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[Aklyon]

Whichever you want to try doing.

[kisame12794]

If you are doing a large project you might want to order the rings, because it takes longer to make the rings than to put them together.

[forsaken1111]

Where do you guys normally get your rings?

[Aklyon]

The Ring Lord. they're in Canada, though, so the shipping might be a bunch.

[Kilroy the Grand]

I might be playing with metal myself soon. I have a punch of lead, and styrofoam. I'm planning on cutting the foam into shapes, burying them, and they pouring the lead in.

[kisame12794]

You will melt the styrofoam.

[Girlinhat]

I buy rings, because I don't have the cutting tools to achieve the same fine edge as TRL.org does.  If I had the blade and patience, I'd buy wire.  Buying coils seems pointless to me.  Either get wire to make your own specific size of ring, or buy rings because they're pre-done.  Coils are only one size and they're not finely cut, the worst of both!

That said, for pure practice you can find floral wire for like $2 for a pound, and aluminum or copper beading wire for similar costs and more variety of colors.  But if you're getting wire, you have to deal with coiling and cutting as well, and that's more equipment and effort.  Buying rings may end up more practical.  Galvy is also available at any hardware store, often used for electric fences so it's cheap and comes in bulk.  Lowe's nearby has 500 foot spools of galvy.  Just be aware, that hardware stores DO have aluminum, but it's raw aluminum.  Jewelry aluminum is bright aluminum, treated to be shiny and nice, but raw aluminum is a darker shade of brown and will rub black against your skin or clothing.  Raw aluminum can be anodized, if you happen to have an anodizing machine, but otherwise avoid it.  Also most craft stores sell small packs of jump rings, but you pay for the small package size compared to discount bulk.  Split rings (keyrings) aren't bad practice either.

Also, shipping from Canada isn't terrible, if you're willing to wait.  UPS/Fedex (I can't remember which) has quick shipping, but it's costly.  Air Canadia is cheaper but ground shipping gets to be like 14-21 days delivery!  Patience is a virtue

Euro 4-1 is a standard starting weaving, but byzantine isn't terrible either, once you get the hang of it.

[Kilroy the Grand]

You will melt the styrofoam.

Thats... the entire point. I need the styrofoam to make a cavity in the dirt.

[Scaraban]

You will melt the styrofoam.

Thats... the entire point. I need the styrofoam to make a cavity in the dirt.

I am trying and I can't quite put together what you're saying.

[forsaken1111]

You will melt the styrofoam.

Thats... the entire point. I need the styrofoam to make a cavity in the dirt.

I am trying and I can't quite put together what you're saying.

He puts the styrofoam shapes into dirt and then pours molten lead on them. The lead burns away the styrofoam while retaining the shape and cools in whatever shape they were in.

I don't think it will work well but only one way to find out.

[Girlinhat]

I also fail to see this working as intended, though it's inspired me to attempt the same with iron.  There was a crafts festival in town, and they had a furnace out and you could pay to make a "tile" or bowl by using a packed sand mold.  They would pour the iron, let it cool, and then throw the mold down to break the sand/clay and let the iron finish cooling.

I figured I could do similar using a propane torch and some tin, lead, or maybe iron, and maybe try to make some type of amulet to affix to my chainmail, or perhaps even plates/scales to make some "rough armor" appearing things.  Not entirely sure how to do it, but buried and packed styrofoam may not be the worst idea.  The issue is, you're going to have it rough, whatever you're using, because the dirt/sand isn't going to be smooth, and it'll have a pebbly surface at best.

[Kilroy the Grand]

I also fail to see this working as intended, though it's inspired me to attempt the same with iron.  There was a crafts festival in town, and they had a furnace out and you could pay to make a "tile" or bowl by using a packed sand mold.  They would pour the iron, let it cool, and then throw the mold down to break the sand/clay and let the iron finish cooling.

I figured I could do similar using a propane torch and some tin, lead, or maybe iron, and maybe try to make some type of amulet to affix to my chainmail, or perhaps even plates/scales to make some "rough armor" appearing things.  Not entirely sure how to do it, but buried and packed styrofoam may not be the worst idea.  The issue is, you're going to have it rough, whatever you're using, because the dirt/sand isn't going to be smooth, and it'll have a pebbly surface at best.

A propane torch, I don't think would get hot enough. And it did work, it completely filled in the space, but I didn't heat the lead enough.

[Girlinhat]

I wouldn't be melting very large quantities, and it was just an idea.  I've currently done exactly zero fact-checking on my idea.  But I saw The Patriot and Mel Gibson was melting lead toy soldiers over a campfire.  That's all the motivation I need to set my lawn on fire!

[Urist Mcinternetuser]

These look cool. Nice work.

[Thief^]

Where do you guys normally get your rings?

In the UK I use Cookson for precious metal jump rings. I got some copper rings from The Dragonfly Company originally, and they look like a great place to get made-to-size silver rings from. Bead Sisters look good for non-precious metal rings. The first two companies both saw-cut their rings, so they close really nicely, don't know either way for Bead Sisters yet.

I don't know if that will help anyone here, but I hope so.