This die measures 3" X 3" and features components for making earrings and pendants with St George batteling the Dragon with a bold border. Optional hanging loops are included.
This Rolling Mill Component Die is a mild tool steel die that can be used in a rolling mill that can accommodate 3" wide by 1/8” thick material plus your metal and craft foam.
The earrings are 7/8" round excluding the hanging loops.
The pendant is 1" round excluding the hanging loops.
The legend of Saint George and the Dragon tells of Saint George (died 303) taming and slaying a dragon that demanded human sacrifices. The story goes that the dragon originally extorted tribute from the villagers. When they ran out of livestock and trinkets for the dragon, they started giving up a human tribute once a year. This was acceptable to the villagers until a well-loved princess was chosen as the next offering. The saint thereupon rescues the princess chosen as the next offering. The narrative was first set in Cappadocia in the earliest sources of the 11th and 12th centuries, but transferred to Libya in the 13th-century Golden Legend.
The narrative has pre-Christian origins (Jason and Medea, Perseus and Andromeda, Typhon, etc.), and is recorded in various saints' lives prior to its attribution to St. George specifically. It was particularly attributed to Saint Theodore Tiro in the 9th and 10th centuries, and was first transferred to Saint George in the 11th century. The oldest known record of Saint George slaying a dragon is found in a Georgian text of the 11th century.
The legend and iconography spread rapidly through the Byzantine cultural sphere in the 12th century. It reached Western Christian tradition still in the 12th century, via the crusades. The knights of the First Crusade believed that St. George, along with his fellow soldier-saints Demetrius, Maurice and Theodore, had fought alongside them at Antioch and Jerusalem. The legend was popularised in Western tradition in the 13th century based on its Latin versions in the Speculum Historiale and the Golden Legend. At first limited to the courtly setting of Chivalric romance, the legend was popularised in the 13th century and became a favourite literary and pictorial subject in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, and it has become an integral part of the Christian traditions relating to Saint George in both Eastern and Western tradition.
These Rolling Mill Component Dies are for rolling mill use only. We tested them with a hydraulic press and we were able to get impressions. However, we also found that after the first couple of pressings the plates became dented. This happened because the type of tool steel necessary for use in a rolling mill is softer than the type of steel used in a hydraulic press.
St George and the Dragon Earrings and Pendants Rolling Mill Component Die
Usage
Metal Maven Rolling Mill Component Die Use Guidelines
These Rolling Mill Component Dies are for rolling mill use only. We tested them with a hydraulic press and we were able to get impressions. However, we also found that after the first couple of pressings the plates became dented. This happened because the type of tool steel necessary for use in a rolling mill is softer than the type of steel for using in a hydraulic press.
Your die will arrive lightly oiled with a lubricant called CorrosionX. It can be found at most auto supply stores. We highly recommend you use it or some kind of machine oil to protect your investment, especially if you live in a humid climate. We use it to keep rust from forming on our steel pieces, dies, rolling mill rollers and other tools. It also helps your silver or copper release from the die.
When you first set you rolling mill rollers, take your die and place a piece of dead soft copper on top of it. We have found that 20-gauge and 18-gauge copper works best. Then, place a piece of craft foam on top of your metal. Place them into the opened rollers of your mill and gently close your rollers until they touch the top of your die, metal, and foam sandwich. Try rolling your die at that setting first to see if you get an impression. If you do not get a good impression, adjust your rollers tighter and test again. Rolling too tightly could damage your die or cause your die to form a drastic curve, so be careful to tighten in small increments.
You can find the craft foam on Amazon - search for Darice 2mm Foamie Roll, 36-inch by 60-inch, black.
Return and Refund Policy
Please check the sizes carefully when ordering, as we do not accept returns or exchanges.
Please note that we check the quality of each die carefully before we send them out.
Shipping Info
We offer shipping via USPS. Your shipping options will appear in your shopping cart. Shipping Insurance is included on all orders.
