Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Funburns]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I seem to recall a chain hauberk weighing on the order of 20 pounds, but that probably varies a lot on the weave, wire guage, and things like that.

[...] it would depend on your STR stat.

Nah, that mostly depends on your CON. [...] A deadweight hauberk held in your hand will be heavy, but when worn it's not so bad.

Thankfully, my STR and CON both are much higher now [...]

And then inspiration struck. Well-hanging yet extra-heavy chainmail sold as fashionable exercise gear. It could open up whole new markets for arts and crafts.

Melt off the pounds and put on muscles worthy of a Medieval knight! Specially designed weighted chainmail arm slips -- safer than adding more weight to the bench press bar. Multiply-layered, aluminum-plated-lead chain pants and shirts turn your daily jog into a full body workout. With a mountain of extra resistance so well distributed, you hardly realize you're becoming an Olympic athlete! Now in a wide array of fashionable colors with endless potential for art.

I for one would be overjoyed if chainmail clothes and crafts became a bigger part of popular culture. Not that I'm expecting anyone to go and do that anytime soon. Might be a good application for 3d printing, though. Curiously, would making chainmail designs and selling them through a 3d printing site be at all comparable to crafting it by hand? Is the fun more in seeing what you've made with the effort, or is it in seeing the beautiful design? Is it the process? Something else? _{*is thinking of dabbling in chainmail this summer*}

[MarcAFK]

Holy shit, That is a goddamn chainmail mousepad, why didn't i think of that?
Anyway, i recall reading somewhere that a good girdle helps to distribute the weight of heavy chainmail very well, also straps down the sides.

[Aklyon]

Holy shit, That is a goddamn chainmail mousepad, why didn't i think of that?

[Girlinhat]

I didn't think of it because the rings would provide a terribly uneven and angled surface that would utterly kill your laser's accuracy.  It might work with very small mail and an old analog mouse, because a sheet of micromail is so flat as to be a level surface.  Also I use a trackball.

People have already made chainmail workout clothes, though they always seem to defy the purpose.  I've seen sleeveless shirts made of machine-welded small, wide rings.  Like, 20g 1/4" rings, which would make for a rather loose, lightweight weave.  If the purpose is adding weight, then they're doing it terribly wrong.  Stainless steel would be appropriate, as it'd more likely withstand sweat and weather better than other materials, while still providing weight.  I'm not sure how badly lead corrodes, but over time human sweat can really damage a material, plus "stainless steel" just has a nice ring to it.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Lol ring pun.

Some 16g 1/4" would probably make an ideal weighted shirt.  Could add lead fishing weights or such, or if you're feeling really fancy, find out if depleted uranium causes sickness over time (I think it does...).

IN OTHER NEWS!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I have extremely vascular hands ._.

[kisame12794]

Depleted uranium does cause radiation sickness, but it takes a long time. I wouldn't use it anyway, just to be sure.

[Carnes]

I agree that the axe head doesn't look very stable anymore.  Might have been stored headdown and partially rotted.  Not too big of a deal though, the rest of the handle looks great.  If it does break, restoring it won't take too much work. 

DU's main danger is inhalation of the dust, where it will sit and emit alpha particles into your lungs.  However, outside of the body it is very safe.  The alpha particles can't penetrate the skin and can't even go through a single sheet of paper.  So DU shrink wrapped or held safely inside a container would be perfectly safe to have hanging from your mail.  I use to sleep on a pile of 25mm DU round ammo boxes and have no ill effects other than mild super powers of never sleeping anymore 

[kisame12794]

I use to sleep on a pile of 25mm DU round ammo boxes and have no ill effects other than mild super powers of never sleeping anymore 

0.0

[Funburns]

New idea: Depleted uranium pillows.

The small axe looks great for testing! Less likely to split the rings outright, more likely to create interestingly damaged weaves. Also less likely to fly off its shaft.

[Yoink]

I have extremely vascular hands ._.

I was just thinking, 'Oh hey, that's weird, your hands look like mine,' then I read that. 
Hehe, anyway I'm looking fowards to seeing how the chainmail holds up to testing, although I must say I think you should use the second, smaller axe first; mainly since if the large axe did successfully cut through the chain, there wouldn't be a whole lot left for future tests...
Of course, you could use a seperate sheet for each, but that means more work, and if our work ethics are as similiar as our hands that's something you'll be looking to avoid.

[Dwarf]

Some 16g 1/4" would probably make an ideal weighted shirt.

E4-1 with 16g wire and an interior diameter of 1/4" is more work and could get quite heavy with steel rings, but it looks splendid.

[Girlinhat]

The entire point there is for weight, so yes it would get quite heavy and thick.

[kisame12794]

I will try and post a video of the chainmail vs crossbow. No promises. But here are some pics of the crossbow and the point I will be using, plus a picture of the progress I have made on the mail.

Spoiler: PICS! (click to show/hide)

Chainmail sheet. WIP.


Here is the crossbow I will use.


The point I will be using.

[tommy521]

Girlinhat's hands look like mine too :$ Albeit a little more... feminine.
Anyways, I'm quite interested in this thread, having always wanted to get into metalworking and other crafts
Any suggestions for a dabbling metalworker on getting into these things? I mean I've made pop-tab chainmail (lols pop-tab chainmail...) and have done minuscule amounts of other metalworking (randomly hammering plate aluminum for... !!science!!) though I do have several tools (abundance of pliers, cutters, wire snips, hammers, mallets, etc.) of which I could readily use.
As far as I can tell theringlord does deliver to Canada... I just happen to be somewhat young (let us just say 16) and have only worked a few summer jobs. That and my parents squander my metalworking dreams because they want me to be a doctor. >_> But should I become more involved in this, what sort of rings would you suggest to use, I'm planning on just getting the hang of some patterns then moving on to a project.

EDIT: I see theringlord sells by the pound & by the bag, which usually contains 100 rings (?). Considering you have some experience, how many rings do you figure would be a good starting point?

[kisame12794]

Well it depends on what you are doing. I myself bought 6000 small scales for a vest. Now the best will use up most of them but there will be leftovers. Another good tactic is to make the rings yourself. All you need is wire, a spindle(usually a metal rod), a drill(or you could hand crank, your choice), a dremel or saw, and a whole bunch of time. There is more info in her other thread too.

[Aklyon]

Pretty sure TRL is in Canada, tommy. 

Aluminum (Bright Aluminum, not just plain) is a good cheap start if you buy the rings ( I started with 5/16ths, 16 gauge rings), otherwise fence wire is easier to get and comes in big spools if you what to make your own rings. European 4-in-1 is the simplest way to start for patterns, it works as both a (somewhat silly looking) chain or a decent sheet.