Jump rings for chain maille - make them or buy them?

[shelliem]

Hi all

I've just recieved my book which tells me how to start chain mailling and wanted to buy some materials to get going but I wondered what others do - is it cheaper to make your own or buy them pre-made?

[snow_imp]

Hm, I don't know what George will say on this topic.

I started working from a book on chain maille that included instructions on making the jump rings. Since I was only playing and using silver plated wire for practicing I made my own.

As soon as I wanted to make a bracelet in sterling silver I decided to use bought in rings because I felt that end product would be of a better quality - I'm far too impatient to like sitting snipping/cutting rings.

I think there is another thread covering sources for jump rings in the forum somewhere - but I use maillequeen.co.uk for mine.

[shelliem]

Thanks Anne

I'd be interested to hear George's suggestions.

I think I would be inclined to agree with you if I was making an item to sell I guess it also depends on how long it would take me to make the jump rings in the first place.

[agent_44]

How many rings are you going to be using? If you are going to be making a lot of mail it will probably be a lot more expensive to purchase your own rings and I would definitely recommend a jump ring making tool (such as the Koil Kutter that George, I and others use). If you wanted to have a go with out any more investment then you could give it a go with just a jewellers saw. If you have any knitting needles lying around they make great mandrels for winding coils. Most people use them with some kind of drill. I use my cordless drill but I know others use manual ones.

[bustagasket]

I have only done one "mailley" bracelet so far but intent doing many more, but i have no gadgets except my trusty knitting needle and my hands and pliers. I make my own simply cos, for me, it just wouldnt feel right to buy them, but i am so inexperienced in this area that i cant really advise lol, and i could be talking completely out of my rear end so i will let the others guide you

[Kalorlo]

I bought some rings to start off with - cheap aluminium and brass ones to practice with plus some nice copper ones from DragonflyLynne (she also does silver).

If I was going to be doing a lot of maille, I'd start making my own - I just don't have any of the equipment to do so right now. Got knitting needles... but no jeweller's saw or drill, and it's rather noticeable if you don't get a nice clean cut. (With the rings I have, you can see the difference between the saw-cut ones and the machine-cut ones. Machine-cut'll be a little cheaper if you're buying ready-made, but saw-cut gives a proper smooth join).

[shelliem]

I'm going to need about 300 in total to make two bracelets one for me and one for a pressie!

I might not have read enough so far but the book states the gauge for the jump rings then in brackes has 1/8inch ID or 5/32 inch ID and I haven't the foggiest what that means???

I think I would like to make my own but this book doesn't show me how to make them.

[jetlag]

How many rings are you going to be using? If you are going to be making a lot of mail it will probably be a lot more expensive to purchase your own rings and I would definitely recommend a jump ring making tool (such as the Koil Kutter that George, I and others use). If you wanted to have a go with out any more investment then you could give it a go with just a jewellers saw. If you have any knitting needles lying around they make great mandrels for winding coils. Most people use them with some kind of drill. I use my cordless drill but I know others use manual ones.

So you put the needle in the chuck of the drill and then just hold the wire while the needle spins? Do you need to wear gloves on the wire hand?

[mizgeorge]

Oh, lots and lots of questions on one of my favourite subjects!

I'll try to cover as many as I can, apologies if I miss any first time

For a very first project, I'd say buy the rings. When you're trying to get a feel for how it all works, it's nice to remove one variable that can go wrong. Copper is great for practising with, and copper rings are inexpensive. I'd happily recommend the dragonfly company: home for these.

When you feel you want to cut your own, there are several ways to go. A jeweller's saw and a pack of blades really is very inexpensive indeed. You can get a basic frame and a pack of 2/0 blades for under a tenner. I have a koil kutter, but still like to hand saw a lot of my rings. It's satisfying, accurate, and can be really quite quick once you get into the swing of it.

If you want to use flush cutters (which is slower) you must use the cut/reverse/cut technique: make the first flush cut, then reverse the pliers so the new flush end is 'inside' the bevelled edge of the cutters to make the next cut. This will leave you with a round ring with two flush edges. Reverse the pliers again and snip away the next tiny piece of the coiled wire (which is bevelled) and repeat the process. If you try to cut the edge from a finished ring, it will no longer be a full circle.

Good books on maille are few and far between. The Dylon White book referred to (the beaded one) actually has very, very few weaves, and is far more about how to incorporate beads with jump rings, which is fine if you want to do that. The David Scott Plumlee is beautifully illustrated, but is only one weave (byzantine), and variations on it. There is Chains by Becky, but the recommended ring sizes tend to very odd, and virtually all the weaves are renamed versions of ones freely available elsewhere.

The internet is by far the best resource for maille patterns - CGMaille.com - Chainmaille Tutorials & Graphics has the nicest renderings, and M.A.I.L. - Maille Artisans International League - Home is huge and rambling, but contains most weaves somewhere!

I use a cordless electric screwdriver with a snap in 3 pronged chuck for winding, just tuck one end of the wire into the chuck, and hit the power button. If you work 'off the reel' you only need to guide the wire gently to get nice tight even coils. Some people wear a glove (old golf gloves are perfect and very soft) but I only protect my thumb if I'm getting to the end of a coil of wire, when it could spin and cut.

If I've missed anything important, please remind me - I'm always happy to answer maille questions!