Starting a chainmail(hauberk) project

[Storebrand]

I'm starting a chainmail project.  If you have any experience with it I'd really appreciate some advice.  I have a friend who makes it, but he lives 3 1/2 hrs away and I don't see him for another week.  

[East Coast Hustle]

 

[Suu]

What weave? Also, I think Richter would have the most experience.

[rong]

i thought this was going to be about the kind of chain mail that, if you don't send copies to 10 people, bad things will happen.

[Richter]

I'm starting a chainmail project.  If you have any experience with it I'd really appreciate some advice.  I have a friend who makes it, but he lives 3 1/2 hrs away and I don't see him for another week. 

If this is your first, I'm guessing you're doing butted 4 in 1. Advice depends on what you are making too.  
Are you buying or making you rings?  From what?  What are you using to cut them?

[Storebrand]

i thought this was going to be about the kind of chain mail that, if you don't send copies to 10 people, bad things will happen.

I realized people might think that after I posted.  I'm fixing the title.

[Storebrand]

I'm starting a chainmail project.  If you have any experience with it I'd really appreciate some advice.  I have a friend who makes it, but he lives 3 1/2 hrs away and I don't see him for another week. 

If this is your first, I'm guessing you're doing butted 4 in 1. Advice depends on what you are making too.  
Are you buying or making you rings?  From what?  What are you using to cut them?

It's my first project.  Butted 4 in 1.  I'm making the rings.  I've already cut a hundred or so for a practice project.  I wanted to have enough to play with without going overboard in case I drop it.  I plan on making a hauberk using 1/16 aluminum and a wire-cutter(?).  I want something functional but I'm a girl so I'd prefer it to be form-fitting and look nice.  I have no idea how to do that, if it's even possible.  I looked online and I've found some dresses and some ridiculously useless bras things but nothing that I really like.  It's going over pants and a shirt.  Do you have any pattern suggestions?

[Richter]

It's a LOT like knitting, but it only has 1 stitch    I've made and repaired small patches, or backings for gloves, which only really require that you make an outline, so I can;t give you a perfect idea for the pattern.  Check out RingLord, they have pretty active forums, and a LARPi'ing buddy, Smif, gets / discusses his stuff there.   

Specifics:  What specific kind of hauberk are you looking to make?  (Mid thigh, Knee length?  Hood (coif) or no hood?  Full sleaves vs. to the elbow?)  From chain I've worn myself,  I prefer short sleaves and no hood (Technically a "Bernie")

Making soemthing form fitting with chainmail is tricky. (reality = the waist still has to fit your shoulders through.)  Belting it can help cheat a form fitting look, and help distribute the weight so it's not all on your shoulders. 

Sizing, for active use, is best done at your chest + 10", for breathing room and ease getting in / out.  Wearing it for appearance sake, I'd STILL say go chest, with a REALLY DEEP BREATH plus a few.  (Resitricted breathing gets unfun in a hurry.)

If you ever even THINK you're feeling funny, and are around people who make panic and call EMT's, get OUT of your chain!  EMT's and doctors get VERY puzzled when they break their medical shears on your clothes trying to cut you out, and will send down to maitnenance for bolt cutters to hack you out of your proudly hand - made product.  Yes,  I know people this has happened to.

   

[P3nT4gR4m]

i thought this was going to be about the kind of chain mail that, if you don't send copies to 10 people, bad things will happen.

I realized people might think that after I posted.  I'm fixing the title.

"hauberk" means fuck all to me. I still think you're doing one of those bad luck if you don't - things

[Elder Iptuous]

i thought this was going to be about the kind of chain mail that, if you don't send copies to 10 people, bad things will happen.

I realized people might think that after I posted.  I'm fixing the title.

"hauberk" means fuck all to me. I still think you're doing one of those bad luck if you don't - things

yeah, i'm only replying to this thread to avoid bad luck, too....

[Cramulus]

making chainmail is hard! I tried to make some, many years ago. I went insane. My hands bled from cramping and snipping the wire. Do yourself a favor and drop a few bucks on pre-cut rings! I found that making the rings is the worst part. But then again, I only did it for about 9 hours and produced a piece of mail which was roughly 2 inches by 4 inches.

Best bet is to do it for an hour or two a day while you watch a movie or play D&D.

If you do it for too long, you will start to receive transmissions from Jambi, who is currently orbiting the planet, broadcasting his Will to anyone making chain mail. I learned this the hard way, and was quite disoriented when he began talking to me.

[Triple Zero]

i thought this was going to be about the kind of chain mail that, if you don't send copies to 10 people, bad things will happen.

I realized people might think that after I posted.  I'm fixing the title.

"hauberk" means fuck all to me. I still think you're doing one of those bad luck if you don't - things

yeah, i'm only replying to this thread to avoid bad luck, too....

I forwarded this thread to 23 people, just in case.

TWEET ME BACK

[Storebrand]

It's a LOT like knitting, but it only has 1 stitch    I've made and repaired small patches, or backings for gloves, which only really require that you make an outline, so I can;t give you a perfect idea for the pattern.  Check out RingLord, they have pretty active forums, and a LARPi'ing buddy, Smif, gets / discusses his stuff there.   

Specifics:  What specific kind of hauberk are you looking to make?  (Mid thigh, Knee length?  Hood (coif) or no hood?  Full sleaves vs. to the elbow?)  From chain I've worn myself,  I prefer short sleaves and no hood (Technically a "Bernie")

Making soemthing form fitting with chainmail is tricky. (reality = the waist still has to fit your shoulders through.)  Belting it can help cheat a form fitting look, and help distribute the weight so it's not all on your shoulders. 

Sizing, for active use, is best done at your chest + 10", for breathing room and ease getting in / out.  Wearing it for appearance sake, I'd STILL say go chest, with a REALLY DEEP BREATH plus a few.  (Resitricted breathing gets unfun in a hurry.)

If you ever even THINK you're feeling funny, and are around people who make panic and call EMT's, get OUT of your chain!  EMT's and doctors get VERY puzzled when they break their medical shears on your clothes trying to cut you out, and will send down to maitnenance for bolt cutters to hack you out of your proudly hand - made product.  Yes,  I know people this has happened to.

   

I want something pretty similar to this 

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.lrpstore.com/uploads/images_products_large/269.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.lrpstore.com/Chainmail-Shirt-8mm/p--269/&usg=__VHxX95fUxsw5xPaLlTPJ0tdE_3w=&h=400&w=400&sz=46&hl=en&start=214&sig2=XwqxCBAnEYdcZOrKZQThzg&tbnid=LLbemyIx8e8g8M:&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchainmail%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D200&ei=weUvS__bBIqo8Aa29oiZBw

except mid-thigh and only half sleeves.  No hood.

Thanks for making the point about the similarity to knitting.  That's going to help out a lot.  I'll keep it loose but I'm not too worried about overexerting myself in it.  I'm going to Ragnarok but it's my first year so I don't expect to fight much, if at all.

making chainmail is hard! I tried to make some, many years ago. I went insane. My hands bled from cramping and snipping the wire. Do yourself a favor and drop a few bucks on pre-cut rings! I found that making the rings is the worst part. But then again, I only did it for about 9 hours and produced a piece of mail which was roughly 2 inches by 4 inches.

Best bet is to do it for an hour or two a day while you watch a movie or play D&D.

If you do it for too long, you will start to receive transmissions from Jambi, who is currently orbiting the planet, broadcasting his Will to anyone making chain mail. I learned this the hard way, and was quite disoriented when he began talking to me.

and I was wearing gloves but I could see how it'd start hurting your hands pretty quickly if you weren't.

[Richter]

Half sleeves and no hood is a good way to go as far as easily wearable finished product.

The body should be pretty simple, jsut a tube made to chest measurement + extra should work fine.  Like in the example, if you weave it "horizontal", then it will behave like that, and flex widthwise, rather than lengthwise.  As far as sleeves, neckline, shoulders, I've never made one myself, so I can't describe the procedure perfectly.

I've never heard of Ragnarok before, could you describe? 
(Also, your choice, but I still endorse sizing it for extra breathing room.  Even if you don't plan to fight or run, fighting, running, or OHMYGOD IT'S ALL ON FIRE GET THE FUCK OUT!, still happens.  It's a real bummer to have armor malfunction or restrict in such cases.)

[Storebrand]

Ragnarok is a week long battle game hosted by Dagorhir.  Lots of larping and alcohol.  Historical or fantasy groups. 

Check out this site.

http://www.dagorhir.com/

info on this year

http://www.scatoday.net/node/14294

There are 7 pages worth of videos on youtube.