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[Girlinhat]

So, as many of you may or may not be aware, I've been working on chainmail, mostly jewelry.  That is, mainly aluminum.  But, I've got access to stainless steel and even titanium from my supplier (theringlord.org).  So, while jewelry is fun and all, there's nothing quite like armor.  Sadly armor is expensive, a lot of materials and a lot of time, but I can still make sheets of chainmail, smaller than full armor but the same idea.

My grandfather died recently, which is not as sad as it sounds because he's been a 'grumpy old man' since he was like 30.  But we were rummaging through the garage and found some tools that he hadn't used in years.  Among them was a felling axe.  That is, a bit double-bitted lumberjack's axe, way bigger than a combat axe.  And I also already have a small hand-hatchet.  I'm not sure I could find a spear, but there's a few hunting stores around here that might have like, a harpoon or something, I'd have to check...

Either way, the idea is, I make some chainmail using tough materials, and then give it a good strike.  Granted that I'm a little 130 lb girl and I don't claim to be as strong as, y'know, good medieval warlord or anything, but I can get a good swing with the axe and I've been working to trim down some trees in the back yard.  The issue is, I don't quite have the funds for such a thing, although over time I might as I try to sell some jewelry.

Thus, The Question:
Would anyone be interested in seeing some chainmail put under the axe?  It'd probably be some sturdy weave, Euro 4-1 using some obscene 12g or 14g stainless steel.  If left to my own devices, I'd likely end up doing this on my own when some things sold, but if anyone is particularly interested in seeing some Axe + Chainmail...

Thoughts?

[jester]

Definitely curious, though id have to say your woodcutting axe is nothing like the warlords axe.  I dont know about where you are but in aussieland you can get machetes for about 15 bucks from camping stores, might make a good sword substitute.  Id say you would be able to put the axe straight through it with a good overhead swing if you mounted it on some wood, 130lbs and all.  Ive only ever worked with a full sleeve of butchers mail, it is amazing stuff, but it wont stop a good hit from a spiked bit of metal.    Titanium though, oh drooool... (I also realize how freaking expensive it is, but still, drool).

  Also if you have access to some mildly decent tools (angle grinder and the like) you can make some fairly serious spearheads out of old buzzsaw wood cutting blades.  Make a pointed blade with a bit of a tang, few holes in the tang for screws, find a good pole and slot the end of it, insert blade in the obvious place, screws, then bind tightly with some copper wire.  Bingo, badass and stylin spear.

[Aklyon]

I'm also curious.

[Girlinhat]

The woodcutting axe is likely better swing than a soldier's axe, it's significantly larger and I have a grinding wheel I can sharpen it with.  It'll carry a lot more weight in the swing, but I'm not sure it'll actually cut through 14g rings.  It has good weight on it, and thus good kinetic force behind it.  In fact it'd probably be unfair, getting more force than a combat axe, but that's part of the point.  My hatchet looks fairly normal for battle axe size, maybe a fair test.

Titanium I'm sure would resist EVERYTHING.  That's an expensive and unfair test

[Loud Whispers]

I'm also curious.

How do you even make chain mail? o_O

INSTANT RESPECT

[Aklyon]

Easily.
1. Get wire, pliers (preferably nontoothed), and a metal rod of the diameter you want if you're making them yourself. Or buy rings and/or pliers, either way works. theringlord.org is a good place to buy them, but you can probably save a bit on shipping if you find a closer place.
1a. Make rings from said wire, theres youtube videos of how to do so.
2. Find a pattern. (Euro4-in-1, Spiral, Byzantine, Japanese 8-in-2, etc) M.A.I.L. has a ton.
3. Use rings, pliers, patience, time, and effort to create your chosen pattern.
4. Post in chainmail thread if you feel like it.

[Lectorog]

I'd be interested in seeing this. I had considered doing the same, but I don't have any weapons to test with.
I currently have a couple square feet of maille (galvanized steel, Euro4-1, 14 American gauge, 3/8"); but I don't think this would be enough for accurate testing, considering that chainmaille tends to spread the force out over its area (meaning a larger area would give a more accurate result). I'm continuing to make this, though, so there may be a good amount eventually.

Anyway, I'd be very interested in seeing this.

How do you even make chain mail? o_O

Here's a sort of tutorial, if you want to look over it. It's pretty easy, if you stick with simple weaves.

[Girlinhat]

The basic process of chainmail is simple.  You take a length of wire, and you wind it around a rod.  Then you take it off the rod so that you've got a coil or spring.  Bolt cutters or a good saw is then used to cut the coil into rings.  Pliers are used to close and open the rings, and weave them into a pattern.  It's not quite the arcane armorsmithing art that many think it is, it's very possible to do and you can do it quickly.  A chainmail shirt isn't a lifetime's work of engineering, it's more like a solid week.  Armorers of old had probably perfected the task and a single crafter could produce a shirt in less than a week, considering that this was their living and they worked it 8-12 hours a day.

[Willfor]

Videotape and youtube the process of striking the chainmail. This is my vote.

[Funburns]

This is interesting to me. I wonder, though, would there be significant differences between hitting a square of mail stretched out on a piece of wood, and the historically more likely scenario of hitting the same square on a person? (I'm not suggesting anyone test that.) Laying it on a squishier substrate might change how durable the mail ended up being, since... let's say a pile of socks... might absorb a good amount of the blow.

Also, would suspending the mail in the air and nailing the corners to wooden posts before axing it be a way to test some combination of tensile strength and resistance to cutting? What would the results of these different tests tell us about how effective chainmail might be at actually defending someone or something?

Other ideas -- I have no idea how much work they'd require: Using a ratchet + pulley + weight system attached to the axe to create an easily measured and adjustable force to strike with; writing down all the variables and creating a workbook, perhaps to improve future tests; varying the heft of the axe with weights; varying the angle of attack to study deflection; using a hammer.

[jester]

While it isnt really pc, id say the best way to test it in terms of human protection would be slapping some on a dead pig.  Though for the sake of the current state of the internets, id say a dead pony would get more youtube views

[Aklyon]

Doesn't really matter if its pc or not, the mythbusters have used dead pig for plenty of experiments. Sometimes ballistics gelatin.

[Lectorog]

One of my friends took some of my chainmail, placed it on another friend, and then punched him. Does that count as appropriate testing?

[jester]

Indeed, it is a bit old hat and a whole pig carcass would be expensive, maybe something like a cow, yeah a cow, get a local farmer to call you when one dies, then get the camera and get to work.  My mental image being, bloated dead cow draped in a chainmail shroud, smallish woman, largeish axe, lots of flailing and shouts of 'SCIENCE! SCIENCE! DO SCIENCE HARDER!'

  Hmmmm, my sense of humor gets a bit oddball when im not sleeping, sorry about the thread derailment, though ill let the comment stand, cause that would be a million+ veiws vid.

  Ninjaed.  Id say not, as chainmail is for stopping the cutting, they wore padded vests back in the day to stop the general hittieness.  Though it would be a great way to skin up your knuckles

[Max White]

While it isnt really pc, id say the best way to test it in terms of human protection would be slapping some on a dead pig.  Though for the sake of the current state of the internets, id say a dead pony would get more youtube views

Can this be a thing that happens?