Making Chainmail

[Rusty Edge]

None at this time.
I have doubts about my understanding, but those drawings were something I was waiting for.
At this point, I figure I have written instructions, pictures, and diagrams. The next step would be attempting to make a swatch of it myself, to get a feel for it and confirm whether or not I grasp the concept.

The rest of my year appears to be busy.
It has to be said- This thread is pure fascination.

[Buster's Uncle]

I need to talk about/show link-making from scratch (a roll of wire) and go into the most basic poncho-like design of the simplest sort of mail shirt before we've got a complete beginners' course. -But I've definitely provided a LOT more information already than I started with.

I'd have loved to have been able to look up some of this stuff on the nets in the early 90s when I had to work it out the hard way...

[Dio]

I need to talk about/show link-making from scratch (a roll of wire) and go into the most basic poncho-like design of the simplest sort of mail shirt before we've got a complete beginners' course. -But I've definitely provided a LOT more information already than I started with.

I'd have loved to have been able to look up some of this stuff on the nets in the early 90s when I had to work it out the hard way...

I say that BUncle works on accumulating the necessary motivation to complete the tutorial about making chainmail from the simplest materials.

[Buster's Uncle]

I do believe my man Dio has a point...

[Buster's Uncle]

I actually did a little work on this the other night.  The three initial rows were a pain to close into a circle, between links I didn't pull open enough in the cutting/link-making phase and the deterioration of my eyesight since I was doing much chainmailing last.  -Also, I'm just rusty.  I'm starting off with a closed round camail -even though the finished armor will be open in the front and laced- because that's better for working out the pattern.  I'll take out a vertical row in front when I get further along.

ANYway, I've finally buckled down and gotten past what ought to prove to be the most annoying part of the top - for several rows to come, it'll be just going around the edge in a circle, frequently adding expansion links over the shoulders.  Nothing worth a picture for a while, I'm afraid.  When I get the open camail top part done, I'm going to need to find the undressed Barbie Mylochka got me for this, to hang the armor on as I work out the torso.

[Rusty Edge]

When I saw the title on the page this time, I somehow thought this was about initiating chain letters.

 ( chagrinned smiley )

[Buster's Uncle]

"Rusty Edge, of Madison Wisconsin, broke this armor and went deaf in one ear."

[Rusty Edge]

:-D

[Buster's Uncle]

I can still hear you sayin' you would never break the chain

[Buster's Uncle]

I found some shots of my favorite model wearing a camail and princess hood...

[Unorthodox]

 

[Buster's Uncle]

[Buster's Uncle]

Note that the camail is the same one as pictured first in the OP on a much larger model.  It hangs a LOT lower on her to make up the difference in width.

At the size she was when those were taken -child is tall, and grows like a weed- I could have added a tube the width of her torso, about the same number of links as in the camail, and had a full shirt...


In the main, though, mail shirts are better if you think poncho with the sides sewn together under the armpits.  Both easier to make and hang better...

[Rusty Edge]

Cool. Knights of the Panda, apparently.

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm wrapped up in story editing for at least the rest of the evening - tomorrow, if I run out of something to do online later in the day, I'm spending at least an hour on the doll mail...