Roller Mill question

I haven't used one yet but I'm posting the link where you can see this in action. Its a small zip file at the bottom of the page. I believe its Mr. MacDonald himself (the inventor) showing how it works. I REALLY want one. Its whisper quiet and much cheaper to build than a press. I guess you can't really do mosaics or anything like that but its supposed to actually be superior for simple damascus patterns, because it doesn't beat the pattern up like a hammer or smush it out like a press.

In this short video he runs the billet through the mill about four times and probably triples the length of his billet; that's all in one heat! It looks like you could draw out an entire billet in two or three heats. My thinking is that I'll do the initial weld on the anvil, just to be sure everything's solid, then go to mill to speed things up.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.anvilfire.com/bookrev/mcdonald/mill.htm
 
Rolling mills are really good for a few things in making steel. They shine reducing material from .375-.500 and smaller. They still distort the pattern on the "Z" axis of the material, usually in a bisymetrical parabolic arc. They save time and alot of material to grinding by making uniform stock. By contoling the thickness of components in laying up billets and size preparing materials; they are really good. The machines are great for making San Mai Steel. I built my mill for the capability of San Maiing Mosaic slabs to high preformance cores. You have a real good understanding of predistorted, premeditated, engineered billets to actually develop pattern with this machine. I'm still learning about what I can do with a mill...Take Care...Ed
 
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