wheeling 26 guage stainless

[ggrata]

Hi Folks..... a rank beginner here with a new mini wheel and wondering if it would be able to handle 26 guage stainless steel. I haven't noticed SS and wheeling mentioned in the same topic anywhere yet. Thanks in advance.... GG

[kustomizingkid]

What kind of mini wheel do you have? It should be able to handle 26 ga. no problem. Stainless is a little harder to work. I've heard people say go two gauges heavier to get approx. equivilant for steel.

Brandon M.

[Gene_Olson]

GG,
Moving stainless takes pressure, Mini or full size wheel a stiff frame helps.
It wheels just fine.
It does work harden fast though and it doesn't like shrinking very much. It will shrink, but you can stretch it further than you can shrink l it, before you need to anneal it.

G.

[ggrata]

Thanks Guys.... I know next to nothing about wheeling. Saw a demo video years ago. I did a little metalsmithing in college so have vague recollections about moving metal. I somewhat understand the concepts of shrinking and stretching but have no idea how to apply them to the wheel. I am into fusing and slumping glass now and have applications for wheeling 3 dimensional stainless molds/formers which is why I purchased the mini wheel. I've been toying around with it while awaiting an instructional video (on that note, can anyone suggest what they feel is the best all around instruction for wheeling basics?). Can I damage this thing by not knowing what i'm doing? I guess it's obvious that I don't want to run the anvil up into the upper wheel or get so much pressure on the metal that it twists the frame out of whack. But beyond that I don't see where I can hurt it much. Any input welcome.... glad to have found this forum. Thanks to Joe Andrews...... GG