Subject: Re: Chaine Maile Rings...

From: [email-masked] (ErnieLeim)
Date: 3 Jun 1995 04:00:21 -0400

The fastest method for producing coils of wire for chain mail is to take a
steel rod slightly smaller than the inside diameter you wish for the
finished rings.
The rod should be 1 - 3 feet long depending on how long the base wire is .
You need a peice of wood ( plywood or 1 x 6 pine work fine ).
Take a power drill and drill a hole in the board the same size as the rod.
put a screw into the board next to the hole , but make sure to leave the
head of the screw about 1/8 in. above the surface of the board.
Place the board in a vice or screw it to the edge of a table.
Place the end of the rod in the chuck of the drill , and slide the rod
into the hole in the board.
Take the end of your wire and make a sharp right angle bend about 1/2 in.
long .
Slip the bent end in between the jaws of the drill chuck. Push the drill
so the chuck is against the board. Hook the wire against the screw head. 
All you have to do is pull the trigger of the drill while pulling the
drill slowly towards you.
The wire will wrap around the rod making a continuos coil that can be as
long as you have wire to feed it.
When you reach the end of the wire it will spring loose and slide off the
rod .
Variable speed 1/2 in. drills work best so you can go real slow with
plenty of power.
I've seen people use the side of a wooden tool box instead of a board.
Good luck
@---------------------------------------------------------@
                    Ernie Leimkuhler                                      

                  Stagesmith Productions                                  
                                          
                 Custom Metal Fabrication                                 
               
*    ABANA   SCA     AWS    USITT   IATSE local 15, 488   *
                        Renton, WA                                        
   
*"Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" the bard  *
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From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 04:18:58 GMT

>*"Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" the bard  *

Uh, the FASTEST way to produce the coils is to buy screen door
springs and cut them.
-- 
    - Barry Workman

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From: [email-masked] (David Falk)
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 17:56:02 GMT

Barry Workman ([email-masked]) wrote:
: [email-masked] (ErnieLeim) writes:
:
: Uh, the FASTEST way to produce the coils is to buy screen door
: springs and cut them.

Uh, the FASTEST way is to buy steel split-key rings.  Okay, it
isn't making the rings, but it works.  I found it better to 
spend the bulk of my time weeving the rings rather than 
producing them.  I found it to be way too much a pain to 
make my own rings, and rings are certainly inexpensive enough.
In bulk they can be as litte as 1.5 cents a ring.

Later...

Dave.
-- 
David Falk, Junior System Administrator, SoftQuad Inc.  <[email-masked]>  
<!ENTITY Subliminal_Message    "Do a Nice Thing for Someone Today"  >
*My opinions do not represent those of SoftQuad Inc.*            IRC: Sutekh 
**KIMAGURE ORANGE ROAD... FOREVER****Linux, choice of a GnuType Generation**

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From: [email-masked] (David Falk)
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 18:12:27 GMT

Christopher Knowlton ([email-masked]) wrote:

: By the way,  galvanized, black, or aluminum fence wire is way way
: cheaper than 1.5 cents per ring and assembles faster than split rings
: or door springs and is available at any farm supply store by the 1/4
: and 1/2 mile.  I have gone through about three miles myself.

Well, part of the reason I use split-rings is because I don't have
to weld, solder, or rivot the links after the fact while maintaining 
a high degree of functionality.  If you are doing links in the style
you suggest, they better be closed; otherwise don't take them to the
battlefield.  And with a small set of jeweler's pliers, two flicks of 
the wrist is all I need to assemble a link, then move onto the next 
link.  How about you?  Besides, isn't aluminum a wee bit soft?  I 
hope you're at least rivoting the links shut.  Mail that splits
apart is not a pretty sight.

: If anyone has any bright ideas about cutting rings quickly, I would
: love to hear them.  Happy knitting.

Cutting is always the time sink for making rings.  I did this for
a bit with W-1 steel wire, and finally said enough is enough.  
So while you are busy cutting a fresh mandrel of 40 links, I'll
just grab another bag of 144 links and merrily link my way to 
madness.

Talk to you later...

Dave.

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From: [email-masked] (Selann)
Date: 7 Jun 1995 15:20:44 -0400

Heyo!
I have seen a lot of discussion on this topic, and decided that I had to
throw in my  couple of pennies worth.
Galvanized or Black anodized steel is perfectly fine for non-fastened
links for chain mail.  I have been making it steadily for 13 years, and I
have found no proble with it.  I DO feel the Aluminum is too soft, and
would neve make mail with it.
The japanese did not weld or rivet their mail, and much of it is still
intact through the centuries, the thing to remember is to keep the inside
diameter-to-wire gauge ratio from getting too big.  I use 16 gauge at a
1/4" normally, or 14 gauge at 3/8", 12 at 1/2, or 10 at 3/4.  The hauberks
I have made like this have lasted many years, rust being the biggest
problem.  I ripped one shirt after sliding down a rock strewn hill and
running into a couple of trees on the way.  I was out of commission for
several days (no broken bones, thankfully), but my suit had only a few
small tears in it.

Okey Doke, that's all I am going to say.  I tend to ramble, I caught
myself

Peace
Selann

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From: [email-masked] (ErnieLeim)
Date: 3 Jun 1995 04:00:21 -0400

Stagesmith Productions                                  
                                          
                 Custom Metal Fabrication

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From: [email-masked] (Barry Workman)
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 04:18:58 GMT

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From: [email-masked] (David Falk)
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 17:56:02 GMT

Later...

Dave.