Just a theoretical question, assuming I had lots of time:
What combination of bending and straightening would be best for reducing the thickness of a square foot of 3/16" plate, using only an English wheel? The sole purpose being to get it as thin as possible while increasing the width and length evenly...ending up as sheet. I have flat and radiused anvils for my wheel.
Thanks!

English Wheels are designed for light sheet metal only due to preasure related issues (contact area PSI vs. frame design). I think the best option (cost effectively) is to buy a sheet as thin as you require vs. what you are talking about doing.

I don't think you have that much time available.

I've read a description calling an english wheel a continous rolling hammer and I've found that it is good to keep in mind that you can do the same with it as with a hammer, only smoother. Bending and straightening it is only going to change the shape of the plate, to reduce thickness you have to give the same pressure as you will give with a hammer.

And for that thickness of plate you will need a massive machine, and you will have to anneal as well.

(Or you can get a more informed opinion at www.metalmeet.com )

But if you really want to try, we would like to see lots of pictures.

I have to try...no other options. I plan on doing plenty of annealing!

Plan on burning a lot of time and accomplishing nothing. Can't you just buy a new piece of material its not that expensive.

Sounds like a contest to me! I was under the impression that wheels were for making curves and bends?

There are ALWAYS other options! You may not be familiar with some of them but that doesn't make them non-existent.

I assume your wheel is a home built one with a multi ton jack for pressure and large flame cut 2" thick steel sides?

If it's a HF cheapie you may not even bend metal that thick with it.

Still do a better job heating it in a hole in the ground full of charcoal and using a blow drier for air and hammering it out with a borrowed hammer on a steel weight plate than trying to do it with an english roller.

Just why *MUST* you use the roller?

(I've know several people who built english rollers for armour work that were very beefy and massive items and none of them ever tried to thin steel with them.)

Ok, I have a HF wheel and it wouldn't bend the plate, just flexed the frame. It wouldn't even bend it when I ground the plate down to 1/8" inch. However, I discovered that when it's already less than 1/8" thick, it shapes well with a hammer (cold). When it was thicker, it kept cracking when I tried to hammer it out, especiall hot. I'll use my wheel for straightening, it should work for that. Thanks everyone

As I recall the harbour freight wheel is rated for steel less than 1/16 of an inch thick. They do not over engineer their tools as much as they over engineer their ratings!

I have a friend that built his own English Wheel and over engineered it to beat the bands. It is not for thinning steel, for that you need a rolling mill, but he wanted to be able to shape 1/8" Corten steel with it. Works wonders for steel but is death on finger, those it will flatten very well indeed, a real bone crusher of an English Wheel.

Actually, it wasn't so much being thin, as it was that I ground off the cast surface. The material is cast bronze...

an english wheel is for sheet metal shaping. I build a lot of motorcycle gas tanks for a living. Your suppose to block out the shape first with a hammer and sand bag or a power hammer then iron it out with the english wheel. It's for smoothing and shaping... the HF metal working tools are basically rated for 18 ga steel max. You could use it to help make armour... just my .02 :)

Using an English wheel to make metal thinner is like using a jeweler`s hammer for heavy forge work,ain`t gonna happen.
The smart thing to do is to use the right tool for the job,either that or get the appropriate material to begin with.