The Link In link Chain.

[Dennis]

Our main class project last term was to make a link in link chain. This obviously was an attractive idea, because soon there were copper wire experiments going on all around.

Most of my colleagues were making bracelets, but I was in need of a necklace chain for my lotus pendant.

The idea was to make large wire jump rings, using dimensions from experiments in copper. They were then stretched to a loop shape by opening round nose pliers inside them, or using circlip pliers.

Next the loop was folded around a mandrel, a scriber inserted into the two ends and a waist pinched horizontally and vertically with round pliers, to complete the shape.

We were encouraged to use fine silver wire and fuse the joins, because solder tends to interfere with the smooth shaping of the links, but this turned out to be the most difficult part to master, with an unacceptably high failure rate. Were I to do it again, I would hope to be more successful using Argentium.

From my experiments I decided on 80 links. Once made they were easily slipped into each other to grow two pieces of chain with a total length of 72cm, attached to the pendant with jump rings. A hook and lotus bud charm were added to the free ends.

15mm jump rings made from 0.7mm fine silver wire.
Mandrel for link: Stem of 3mm twist drill.
Further reading: Classical Loop In Loop Chains, by Jean Reist Stark and Josephine Reist Stark. Dennis.