to hot and cold, where moisture will condense on the metal surface when it heats up, the rollers should be cleaned after every use or the end of a day of use. Coating the rollers will greatly improve the longevity of their smooth shiny surface.

Cut a ¾" dowel just shy of the width of the rollers. Sand the ends of the dowel smooth.

Cut an old cotton terry towel into pieces that are the width of the dowel by about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Use a sewing machine to zigzag around the edges twice.

Trim off any extra little fuzzies. Throw the finished pieces in the washer and dryer. This should get rid of all the extra little terry loops that may fall off the cut edges and get stuck in the rolling mill. I am a Cautious Nellie, so I sent mine through the washer and dryer twice.

Fold the terry piece over the dowel.

Judy Larson's Taking Care of Your Rolling Mill - , Tools For Wire Jewelry, Tools, taking care of a rolling mill

Open the rollers one full turn of the calibration gear. Push the terry ends through the rollers with the help of the roller crank. Open or close the rollers as needed to allow both rollers to turn. For mine, I need to go one full turn plus 13. Make note of that so you don't have to remember the setting the next time you need to clean the rollers.

Swipe some metal polish on each roller. The terry will help spread the polish around the rollers. Crank the rollers for several minutes Turn the crank backwards to remove the dowel and cloth. Turn the cloth clean side out and repeat the process. This will remove excess polish while leaving a film to protect against corrosion.

I keep all my little terry pieces in a gallon plastic resealable bag. Also in the bag is a smaller resealable bag that holds used cloths, as they should only be used once, the dowel, and the polish.

The calibration needed for cleaning is written on the outside of the bag so I don't have to remember it. The bag is stored in a basket on the rolling mill stand.

Pro Tip: I keep a tube of the same polish in a drawer of my jewelry worktable. I use it to periodically clean, polish and protect metal tools and mandrels.

COVERING THE ROLLING MILL

When not in use, it is a good idea to cover your rolling mill. Doing this will keep dust and grit from messing up the works and keep some humidity away from the mill. A side benefit is that what little elves (grandchildren and husbands) don't see, they don't play with. I made my cover from a thick piece of washable upholstery fabric. Do not use anything that is not breathable as that can trap moisture around the mill. Little elves lose interest in things they can't easily get to.

Try to place the rolling mill in the least humid area of the work area. I wish I could follow that advice. The only place it fits is right outside the basement bathroom where there is humidity from the shower every day. However, even if I have not used the mill, I clean the rollers at least once a week and am constantly checking for corrosion. I have not spotted any, even after six years outside the bathroom (we do use an exhaust fan) but I am on top of it.

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Rolling Mill 80mm

MIL-280.10

MIL-280.10
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $349.95
Gold Club Price: $262.46

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Mini Rolling Mill - Mini C80 from Durston

DUR-1000

DUR-1000
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $1,100.00
Gold Club Price: $825.00

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Category: Tools
Technique(s): Tools

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Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!

Taking Care of Your Rolling Mill

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