I love your ingenuity! Try connecting a rod into a hammer drill. I roll 14g stainless using aluminum rod and hammer drill. Also you can cut rings quickly with a dremel with cutting disks, that eliminates the burr caused by a cutting tool.
Thank you for your instruction. I'm in the SCA and have been trying to learn how to make chainmail with not much luck. Your instruction I think will help me very much.
Note that this method of butted mail is not historically accurate (at least for armor from Europe and the middle east, Japanese armor does use it but the patterns used are different) and not durable enough for combat. Historically accurate armor was riveted, which involved a lot of additonal work. The rings can't be cut straight down the coil, the rings need to overlap by about 1/6th of a turn, so you need special cutters that have a gap in the blade to skip over on coil to the second so you can cut them. After cutting the rings, you need to set them on an anvil and smash them with a hammer to flatten out the overlap, then a punch is used to put a circular or rectangular hole in the flattened area, then you can open the rings and weave them together, and after that the rings are riveted shut with either a thin wire that fits through the circular holes or a triangular wedge that fits through the rectangular holes and a specialty type of modified tongs is used to set the rivets by squeezing them so that they mushroom outwards (the round rivets were more common for roman armor, and often used with solid rings for every other row, the wedges were more common in later armor and were often 100% riveted rings). Depending on what material is used it may be necessary to anneal the rings by heating them in a fire and allowing them to cool between some or all of the steps. Mail made this way is much more resistant to strikes and general wear, the butted stuff is nearly useless as armor.
@@coopercummings8370 I wouldn't say the butted stuff is nearly useless as armor for SCA fighting, which involves blunt strikes almost exclusively. I have some 6-in-1 that I've been making from 16-gauge 5/16" galvanized steel that takes a hit like a champ without shedding rings. Sure, later on down the line it will probably need significant repair, and almost certainly will need replaced, but that's true of just about every fighter's starting gear. Being as I don't have the money to buy a proper hauberk, much less plate armor, I prefer something that at least passes for period rather than the typical plastic plates guys at my income level get.
2:30 You can save a lot of time and energy if you lose the bend and attach a power drill on the end. Perhaps you've tried it. Does kind of make it more of a two man operation.
This is impressive my dude, you got skill to learn this craft from watching TH-cam videos, you're an inspiration.. hope to see you at a Renaissance Faire one day =)
Great work on that mail. I'm glad you made the arms the right way instead of the lazy way. 4 links on 1 makes a clover, 5 clovers together makes a row, 3 rows sideways makes a square, 12-13 squares makes a belt. My elbow and shoulder are killing me from making mail all weekend. Also, you need a gambeson to go under that mail.
Nice video and I m also making those kind of armors but could u please make a video about how to produce arm part and head part of the armor with detail ?
Look for '90 degree join' on the mailler sites like M.A.I.L. You will use 2-3 inches of this kind of seam in each armpit. This will address that problem. It's called that because the link rows end up perpendicular to each other, and you link them by alternating E4-1 and 3-1. Gives a smooth seam, or joining. The other thing is that long mail sleeves call for expansions/contractions to give enough slack over the point of the elbow so you can bend your arm without cutting off your circulation. Then the forearms must taper down using row contractions, saving weight out there by your hands. Coils can basically mix circular expansions with some plain weave.
Real chainmail that was actually used as armor back then, was made out of riveted rings. If the rings are just butted together, it can`t stop real weapons like swords.
My thought is butted mail is effective in the modern world as we don't commonly encounter large shard objects wielded as weapons but welded rings is subject for another time
Butted ring chainmail will still protect you from swords and axes BUT you might have a couple of rings snap off from the blow. The main reason as to why chainmail made from riveted, welded or a combination of riveted/welded and solid rings were preferred over chainmail made with butted rings was the softness of the iron/steel, as the butted rings have to be made of hard iron/steel to keep them from opening back up, so, since the rings are made of iron/steel that is hard and brittle, the rings just break off from any blows the butted chainmail sustains. Chainmail that is made from riveted, welded, or a combination of riveted/welded and solid rings on the other hand are made of softer iron/steel, allowing the rings to deform rather than break, so, it usually lasts longer than butted chainmail and is able to absorb more of a impact from any blows sustained by the chainmail because of the crumpling effect.
@@bigfootbeliever6985 No there is no historical evidence of the Use of butted chainmail ! If you have a historical evidence, then please send me a link and i will check.
Same as you do now, in principle. Big difference is instead of modern unidirectional drawing, the wire was run back and forth between two large reels, with the hardened draw plate set between them.
No I don’t sell chain mail. I just made mine for a hobby. I just wanted to put out the information so other people could learn from what I figured out.
@@iloveToonLink101 it’s really easy once you get the basics figured out. That hardest part is piecing all the different parts together to make it fit like clothing.
the shirt is kinda complicated to run through a video with, but the main concept is to make a rectangle long and wide enough for your body, make two of them. then attach them with a hole in the middle wide enough for your head to go through. then add rectangles to each shoulder for the sleeves. the most complicated spot is the armpit, since the rings will be going in different directions. it's not easy to describe, but there are other channels that have done videos on it. I still have work to do on mine to get it to fit right. Hope my description helps at all.
Sorry for late reply but I usually left it in the vinegar for several hours, checking it and stirring it once in a while. I'd say to go for at least 5-6hrs.
@@VGPianoGuy93 Did it rust sometimes? It happens to me quite often and i only use 50% solution of vinegar for like 2 hours. Do you have some tips on how to get the rust off? Btw sorry for my english. It is not my first language
The metal definitely rusts if it gets exposed to water since the coating had been removed, so you have to make sure that it is absolutely dry after you rinse off the vinegar. The rust will happen regardless but it can be controlled. If you have rusty spots you can take some sandpaper and sand it off. A cement mixer can speed up the process. Hope that helps.
Maillers have discovered there's not enough return on time invested in making shirts. Even a butted shirt is a hundred hours. So the sellers make essentially jewelry and gewgaws.
Watching you don and doff the shirt really emphasizes why knights had squires 🤣
Safest UK citizen:
I love your ingenuity! Try connecting a rod into a hammer drill. I roll 14g stainless using aluminum rod and hammer drill. Also you can cut rings quickly with a dremel with cutting disks, that eliminates the burr caused by a cutting tool.
Thank you for your instruction. I'm in the SCA and have been trying to learn how to make chainmail with not much luck. Your instruction I think will help me very much.
Thanks! That’s great to hear. Glad I could help.
Note that this method of butted mail is not historically accurate (at least for armor from Europe and the middle east, Japanese armor does use it but the patterns used are different) and not durable enough for combat. Historically accurate armor was riveted, which involved a lot of additonal work. The rings can't be cut straight down the coil, the rings need to overlap by about 1/6th of a turn, so you need special cutters that have a gap in the blade to skip over on coil to the second so you can cut them. After cutting the rings, you need to set them on an anvil and smash them with a hammer to flatten out the overlap, then a punch is used to put a circular or rectangular hole in the flattened area, then you can open the rings and weave them together, and after that the rings are riveted shut with either a thin wire that fits through the circular holes or a triangular wedge that fits through the rectangular holes and a specialty type of modified tongs is used to set the rivets by squeezing them so that they mushroom outwards (the round rivets were more common for roman armor, and often used with solid rings for every other row, the wedges were more common in later armor and were often 100% riveted rings). Depending on what material is used it may be necessary to anneal the rings by heating them in a fire and allowing them to cool between some or all of the steps. Mail made this way is much more resistant to strikes and general wear, the butted stuff is nearly useless as armor.
@@coopercummings8370 I wouldn't say the butted stuff is nearly useless as armor for SCA fighting, which involves blunt strikes almost exclusively. I have some 6-in-1 that I've been making from 16-gauge 5/16" galvanized steel that takes a hit like a champ without shedding rings. Sure, later on down the line it will probably need significant repair, and almost certainly will need replaced, but that's true of just about every fighter's starting gear. Being as I don't have the money to buy a proper hauberk, much less plate armor, I prefer something that at least passes for period rather than the typical plastic plates guys at my income level get.
this is awesome. makes me super happy to see the results
2:30 You can save a lot of time and energy if you lose the bend and attach a power drill on the end. Perhaps you've tried it. Does kind of make it more of a two man operation.
This is impressive my dude, you got skill to learn this craft from watching TH-cam videos, you're an inspiration.. hope to see you at a Renaissance Faire one day =)
Great work on that mail. I'm glad you made the arms the right way instead of the lazy way.
4 links on 1 makes a clover, 5 clovers together makes a row, 3 rows sideways makes a square, 12-13 squares makes a belt.
My elbow and shoulder are killing me from making mail all weekend.
Also, you need a gambeson to go under that mail.
Lazy way is the only way. Changing rows direction on sleeves make them look butt-ugly
Nice video and I m also making those kind of armors but could u please make a video about how to produce arm part and head part of the armor with detail ?
Look for '90 degree join' on the mailler sites like M.A.I.L. You will use 2-3 inches of this kind of seam in each armpit. This will address that problem. It's called that because the link rows end up perpendicular to each other, and you link them by alternating E4-1 and 3-1. Gives a smooth seam, or joining.
The other thing is that long mail sleeves call for expansions/contractions to give enough slack over the point of the elbow so you can bend your arm without cutting off your circulation. Then the forearms must taper down using row contractions, saving weight out there by your hands.
Coils can basically mix circular expansions with some plain weave.
This is great, hoping I'll get to try it one day. Thanks for the video, really well explained!
thank you so much for sharing your gift and research 🖤🙏🏾
Amazing.
Great video! Thank you!
Would you be able to make a video about how to do the sleeves?
How did you manage the armpits/armholes?
It's the one thing I dread the most of my chainmail shirt
It takes a bit more time but if you saw the rings you get a much better butted ring
Very cool
Awesome job!
sweet jig!
Can you do a tutorial on making the crank?
Yeah I can I’ll post as soon as I can make one
th-cam.com/video/fFYl1D4iDRs/w-d-xo.html
here's the new video just posted!
Real chainmail that was actually used as armor back then, was made out of riveted rings. If the rings are just butted together, it can`t stop real weapons like swords.
have you ever made a piece of chainmail clothing?
My thought is butted mail is effective in the modern world as we don't commonly encounter large shard objects wielded as weapons but welded rings is subject for another time
Butted ring chainmail will still protect you from swords and axes BUT you might have a couple of rings snap off from the blow. The main reason as to why chainmail made from riveted, welded or a combination of riveted/welded and solid rings were preferred over chainmail made with butted rings was the softness of the iron/steel, as the butted rings have to be made of hard iron/steel to keep them from opening back up, so, since the rings are made of iron/steel that is hard and brittle, the rings just break off from any blows the butted chainmail sustains.
Chainmail that is made from riveted, welded, or a combination of riveted/welded and solid rings on the other hand are made of softer iron/steel, allowing the rings to deform rather than break, so, it usually lasts longer than butted chainmail and is able to absorb more of a impact from any blows sustained by the chainmail because of the crumpling effect.
@@bigfootbeliever6985 No there is no historical evidence of the Use of butted chainmail !
If you have a historical evidence, then please send me a link and i will check.
@@n7justin994 Um, i did not said anything about butted chainmail being used in the past...or did i? Sorry, i was half-asleep when i typed it.
Can't you just use an angle grinder to cut through the coils? Seems a lot faster
Nice one dude!!
How did medieval people make wire? I work in a wire mill and drawing steel down to wire takes some doing! Fascinating really 🤔
Same as you do now, in principle. Big difference is instead of modern unidirectional drawing, the wire was run back and forth between two large reels, with the hardened draw plate set between them.
Wow, so fantastic, but what is that material??
It is made from galvanized electric fence wire. You can find it at Home Depot or Lowe’s.
What is the inner diameter of the rings and the gauge of wire?
I use 14 gauge steel wire and the rings are about half inch ID.
@@VGPianoGuy93 thanks! Are the hauberk and coif both those dimensions as well?
@@chefboyardee5937 all of my rings are the same size, yes.
is it possible to make coif and hauberk in one piece?
How can I order one
Can you make under pants?
Do you take commissions by chance? I’m wanting to cosplay twilight princess link but boy am I untalented and yours looks freaking amazing
No I don’t sell chain mail. I just made mine for a hobby. I just wanted to put out the information so other people could learn from what I figured out.
@@VGPianoGuy93No worries, I figured there was no harm in asking. I’ll see what I can do haha but seriously this looks really cool
@@iloveToonLink101 it’s really easy once you get the basics figured out. That hardest part is piecing all the different parts together to make it fit like clothing.
Awesome work. You will be fine, I really like the video, please do more.
How about a tutorial for the shirt?
the shirt is kinda complicated to run through a video with, but the main concept is to make a rectangle long and wide enough for your body, make two of them. then attach them with a hole in the middle wide enough for your head to go through. then add rectangles to each shoulder for the sleeves. the most complicated spot is the armpit, since the rings will be going in different directions. it's not easy to describe, but there are other channels that have done videos on it. I still have work to do on mine to get it to fit right. Hope my description helps at all.
Can i ask for how long can i let it in the vinegar?
Sorry for late reply but I usually left it in the vinegar for several hours, checking it and stirring it once in a while. I'd say to go for at least 5-6hrs.
@@VGPianoGuy93 Did it rust sometimes? It happens to me quite often and i only use 50% solution of vinegar for like 2 hours. Do you have some tips on how to get the rust off? Btw sorry for my english. It is not my first language
The metal definitely rusts if it gets exposed to water since the coating had been removed, so you have to make sure that it is absolutely dry after you rinse off the vinegar. The rust will happen regardless but it can be controlled.
If you have rusty spots you can take some sandpaper and sand it off. A cement mixer can speed up the process. Hope that helps.
@@VGPianoGuy93 So i will just use pure vinegar. Thanks for your help. I love the video
Dude you look medieval, the ancestors did not wear modern glasses they wore monoglass or something😅
Hey my guy I will love to purchase a suit anyway we can get in contact
I don't make these to sell. I just made the one for myself, sorry.
Maillers have discovered there's not enough return on time invested in making shirts. Even a butted shirt is a hundred hours. So the sellers make essentially jewelry and gewgaws.
@@VGPianoGuy93could make a lot of money and save a lot of lives.
minecraft in real life😂🔝