got some questions about chaintshirts and i want one

[Bukor]

So i think for my final looks for my armour i want a chain shirt. I have been looking online but i have no idea what gauges will work and what ring diameter 8mm?? 9mm?? i found this online but i am not sure if this is functional http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-5 ... shirt.aspx I really want it to be sleeveless and i want to to only be about as long as my waist. Which i am having a hard time finding online sooo does anyone make some?? If so how much would it cost?? The reason why i want to to be sleeveless is because i will have full leather armour on my arms and i will have a war skirt as well, which is why i dont want it to be that long. All of the stuff online would be about 6-8 inches longer then my waist and i dont want that, so if any of you make chainmail i would be intrested.

[Richard le Gris]

You can tailor chain shirts pretty easily with just two pairs of pliers and a bit of effort. That being said, I had a 16 gauge galvanized mild steel hauberk with rings that size that I blew out the first time I wore it at Wolfpack Opener. To be fair, it was fitted for up to a 48" chest and I have a 48" chest... My personal advice is to get a 1/4" or 3/8" round bar, grind one end to be flat on 2-6 sides, drill a hole in the other, get 14 ga electric fence wire, small bolt cutters or side cutters, and two pairs of pliers, and make your own. It'll probably cost you $50-$75 in materials, and take a mess of time to make, but you can work on it while watching things and it will hold up better than 16 ga. Your mileage, naturally, may vary. On the other claw, I have a slightly damaged 16 ga butted maile shirt I'll sell you for ~$50 plus shipping. You just need to fix the rend in the left back side, but you can do that with the rings from the sleeves

[Bukor]

hmm thanks for the info. I guess it is easy to find online on how to put them together. I guess it wont hurt to try makin a shirt. Worst case i buy one right??

[Judas]

The Ring Lord : http://theringlord.com/ sells a "vest" like the one you are describing.

[Richard le Gris]

Sadly, the Ring Lord welded vests are 22 ga, and thus not legal for Belegarth.

3.6. Metal Armor
3.6.1. Metal Armor must be made from period metals and alloys such as iron, bronze, brass, or copper. Modern steel alloys are also allowed.
3.6.2. Metal Armor must conform to both of the following:
3.6.2.1. Must not be easily deformable by hand or by weapon strikes.
3.6.2.2. Using a material with a thickness of at least 20 gauge.

Dag is even more restrictive on maile gauge.

[Thorondor]

I use the ring lord to buy my links. Saves a ton of time compared to making coils and cutting my own links.

[Soo Ma Tai]

Zuloo on these boards makes some nice chainmail. You might PM him and see if he's still taking commissions. It's always nice to support those who make stuff within the group. His work is very nice, and he can totally do stuff custom for you.

[Zuloo]

just like soo said i do custom chainmail work, and actually the vest is the one style that i really know how to do well.
if your still interested in a mail vest, just let me know what exactly you want. i do 16 gauge and 14 gauge, the 14 gauge i wind to 3/8" and the 16 gauge i wind to 1/4"
if you want inlay or specific color trim it will cost extra.
send me a message of what you want and your measurments and ill let you know about how much it will cost ya

[Bukor]

thank you all for responding i will give it a ponder. I will keep you in my mind Zuloo. i will do a little bit more research. I will pm you if i will do an order. Some Quick questions for you Zuloo. Is doing Black links more expensive??? I would need it about 19 inches long.is 46. What is the legal gauge for belegarth??? thanks zuloo for the info it will help a lot. How long would it take to make roughly?? Just curious is there much of a weight diffrence for a vest between the 16 gauge and 14??

[Zuloo]

black links wouldnt be more expensive, cause all it is, is just blackened steel, any hardware store will sell it by half assed spools for the same price as standard steel. and could you please be more specific on your measurements, im a little confused about them, and the legal gauge for belegarth is 20 gauge and there is no weight difference between the two gauges to be honest. although right now i have a couple of orders right now that im working on, but it should maybe take a month or so for me to make it. keep in mind though i do ask for some money up front before i even start working on it.

[Grey Ogre]

Spambot is spambot.

I havent done it in years, but when I was making butted maile I used a 1/4" diameter peice of metal fencing, round. Very similar in size to the fiberglass cores alot of fighters seem to use.

Bend one end at a 90' angle and then back straight, mount it on a block to keep it steady and drill a hole in one end to start the wire- stuff practically spools itself at that point.

Cutting it was always tiring, but that became easier when I discovered the joys of power tools.

Anyways, its not hard to make a thousand rings, so I fully endorse the fun of making your own. The fence-rod costs about 4 bucks, and a spool of 16 gauge fencing wire is about 35.