Robert
In "A History of Mechanical Inventions" A.P. Usher refers to Ludwig Beck
"Gesshichte des Eisens" vol 3 pp579-598 for a description of perhaps the
earliest rolling mills for iron plate production in 1700. They were at the
Stiernsund works in Sweden of Chistopher Polhem. Previous to this plate was
made by hammering with a water powered tilt hammer. I have a copy of a
woodcut from the 18th century showing men doing that.
Leonardo da Vinci devised rolling mills for final sizing of hammered coin
strip.
It seems likely to me that plate rolling, particularly of copper pre-dated
Polhem by a few years but such things were not written down to prevent
others copying the idea. Bristol Brass by Joan Day may throw some light on
that. The idea of rolling iron plate does not seem to have been taken up
with any enthusiasm outside Britain.
Rolling iron plate would undoubtedly need water power.
A rolling mill for lead is illustrated (so I read in Pirotechnia) in Saloman
de Caus "Les raisons des forces mouvants ....Livre III Traitant de le
fabrique des orgues (Paris 1624).
Peter Hutchison.
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