I just ordered some new tips from Otto Frei. I will update you all with a little review when I get them 
They’ve got a sale on for torch related stuff. I used code FLAME24 if anybody wants to follow suit.
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Yes, let us know what you think about your new torch tips!
Unrelated to torches, but part of the same Otto Frei sale, I see that Otto Frei is carrying a new Durston Agile rolling mill that comes with extra side roller shapes. It’s also might be the first rolling mill that I’ve ever seen that isn’t gray.
I also see that Durston has come out with their own hydraulic press. It has a protective side safety shield. I don’t think that anyone has ever thought about that before.
Thanks Brennan! Let us know what you think about your new torch tips!
Jeff
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I was looking at those rollers. I wonder if they make square and flat profile extension rollers.
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Doesn’t look like it. If you talk to Otto Frei sometime you can ask them. They’ll know.
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Some years ago the Durston website had shown quite a variety of side rollers, but at the time I looked there didn’t seem to be a way to order them, or maybe the price was out of my range. Senior memory.
It is worth looking into if you are interested, and perhaps the new rollers will be made available for individual purchase.
Please share if single rollers are available.
Neil A
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After I bought my Durston mill with outside rollers years ago, I went through a long protracted conversation with Durston and Rio about a set of outside rollers that would roll triangular wire. At the time they showed such a roller on their website. I had to work through Rio and as the conversation progressed, it was clear that the cost of importing them and what I perceived as a general reluctance to do this business got in the way. My solution was to take the flat roller from my economy mill to my friend the retired machinist and he made me a roller that would roll several sizes of triangular wire and a special one that would do double triangular wire. I think that I paid him $75. You could do the same for square, flat, half round or whatever could be machined for the cost of an economy mill and the machining. Good luck…Rob
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One thing to remember is that only the outer part of a rolling mill is hardened. The inner part is annealed. Tony Aizenman, founder of Pepe, explained to me once that a roller can’t be hardened all the way through as it will crack when rolling. The inner annealed part of a roller, kind of acts as a shock absorber when the roller is under pressure. This means that you can only cut so deep into a roller before hitting the softened steel.
Years ago when Otto Frei got my rusted Cavallin rollers refinished by a local machinist that they worked with, they told me the same thing.
Just something to know if you didn’t already.
Jeff
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Jeff…You are correct to caution people about the different hardness of rolling mill rollers. I too am aware of the differences. This is an economy mill and I am not sure if they were hardened at all. After I bought the Durston, I only use the economy mill to texture sheet and roll profiles that I can’t buy or roll on the Durston. You can also buy replacement rolls fairly easily. One of the bracelets that I make was originally made by soldering two lengths of triangular wire forged in a V groove on my anvil together along the edges to form double triangular wire. I now buy triangular wire. I have never been able to find double triangular wire already made in the size that I need. I have two V grooves cut into the roller where they overlap a bit. They are roughly 2X4 mm V grooves. I then solder 2, 4" lengths of 8 gauge wire along the edge and then carefully roll the soldered wires through the double V groove. I anneal a couple times in the process resulting in about 6" of double triangular wire of a size that lets me make a bracelet that I have made in different ways for 50 years…Rob
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Great minds think alike! I bought one of those economy rolling mills a while back as well. I bought it to use as a texture roller. In addition to the pre-made texture rollers that you can purchase, I’ve made my own custom texture rollers by altering smooth rollers with diamond burs, diamond cutoff wheels and diamond wheels on my lapidary grinder. It’s super fun. I only cut into the roller surface .5-1 mm though.
I’m glad that you figured out a way to use it to make your own wire shapes with the economy mill. Great idea!!
Jeff
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Using Rob’s idea about having a machinist alter an economy rolling mill, I’ll bet you could get a machinist to alter a Durston side roller to a different shape.
At my job, we have a Durston double mill with side rollers. It’s very easy to pull the side rollers off. About once a year or as needed, I pull off the side rollers and put them on a small Unimat lathe to polish and keep them clean.
My guess is that someone with a larger lathe and enough experience could easily change the shape on those Durston side rollers. Obviously, there’d be limitations with shapes, but my guess is that turning 1/2 rd into a square shape should be accomplishable for instance.
When I bought my economy mill that has zillions of replaceable roller options I got so excited about the concept that I reached to Pepe and suggested that they do something similar. Pepe said that it was too complicated. My guess is that Durston feels that same.
Jeff
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