Anyone use a Mcdonald rolling mill?

I've used one and have just about everything I need to build one except time and the machine work on one shaft. Dennis Kennedy built one, I've used his. He's active on Don Fogg's forums. He found a way to simplify it a bit, which is always good.

It works really well. That's why I got the parts together to build it. It isn't complicated at all. What's really interesting about it is that if you feed in round bar and make flat bar, the width remains the same. One inch round yields one inch flat.

Send me your email addy and I'll post some pics to you.

gene
 
Thanks Gene, I have seen Dennis', just looking for more pictures and opinions on using them, and to see if anyone has any other mods to them.
 
A friend of mine in Idaho City, Idaho Has one that he use all the time. I think that it is quite impressive for a small rolling mill that takes up little space and is so simple to operate and build.
 
My neighbor has one, and I've used it. I love it. I've seriously considered building one, since I don't have the room for a press or hammer.
 
I'm about to get the plans and build one cuz I need to roll some thicker 5160 out to 5/32" for some blades...the plans are availabel from anvilfire books store or Norm Larson books...all that I've read say that it's a really good design...an engineer friend I was talking to today did bring up the point that the bearings used are a critical issue cuz of the pressure they take...thats about all I know till I get the plans! Bill
 
Hugh Mcdnald 10 williams road Gooseberry Hill Western Australia 6076
phone (08) 92931487

hughval@starwon.com.au

He will sell you a cd with the full plans and photoand instructions.
I ae had a loan of one for cupleof years and loved it. I have md very few knives or damascus billets since I have no had access to it. The amount of damascus I me with it would have easilly paid for the building costs.
have started collecting parts myself. he cd I have was made in 2004

I have seen a bundle of variations all work. It isimposible to say which is best not beg side by sde.
If you get the cd you can choose to modify what you like to suit yourself and merials at hand but with the cd aleast you have a guide and picture get the concept down pat exact dimetions can change. Sme machines use pillar blocks and bearinginstead of the bronze bushes again it is the conc to get you sorted that is neede. I have pillar block that I will uson mine.

Hugh is a regular bloke in a suburban are not a multi national making millions. He also features on avilfire iforge
 
Just e reading the previous posts. The 2 machines I had access twere the 2 proto types as shown on the disc. The front of the D cover shows a different
bearing set up. The bronze blocks have taken years of work a loads of damascus production. They do wear but not that fast if greased properly.

I did take a litle geting used to the machine. If you get greedy and try to force too much out of it the rollers can slip on the billet. That is a good thing it save any locked rotor current in the motor or shearing stresses on the drives.

I have seen chain drives instead of pulleys. The chain feels a little more caurse when feeding in and a little more noisy.
The pulley beltsystem is very quite to operate andI used mine in a small sububan block. Something you would be lucky to get away with doing if using a power hammer.

Fitting a set of wheels on the base is perfect for moveing it around
 
Are these things good for welding damascus billets? Any advantage over a press?
 
i have not used a press or power hamer. I have made plenty of rolled damascus. It starts off slow but as you get the billet thiner and longer it really starts to squirt out. It tends to grow in length with little width.
If you are making ladder pattern grooving with a grinder it does tend to widen the pattern. It makes very even Layers to get random pattern you need to incorperate some hammering. A press would have things for and against I think you could argue which you like better.
I have had sme virus pop upon this site and it is makingtyping hard so I will add more once I re set the files
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top