Q
Senior Member
Half the hair means twice the forehead for your money...
Posts: 314
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Post by Q on Dec 22, 2009 4:05:37 GMT -6
So, I have a question for anyone who's ever made chain maille. The site I looked at described coiling the wire around a metal dowel rod. I'm just wondering if anyone had come across a good way to do this?
I had an idea to build a contraption to make it somewhat easier. Basically, it'd just be a piece of plywood with two wooden blocks on one end with holes to slide the rod through, and some sort of slide rod on the other end to put the spool of wire on, so that as you spun the dowel rod and coiled the wire, the spool would slide with it.
It seems like this could work, but I'm wondering if it might be going to too much trouble to actually build it, especially if coiling the wire is going to be easier than I'm thinking...
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Post by Ironside on Dec 22, 2009 9:00:04 GMT -6
You have two options.
Take a metal dowel with a hole in it. Clamp the wire in the hole using vicegrips, and coil the wire manually.
Alternetly, you can build a rig, I think it's called a mandle? It's not much more than a metal dowel with a hole, and a handle, on a bit of framework. It takes the worst of the gruntwork out of it, as you can coil the wire just by spinning the handle.
I've never made mail, but I know the general method. Kracken may be able to describe it a little better than I can.
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Post by Waffle Geezerson on Dec 22, 2009 11:16:30 GMT -6
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Post by Ironside on Dec 22, 2009 11:32:58 GMT -6
Ooo. Good find, Waffle!
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Q
Senior Member
Half the hair means twice the forehead for your money...
Posts: 314
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Post by Q on Dec 22, 2009 12:27:15 GMT -6
Yes indeed Waffle, good find!
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Kracken
Official Members of Khador
???????ninjas????????
Posts: 1,248
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Post by Kracken on Dec 22, 2009 17:30:42 GMT -6
damn i wish i could watch videos at work. If someone wants to remind me next time we get together I can bring out my chainmail stuff and let you give it a try. Everything I've done has been by hand because I'm crazy like that and like what it does for your forearms.
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Post by Ironside on May 18, 2010 23:07:18 GMT -6
Necroing with a question.
What diameter should you make your chainmail rings, and what's the best gauge of wire to use?
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Post by Saxavarius on Aug 10, 2010 18:03:30 GMT -6
for belegarth armor it needs to be at least 20 gauge thickness as to ring size most commercial mail is 1/2"- 3/4"
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Post by ladyrenellofgilead on Aug 10, 2010 21:34:06 GMT -6
Okay I know that Remus made a rig using his drill. If you would like I would be glad to share with you the specifics but you have to be careful with this method. He took off part of his thumb using this method because he got going too fast with it...
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Kracken
Official Members of Khador
???????ninjas????????
Posts: 1,248
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Post by Kracken on Aug 11, 2010 13:28:54 GMT -6
Don't use 20ga. It will tear itself apart. Depending how you want it to look go with either 16ga at 1/4" or 14ga at 1/2". First one for if you want it pretty, second if you want it done this year.
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Post by ladyrenellofgilead on Aug 11, 2010 16:07:22 GMT -6
I believe Remus used 16 ga @ 1/4 inch and he got a long rod and made a pedestal kind of like a rottiserrie he then used the drill attachment on one end to power the winding of the coils...then just had to cut them with tin snips or wire cutters...that was the only really difficult part besides putting the pieces together then. THAT is tedious!!!
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Post by Wren(nen) on Aug 11, 2010 20:21:09 GMT -6
If you pretty and less time consuming...check out theringlord.com. It costs more though, but I've been told it's good quality.
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Post by ezid on Mar 28, 2011 12:06:25 GMT -6
Aye kracken itd be pretty sweet if you couldhelp me learn how to make the chainmail thatd be swet btw its jac new kid from last practice.
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Post by nemesis on Mar 28, 2011 12:27:32 GMT -6
For 10 years I have always used 14 ga electric fence wire from Oklahoma steel and wire.I do not remember what size rings I made but it was standard. I also have a machine I made (needs a few repars) that can coil wire without a problem with a drill. Once it is fixed anyone is more than welcome to use it to make their coils. I also can teach anyone how to make chainmail.
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