I'm very lucky!

scottickes

scottickes

Joined
Oct 27, 2005
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I'm on a business trip, and I call my wife everyday. Today, during our conversation she said, "By the way, I sold a house today and I'm putting money aside for your grinder or rolling mill. Price them and let me know how much you'll need to build one of them".

I do not handle the money, since I'm gone so much. I tell her what I want and she budgets for it. We are paying for a wedding this year, plus all of the associated air travel that goes with it, so I wasn't expecting to be able to make much of a dent in my equipment list. I'm getting by on 1" X 42" and a 1" X 30" belt sanders. I can actually grind a serviceable blade on them, since I've spent so many years working with them. I've started forging, and I have a lot of "ball bearings" that are a lot of work to forge down to a workable size. I'm leaning towards the rolling mill first.

However, building a 2" X 72" grinder would greatly enhance my ability to create knives also. I'm now debating which one to make first.

I'm looking for different opinions on which one the rest of you would build first. It might help to know what my shop consists of currently.
I have:
Wood cutting bandsaw
Metal cutting bandsaw (horizontal and vertical)
Chop saw
8" wheel bench grinder (stone grinding wheels)
Bench top drill press
The 1X30 and the 1X42 belt sanders
Three dremels
Mig welder
Plasma arc cutter
NC Whisper three burner propane forge
Anvil, tongs, cuttoff tool for hardy hole and drawing die for hardy hole
Miter saw
Table saw
Router (with router table)
6 inch Disc grinder (electric)
Electro chemical etching system
Assorted power hand tools (drills, jigsaws, vibrating sander, circular saw, etc
Very small air compressor.

What are your thoughts? Which one would you add first, the rolling mill or the 2X72?

Scott (Ickie) Ickes
 
i would go for the 2x72 in my opinion. but if your able to make knive with the 1x30 and 1x42 and are happy with them then i would get the rolling mill. thats just my .02.
 
Hi Scott, If you don't mind a quick question (newbie type). Have you compared a press to a rolling mill? Personally, I'd lean towards the grinder first.
Have fun with your dilema, Craig
 
Scott,

Get a GOOD variable speed 2 x 72 grinder (KMG, Burr King, Bader) and you'll never regret it! Everything else on your list is at least a distant second.

-Mike-
 
A top-flight 2x72 is pretty much a must.

I'm kind of curious, why a rolling mill?:confused:

If you plan to forge damascus, for instance, I think you'll get much more use from a hydraulic press and power hammer (such as a little giant, not a treadle). I think a rolling mill would be a useful production tool if you plan to make a lot of the same-size stock to sell or something, but you'll still need the other two and in my book it's a distant third as a damascus forging weapon. (As a stand-alone it's not going to be as useful as either a press or power hammer, and the press/power hammer combination is particularly good.)

If you're planning to make Mokume and not damascus, then a larger jeweler's rolling mill would be the way to go.:thumbup:
 
Oh, and yes, I agree. You're very lucky indeed.:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :)

We're both very lucky!
 
JCaswell, Why the rolling mill ?? He spent too much time in a steel mill !!!
 
I'd personally go for a grinder first. It will likely get more overall use in your shop than a rolling mill (though I'd agree with JCaswell that a press would be far more useful overall). I always try to prioritize my large tool purchases based on what will get the most use. That which will see the most use is clearly the most important.

The more important thing to do here though is establish a pattern with your wife of "one big tool per house sale". That should net you a steady supply of new toys in the future :D

-d
 
Why a rolling mill? Great question. I do not have a proper shop setup at this time to accommodate a press or power hammer of any type. My shop has a wood floor and sheet rock wall. All wood cabinets and cedar ceiling and trim. It is basically the 'kindling' for my house, if a fire ever gets going, since my shop is attached to my house. I need a powered tool that can move steel more quickly and more easily than I can move it with a hammer, while being portable. I do all of my forging and heat treating on my back patio (cement). I use a dolly to roll my anvil out there, my forge is on wheels, and I have a kennedy tool box on wheels with my vice attached to it that I also roll out there. I can't forge inside, so everything must be portable. My shop is also extremely small. Whatever I have, must not take up much floor space. I can build the small rolling mill discussed in the recent threads, and it won't take up very much floor space, I can make it portable (wheels on one side), and just roll it out to the patio.....do my thing...and roll it back in when I'm done. I can't do that with a press or a power hammer. My wife and I may or may not move (bigger shop when we do), but for now a rolling mill would get quite a bit of use in my shop. I want to make sole authorship knives, all the way through the sheathwork, and without a rolling mill I'm limited to what I can work with.

For instance, you would not believe all of the 52100 stock I have in sizes too large for me to work effectively with a hand hammer. I also like using damascus, but I also like to start out with a large enough billet that I produce enough to make quite a few knives from a billet. With a hand hammer this is back breaking work. I should stop typing, I'm talking myself into the rolling mill.
 
deker said:
I'd personally go for a grinder first. It will likely get more overall use in your shop than a rolling mill (though I'd agree with JCaswell that a press would be far more useful overall). I always try to prioritize my large tool purchases based on what will get the most use. That which will see the most use is clearly the most important.

The more important thing to do here though is establish a pattern with your wife of "one big tool per house sale". That should net you a steady supply of new toys in the future :D

-d
Click to expand...
Actually, my wife is very accommodating when it comes to tools. She will sometimes let me know when we have a little bit extra. It helps that she is handy with tools also. She has a workbench and stuff in the garage that is loaded with all of her own tools. She has remodeled two homes by herself. One was a purchase, renovate and resell (flip this house) thing. So she appreciates the need to have the proper tools. She is also very good with money, so I don't whine when I have to wait to make a purchase. It's because of her that I was able to spend $10,000 and build the shop in the first place. But......."one big tool per house sale", will never fly!
 
Scott, I'd say go with the grinder first. I think you'll benefit more from the grinder initially, as your productivity will go through the roof (faster grinding, fewer belt changes, more belt choices), you'll be able to maybe sell a few more blades and then reinvest that money into your next toy. The grinder is a win-win situation.
-Mark
 
Go with the 2x72 grinder. All the other things you will need will come later. You have a lot of tool right now. The grinder will get you going. You can always add more down the road as you get better. Good Post from someone who's doing it right. A+------------------------:thumbup:
 
KMG...KMG...KMG...KMG...KMG!!!!!!!!:thumbup:
 
Have you seen Jesus Hernandez's press set up? It has wheels and seems portable enough? You are extremely lucky. My wife is also extremely supportive of my hobby. Gotta love that hands on type of woman.

-Mike Sheffield
 
She used to work as a purchaser for a farm manufacturing company. She actually purchased the machine parts and tools, etc. for them.

She was very good at it, and offered this morning to work with me to put together the list of materials, with specifications and then send it out to a bunch of her contacts for quotes. She'll find the best possible prices, I'm sure.
 
kibuddha4 said:
Have you seen Jesus Hernandez's press set up? It has wheels and seems portable enough? You are extremely lucky. My wife is also extremely supportive of my hobby. Gotta love that hands on type of woman.

-Mike Sheffield
Click to expand...
Do you have any links, contacts, photos of Jesus' set up? Also, I'm in Gillette, Wyoming this weekend on business! You're posts get to me much quicker than everybody elses, since were so close together! (just kidding) I've got two down days with nothing to do but watch basketball.
 
Developing your skills on a 2x72 grinder will take longer than honing your skills on a press/hammer/rolling mill. If you start with the grinder; by the time you are comfortable with this new acquisition, you will be ready for the next one,
what ever that might be.
Enjoy your good fortune, Fred
 
http://home.comcast.net/~jeshern/garage.htm There you go boss. What are you doing here in Wyoming?! Sorry to hear about your down days. If my kiddo and forging buddy (the guy who owns the place) was feeling better I would like to invite you down, oh well. You could see how 2 guys with no talent (why do you think I don't show off my work here) make abosolutly UGLY blades. If you are ever back this way look me up. I'll treat you to dinner sometime.

-Mike Sheffield
 
Man, that one-car garage shop brings back memories.

I ran my little shop out of a garage in a condo for years. I had a forge, air hammer, press and everything ... plus the cars had to be parked in the garage every night (according to the rules) so everything was on casters and scooted away every evening.
Funny thing is, never had a complaint about the noise from the shop. Once I started up a loud motorcycle for a few minutes and the cops were there instantly, but powerhammer noise---no problem.:confused: :D
 
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