conserning chainmaille

[Mithrilmailler]

i was just wondering if there are any chainmaillers on the board? i've been making maille for a little over 2 years now and have really enjoyed making it. i haven't made too many things to date yet (i've made an jap weave skirt for my wife, a belt and i have a bunch of patches of different weaves), but i'm almost done with my shirt (16 lbs as of yesterday). i would just love to talk to anyone about techniques, weaves, construction or whatnot.

[IronHills Dwarf]

I'm planning to start my first attempt at it with a friend over this winter.

We're looking at making a sleeveless hauberk with 14g stainless steel with a 6 in 1 pattern.

Should be allot of fun, I think we're going with pre-made links because I don't have a supplier in my area who stocks the right type of wire.

The hauberk is probably going to turn out fairly heavy because of the 6 in 1. But 4 in 1 is just to loose for my tastes. If I'm going to take the time at all I may as well make the best possible.

[Mithrilmailler]

it really depends what your ring size is. my current shirt is 14 gauge (.080") with 3/8" id. it is pretty loose but right now i just want to finnish a shirt. if you go for 5/16" id for the rings, it will be a tight weave but still enough room to move. 1/4" rings are even tighter but very little room to expand and contract. just so you know, i started out making a euro 6in1 vest with 16 gauge (.064") and 5/16" rings and i had burn out within 3 months. i'm still not finnished with it. but 3/8" for the 6in1 is good in 14 gauge. are you ordering from theringlord.com for the rings? they are a good supplier. i make all my own rings right now, which is one reason why my shirt is taking so long to make. also, i'm working in galvinised steel but i'm planning on ordering stainless from a supplier in chicago.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Thanks for the link! I was actually snooping around trying to find a supplier.

I was thinking of going for around 5/16s for the reason you mentioned. With to guys working on the same shirt the burn out factor shouldn't be as harsh. We are planning on doing two shirts but figured it'd be a tad wiser to only have one going at a time. I wanted to start with something fairly sturdy, thus the 14g instead of 16.

We're thinking of trying to work a design or motif in bronze links and attach it to the shirt after its finished, any thoughts or comments on how that might work? (basically we were thinking of just fitting in the links of the motif weave without actually incorperating it into the 6 in 1)

[Mithrilmailler]

there are a couple other suppliers out there but they don't have as good prices or selection. one other supplier that will mention is http://www.chainmail.com. he supplies stainless steel rings and phosbronze. it is a little pricy but the rings of higher quality. the owner invested several thousands of dollars designing a cutter that will result in the cut being virtually invisible when closed. he also knows me. just tell him i'm the father of "the chainmaille baby".
when i mentioned the 5/16ths id i was refering to euro 4in1 in 14 gauge. i just did a test peice of that in 6 in1 and it is extremely dense. so dense that it doesn't bend at all. use 3/8ths in 14 gauge for the 6in1. it will save alot of frustration, if you order the wrong size. as for the motif, do you mean an inlay? at http://www.zlosk.com there is a program that you can design inlays on different styles of maille. its really nice. bronze is a nice metal to use.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it as I'm totally new to the process.

I wasn't thinking so much of an inlay (a bit complicated for a first try at the stuff ;)) but a second layer with just the pattern attached.

[Night Wolf]

I've done chain maille from scratch, making each ring seperately and then linking it all together...from riveted to forge weled links (VERY hard, not for the inexperienced). As soon as I get a new credit card (needed new ones after someone hacked my account) I'm making some maille bracelets for me and my GF out of copper...might use 8 in 1 pattern since its a bracelet, or maybe something exotic. I know most patterns off by heart now.

[IronHills Dwarf]

I've spent the past few weeks playing with ring cutting and patterns. Put together everything from byzantine to 12 in 2 and 16 in 2. The last is a bit tricky but quite interesting.

[Mithrilmailler]

i want to try my hand at rivited maille. just no time to set it up and perfect the technique right now. if you are looking for more weaves for bracelets, check out www.mailleartisans.org . they have about 450 weaves to choose from .

[Night Wolf]

yeah I know that site well ;) I've been thinking of trying a very dense but wide sheet weave for the bracelets...gotta have them done for May.

Riveted maille is quite simple when you get into it, but look on the maille sites that have the specially made pliars...you put it on the anvil, tap the specially made pliars and bing bing bing the rivet is set in place. Welded is far more tricky, you need a forge or high temp blow torch (the latter is safer) and then just squeeze the link onto some over hang with pliars. it takes supprisingly little force to weld the rings but is HIGHLY time consuming. But then what part of maille isnt? :p

I find the Euro patterns to be easy, but then asian and fantasy patterns like elvish sheet weave become quite technical...

[Nilion Elentano]

I have only done steel ring maille before a couple of times, most of the time I go for sticking with persian weaves and the like for jewellery. But will be going back to making steel maille for sections in pieces of armour I have in the sketch book, not so interested anymore in the full hauberk.

Secrets, there seeem to be none really, just learning your patterns, getting it right the first few times and then just repeating it until it becomes a second nature thing. I find it especially helpful to make some weaves while watching telly, then I can multitask, sort of produce/laze-around gestalt hehe :p

[IronHills Dwarf]

Finally have my little production line for maille started I think. Got myself set up with a radial arm saw which is really doing a nice job on the links. So I should be starting my king's maille hauberk next week.

[Mithrilmailler]

nice. i'm just about to finish my shirt. i started on the sleeves a few days ago but i haven't much time since then to work on it. i haven't got my saw setup either. i'm waiting on making an arbor that will work good. i'll hopefully be machining it in the next couple weeks. life just gets too busy. good luck with the kingsmaille berk, can you post pics here when your done?

[IronHills Dwarf]

Sure, I'll probably post piccies as I go along. I have a test patch of the pattern I'll post a pic of when I get it off the camera. It'll be 14 gauge 3/8s rings, so a tight but flexable weave.

[Night Wolf]

word of advice, dont take cheapest shipping method ordering from The Ring Lord...I've gotta wait up to 2 and a half months for the rings and wire I ordered, it was shipped ages ago.

[Mithrilmailler]

was it cause of something you ordered, ie special rings/metal? i ordered from them a month ago and i recieced my wire in one week. i know that if they run out of a certain ring or wire they will wait to ship the order till its all ready. and they typically run batches about every two weeks for things they run out of.

[Night Wolf]

nah its an international order and i chose the cheapest method...it said expect 10 weeks and if they havnt arrived then to email them.

[Mithrilmailler]

that would do it. i'm just located north of chicago so they sent it to californa then to Illinios then to me, so it didn't take long at all. though even waiting a week is hard.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Heya wolf, what is there cheapest method? If its Canada Post it doesn't surprise me its taking a while. ;) They have a bit of a rep. I really prefer making my own links, much simpler in the long run. (now getting a bulk supplier for the wire is a pain in the.....)

[Night Wolf]

lol yeah canada post's cheapest shipping method haha...

I can make my own links but the fact is I cant get copper wire here period...its total BS sometimes whats not availible here.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Oddly enough that close to my troubles. I can get 16g galvanized, from one company but 14g only in stainless (for $110 CAN a pound.....), 14g galvy only on tiny little 50ft spools from another company... etc.... Have you tried a welding supplier? I used to work in the industry and we used allot of spooled copper, depending on the gauge you want they may only have it in rods though.

[Night Wolf]

nah thats copper coated wire, the copper assists in the welding process (i'm a fitter and turner apprentice). lol I wonder how much longer the rings and wire will take to get here...I did want it finished for the end of may.

[IronHills Dwarf]

nah thats copper coated wire, the copper assists in the welding process (i'm a fitter and turner apprentice). lol I wonder how much longer the rings and wire will take to get here...I did want it finished for the end of may.

Yeah I know that. ;) I figured you'd want the coated, pure would be a bit softer than what I'd want to work with for a bracelet. Anyway let us know how it turns out.

[Night Wolf]

Copper has a high tensile strength when in ring form...draw back is it can weight more then steel.

Click here to see unfinished bracelet. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/wolfie_83/mailbraceletunfinished.jpg)

Material: Copper
ID: 5/16"
Gauge: 14ga
Weave: Hybrid of Kings mail and 4 in 1

This is part of 1 of 2 bracelets i'm making. As you can see its not finished yet but i will be making 6 hook clasps to hold them together, I'm unsure whether this weave has a name but I staggered the weave with a single ring for one row, then on the next two then back to one and so forth (if it has a name lemme know, hybrid?).

Anyhoo enjoy, more pics to follow.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Looking nice. :cool: Hmm, never seen that weave listed before but it does have a nice effect, I saw kingsmaille and sort of went "how the heck could you do it in 5/16"s?". ;) I've tried it at 14g with 3/8s and it's fare to stiff.

My own stuff is coming slowly, mostly because I keep on changing my cutting set up.

[Night Wolf]

a staggered kingsmail effect adds strength and because its only every second line that its doubled its still got the open effect of 4 in 1.

[IronHills Dwarf]

Yeah, it looks real nice. I'm doing kingsmaille 1/2" in 14g and 3/8" in 12g. I'm thinking of doing some heavy duty coifs in 12 in 2.

[Tar-Vanimelde]

LOL you guys sound like you know what you're talking about. i just think it's pretty ;)

#Vani