I know for some reason there is no longer a rule really for maille but I was wondering what would be a reasonable size for the rings I was thinking that 16g with 3/8 in rings or would that be too weak? Sorry as I am sure this question has been asked many times.
make a small patch, about creditcard size and see if you can get your little finger through it (i doubt it)- that should tell you if it's good on the "finger catching" aspect. the big questions are:
1. how well does it hold up to a beating? 2. is the weight comfortable?
a smallish diameter/wire size ratio like yours should be ok for durability, but make sure you are comfortable in it. its a * to do all that work then never use it because it doesn't wear comfortably.
Karyx
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Chain mail is one of those things I never got into, however, I would PM Zuloo here on the boards. The stuff he's making is very nice, and totally legal, and seems to be holding up really well. I would ask him what size wire/dia rings he is using.
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this is what i usually use for my rings. 16 gauge i wind the wire at 1/4" dia, for 14 gauge i wind it at 3/8" dia. you can use 3/8" for 16 gauge but chances are it wont look as good and will get mistaken for a factory made piece, and personally i would not use anything thinner than 16 gauge, it will prolly be to weak and fail armor check when they start pulling on it.