How to Chainmail in 4 simple steps

I am sure you are well aware of chain mail which is mostly seen in the form of armor or perhaps in the Lord of the Rings movies. What you may not know is that chain mail, also known as mail, chain mail, or chain mail, can do many other things besides love. You can make jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings), clothing (bikini tops, belts, shirts, ties), art, and much more, from very small to quite large rings in stainless steel, aluminum, sterling silver, copper, bronze. , and even gold. Chainmail is not just for armor today. Your age, education, or income does not matter. All it takes is the willingness to learn a new skill and the patience to practice. In four easy steps, I’ll show you the basics and how to get started today with little to no experience.

1. The basic components of Chainmail – Ringyes

Almost all chain mail uses rings. Mainly metal rings, but can also be found in plastic and rubber. A ring, or in the jewelry industry, a jump ring, is simply a loop of wire that forms a ring that is usually butt-joined. The wire is wrapped around a mandrel, a long metal rod, into a coil. The coil is then removed and the rings are cut individually from the coil.

There are four basic parts of a ring:

• Indicator – the diameter of the wire used to make a ring
• Inside diameter (ID) – the distance through the interior of a ring excluding its gauge
• Aspect Ratio (AR) – the ID divided by the gauge, both in decimal form (for example, 25″ instead of 1/4″)
• Cut – type of cut that occurs when cutting a ring from a coil. Cuts are pinch, shear, machine, or saw cuts.

When referring to a ring, you only need to indicate two parts, gauge and inner diameter (ID). For example, if you need a 18 gauge 1/4″ ring in the SWG system, the preferred method of specifying the ring is 1/4″ – 18SWG. This gives you all the information you need to describe the ring.

Most people use this method to some degree, either specifying the gauge first or last, or specifying the gauge as a decimal in inches or millimeters. You should be careful because many people and websites do not specify the gauge system or if they use a decimal, they do not always specify whether it is in inches or millimeters. Best to buy a cheap gauge and measure the thickness of the wire yourself and then look up the appropriate gauge in decimal form if you’re unsure.

Indicator is the thickness or diameter of a piece of wire. The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the wire or the wider the diameter. There are three main types of wire gauge measurements; British Imperial Standard (SWG), American or Brown and Sharp (AWG), and Metric AWG.

Inside diameter (ID) is the diameter of the ring measured inside from side to side when closed. The wire gauge is not part of the identification. If a project calls for a 5/16″ ring, that means the inside diameter of the ring, when measured across, is approximately 5/16″. About because most metals, when wound on a mandrel and then removed, “slip” back to some degree, slightly widening the ID. The size of the ring is taken from the diameter of the soul used to wind the wire to make the rings and not the actual diameter after springback.

aspect ratio is the ratio of the inside diameter divided by the caliber, in decimal form. Make sure that both the inside diameter and the gauge are in decimal form and that both are specified in inches or millimeters. This becomes a “dimensionless” number. Gives you a number that represents gauge versus inside diameter, helping you determine how to size up or down your rings for a given project that was done on another ring size.

Cut it is the type of cut that occurs in the ring when it is cut from a coil. Tea pinch cut looks like this, ><. This type of cut is usually produced with hand tools such as a wire cutter. Tea shear cut produces a diagonal cut, //, but the ends do not fit perfectly and sometimes the rings are deformed during the cut. IN machine cut It is made by a machine that is made to roll and cut rings. The cut is usually a combination of a pinch and shear cut. Tea saw cut It is done with a saw that cuts rings. This is the best cut as the ends align flush and produces the best ring closure. It is also the most expensive type of ring to buy.

The material of your rings is important. Most rings are metal and come in a wide selection including aluminum, stainless steel, gold or silver, titanium, and more. Your choice of ring material will depend on your budget, the project you are undertaking, and availability. Shiny aluminum is easy to work with, while stainless steel can quickly wear down your hands if you’re not used to it.

Tools of the trade – Pliers, pliers, pliers!

For the most part, the only tools you’ll need to weave rings are a pair of pliers. You will hold one in each hand to open and close rings and weave them into your project. The size and type of pliers depends on your preference, the size of the rings you are using, the project, and the metal of the rings. Pliers come in a variety of types; flat nose, angled flat nose, linesman and others.

Each type has a different purpose in chain mail. Flat-nosed rings are good for rings that need to be scratched as little as possible, such as silver or gold. Linemen are great for beginners as they have teeth that help hold the rings but can also scratch them. Angled Flat Nose Pliers are ideal for small rings when making jewelry. Pliers also come in different sizes. For 1/4″ or larger ID rings, you may want to use a pair of 6″ or 8″ pliers, but for smaller rings, 4″ DIY pliers work well.

Buy or make your own rings?

You obviously need rings for the chain mail. Buying or making your own has always been a hot topic among chainmailers. Making your own rings can be much cheaper, but you have to buy the wire, wind it up, and then cut each ring individually. This takes time and effort and often requires you to build your own winding “jig”.

Or you can buy pre-cut rings. It’s more expensive, but it gives you the luxury of starting chain mail right away without the hassle or time of making and cutting your own rings. Yo highly recommended you start by buying rings if you are new to chain mail. Because? First, you can get started right away and most of us when we find a new hobby want to get started quickly. And second, if you find that chain mail isn’t for you, you haven’t wasted your time, effort, or money making your own rings before you started mailing.

There are many places on the Internet where you can buy rings. Two places that I highly recommend are:

• The Lord of the rings ( http://www.theringlord.com ) – without exception, they have the largest selection of ring sizes, materials, cutting types, and supplies than anyone else
• The Mithril Armory ( http://www.mithralarmoury.com ) – They carry a smaller selection of metals and rings but have an affordable selection of shiny aluminum rings. Shiny aluminum rings are low-tarnish, lightweight, inexpensive, and a good choice for beginners.

Fabrics: the key to chain mail

Fabrics are the building blocks of chain mail. They come in several different families; European, Japanese, Persian, and Hybrid to name just a few. The easiest for a beginner to learn is known as a 4-in-1 European. If you’ve seen chain mail before, it was probably a variation of a European weave.

4 in 1 means that each ring in the pattern goes through four other rings. If the ring you are adding goes through two rings in the existing pattern, then it must also go through two new rings, one ring through a total of four others. If the ring you are adding goes through three rings in the existing pattern, then it must also go through a new ring, again, one ring through four others.

There are many variations of the European (Euro) pattern. For example, Euro 6-in-1; each ring in the pattern goes through another six. This produces a denser weave than the Euro 4-in-1. Or Kingsmaile which is European 4 in 1 but each ring is doubled.

Euro 4-in-1 works well on a 4 AR but works between 3.2 and 5. Suggested ring sizes are 3/16″-18swg, 1/4″-16swg, and 5/16″-16swg. It is best to use this fabric as a starting point for learning how to make chain mail.It is an excellent, versatile and simple fabric for beginners.Other fabrics can be difficult to start and often discourage beginners.

Conclusion

Those are the basics to start sending chain emails. Learn about the parts of a ring, the tools you need, where to buy or make your own rings, and what fabric to start with and you’ve got the basics down. Below, a good source for pictures or 3D images on how to knit Euro 4-in-1 will be invaluable. Happy shipping!