ring size for Viperscale

[ani_b]

Hi All,

For my next piece of chain maille I quite fancy having a go at a Viperscale bracelet.

Does anyone know what the best size rings would be for it?

[emroyjewels]

Hi Ani - according to cgmaille.com
" Viperscale takes rings with an aspect ratio of around 6.6. 20awg 3/16"
works; I haven't tried any other sizes yet. "

To work out the aspect ratio of a ring you need AR = Inner Diameter ÷ Wire Diameter.

So any ring with an aspect ratio of 6.6 ish would probably work. I tend to label all my rings when I'm buying them with the aspect ratio so I can just pick up a bag without trying to work it out all the time!

Hope that helps.

Em.

[mizgeorge]

I prefer an AR of 6 for viperscale.

If you plan to use 1mm wire, that would be a 6mm id, and I'd recommend using half hard wire as it's a big AR to sustain with unsoldered links.

[ani_b]

Thanks George, your bracelet is fabulous did you use 6mm rings?.

What is the difference between soft and half hard wire? I used soft on the Dragonscale and noticed the rings held their size more than the half hard ones i.e. the half were coming out bigger.

Would that be a problem?

Thank you

[mizgeorge]

You'll get more springback when you coil half hard wire - it uncoils a fair bit compared to soft wire, which will conform tightly to the mandrel. You can compensate by using a very slightly smaller mandrel for half hard wire if you're mixing the two.

Yes, that bracelet uses 6mm rings - which were actually wound on a 5.75mm mandrel with half hard wire. The weave looks nice looser as well, but I prefer the more solid feel somehow. I sometimes go to fully hard wire for ARs as high as this - just to be absolutely sure they won't open through wear.

[lesley]

I recently did this one with an AR of 5.9 and it worked a treat. I've only done it once but I don't think I'd go as large as 6.6.

[ani_b]

Right............I see. So when using half hard wire, go for a slightly smaller mandrel.

I been using bamboo knitting needles for winding and cutting rings, but is there anywhere online that I can get the odd size mandrels i.e. 5.75 from?