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How to Create a Chainmail Shirt
By Jonathan Cotten
Table of Contents
iii
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... v
Chapter 1: What You Need ........................................................................................................................... 3
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings............................................................................................................... 7
How to get ready ....................................................................................................................................... 7
How to Make the Rings ............................................................................................................................ 9
Butted Rings.......................................................................................................................................... 9
Sawn Rings ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Closing the Rings .................................................................................................................................. 9
Riveted Rings ...................................................................................................................................... 10
Chapter 3: How to Weave the Rings........................................................................................................... 15
How to Create the European 4-in-1 Weave ............................................................................................ 15
How to Make Sheets ........................................................................................................................... 18
Chapter 4: How to Make the Shirt .............................................................................................................. 23
Measuring Your Body............................................................................................................................. 23
How to Measure Your Chest............................................................................................................... 23
How to Measure Your Shoulder ......................................................................................................... 23
Measure Shoulder Width .................................................................................................................... 24
How to make the Torso and Back ........................................................................................................... 24
How to Make the Shoulders .................................................................................................................... 25
How to Connect the Pieces ..................................................................................................................... 25
Chapter 5: How to Make the Sleeves .......................................................................................................... 29
How to Make the Sleeve ......................................................................................................................... 29
How to Join the Sleeves to the Shirt ....................................................................................................... 29
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................. 33
Index ........................................................................................................................................................... 35
References ................................................................................................................................................... 37
Introduction
v
Introduction
In the medieval-ages knights used a type of armor called chainmail. This armor is made up of
thousands of small rings connected together. I provided instructions in this manual to make a chainmail
shirt.
The process requires little experience using tools. You must know how to use a drill, a hammer,
pliers, and wire cutters. The manual includes instructions on creating the rings from wire spools. The
manual has instructions up to finishing the shirt. I included instructions for creating rings in three
different styles, and one weave style.
The quickest style to use is butted chainmail; the steps take the least time. Sawn rings take more
time than regular butted chainmail, but they look better. Riveted chainmail takes the longest time and is
the most expensive style, because it uses the most wire; however it will be the strongest style offered in
this manual.
Warning: This project requires sharp
tools, use gloves and eye protection.
Chapter 1: What You Need
This chapter contains a list of materials required for making chainmail rings.
Chapter 1: What You Need
Chapter 1: What You Need
Figure 1.1
What You Need:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Work gloves (See Figure 1.1)
1000 feet of 14 gauge steel wire (See Figure 1.1)
3/8th inch diameter rod (See Figure 1.1)
Electric Drill (See Figure 1.1)
2 mm drill bit (See Figure 1.1)
Wire Cutters or mini bolt cutters (See Figure 1.1)
Two sets of pliers (See Figure 1.1)
A hammer (See Figure 1.1)
Hacksaw or jewelry saw (Not Shown)
Anvil or other hard metal surface (Not Shown)
2 mm rivets (Not Shown)
Tape measure (Not Shown)
3
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings
Chapter two provides instructions on how to create the rings required for making the shirt. I
provided three styles of rings: Butted, Sawn, and Riveted. The easiest and cheapest to create is butted.
The second easiest style is sawn, it requires more time than butted because you must saw each ring
individually. Riveted style takes the most time, and the most material, and thus is the most expensive.
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings
Begin by gathering your materials to a workspace. You will need:
•
•
•
•
•
A Drill
The 3/8th inch rod
Wire cutters or mini bolt cutters
Hacksaw or jewelry saw
Wire
How to get ready
1. Place the rod in the drill and tighten the chuck on the drill. (See Figure 2.1)
Figure 2.1
2. Bend the end of the wire at a 90 degree and angle. (See Figure 2.2)
Figure 2.2
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
3. Place the end of the wire in the gap between the rod and the chuck. (See Figure 2.3)
Figure 2.3
1. Wind the wire around the rod to create the rings. (See Figure 2.4)
Figure 2.4
2. Pull the coil off the rod. (See Figure 2.5)
Figure 2.5
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings
How to Make the Rings
Butted Rings
1. Use the mini bolt cutters to the coil into rings. (See Figure 2.6)
Caution: wear eye protection, and gloves.
Figure 2.6
Sawn Rings
1. Use a hacksaw or jewelry saw to cut the rings diagonally to cut only one side of the coil.
2. Use sandpaper to smooth off burs from the saw.
Closing the Rings
• To create open rings use the pliers to twist the ring open. (See Figure 2.7)
Figure 2.7
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
4. To create closed rings twist the ring so it will close. (See Figure 2.8)
Figure 2.8
Place the open and closed rings in separate containers for easy access.
Riveted Rings
1. Cut the rings off the coil with a small overlap of wire so the ring makes a complete circle and a
one eighth turn. (See Figure 2.9)
Caution: wear eye protection and gloves.
Figure 2.9
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings
2. Hammer the overlapping pieces flat. (See Figure 2.10)
Figure 2.10
3. Drill a 2mm hole in the middle of the flattened section. (See Figure 2.11)
Figure 2.11
4. Feed a rivet through the hole in the ring. (See Figure 2.12)
Figure 2.12
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
5. Hammer the rivet flat. (See Figure 2.13)
Figure 2.13
Chapter 2: How to Make the Rings
Chapter 3: How to Weave the Rings
This chapter contains instructions on weaving the rings in the European 4-in-1 pattern.
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Chapter 3: How to Weave the Rings
Chapter 3: How to Weave the Rings
How to Create the European 4-in-1 Weave
1. Gather one open ring and four closed rings from the divided containers. (See Figure 3.1)
Figure 3.1
2. Place the four closed rings on the open ring. (See Figure 3.2)
Figure 3.2
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
3. Close the open ring. (See Figure 3.3)
Figure 3.3
4. Take two more closed rings and one more open ring. (See Figure 3.4)
Figure 3.4
5. Insert the open rings on the two closed rings. (See Figure 3.5)
Figure 3.5
Chapter 3: How to Weave the Rings
6. Insert the open ring through the first link. (See Figure 3.6)
Figure 3.6
7. Close the open ring. (See Figure 3.7)
Figure 3.7
8. Repeat steps four through seven until you reach the desired length.
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
How to Make Sheets
1. Lay the strands side-by-side; with the strand pattern facing the same direction. (See Figure 3.8)
Figure 3.8
2. Feed an open ring through four of the side rings.(See Figure 3.9)
Figure 3.9
Chapter 3: How to Weave the Rings
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3. Close the ring.
5. Feed an open ring through the previous two closed strand rings and two new closed strand rings.
(See Figure 3.10)
Figure 3.10
4. Close the ring.
5. Repeat steps four through five until all strand rings are linked.
Chapter 4: How to Make the Main Shirt
Chapter 4: How to Make the Main Shirt
Chapter four contains instructions on how to make the main shirt.
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Chapter 4: How to Make the Main Shirt
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Chapter 4: How to Make the Shirt
Measuring Your Body
To create the shirt you must take some measurements of your body. You must measure the circumference
of your chest below your arm pits. Then Measure the distance from the bottom of your arm pit to the top
of your shoulder. (See Figure 4.1)
How to Measure Your Chest
Measure the circumference of your chest, add nine inches to the length, and then divide the length by two.
This measurement is the width of the sheets you will make. Measure the distance from the bottom of your
armpit to your groin. The distance is the length of the sheet.
How to Measure Your Shoulder
Use a tape measure to measure the distance from the bottom of your arm pit to the top of your shoulder.
This is the shoulder height. (See Figure 4.2)
Figure 4.1
Figure 4.2
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
Measure Shoulder Width
Measure from your shoulder to your neck, this measurement is the shoulder width. (See Figure 4.3)
Figure 4.3
How to make the Torso and Back
Make two sheets of chainmail with the dimensions of the height measured in the previous section, and the
width from the previous section (See Figures 4.1 and 4.2). To make sheets, link horizontal rows of strands
until the length is the same as the height (See Figure 4.4).
Figure 4.4
Figure 4.5
Chapter 4: How to Make the Main Shirt
25
How to Make the Shoulders
Make a sheet of horizontal rows of the shoulder width (See Figure 4.3), and length of two times the
shoulder height. (See Figure 4.2)
How to Connect the Pieces
1. Find the center ring on the torso sheet. (See Figure 4.5)
2. Connect the two shoulder pieces centered with a gap of the width of your neck. (See Figure 4.5)
Chapter 5: How to Make the Sleeves
Chapter five contains instructions on how to make and connect the sleeves for the chainmail shirt.
Chapter 5: How to Make the Sleeves
Chapter 5: How to Make the Sleeves
How to Make the Sleeve
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Count the amount of rings around the arm hole.
Make a strand with the same amount of rings.
Make a loop from the strand.
Make more loops, and link then together to form a tube.
Continue until you reach your desired sleeve length.
How to Join the Sleeves to the Shirt
1. Lay both strands next to each other. (See Figure 5.1)
Figure 5.1
2. Open first ring. (See Figure 5.2)
Figure 5.2
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How to Make a Chainmail Shirt
3. Weave the open ring through two of the opposite strand’s rings. (See Figure 5.3)
Figure 5.3
4. Close the ring.
5. Open the next ring. Shown in yellow in figure 5.4
Figure 5.4
Chapter 5: How to Make the Sleeves
6. Weave it through the adjacent ring of the opposite strand’s rings. (See Figure 5.5)
Figure 5.5
7. Close the ring.
8. Open the next ring.
9. Weave the open ring through the opposite rings, skipping one ring* (See Figure 5.6).
Figure 5.6
10. Continue the pattern until you complete the joint.
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Conclusion
Conclusion
You now have a chainmail shirt, remember that this shirt is not meant to be used as actual armor. The
purpose is to use as a costume or for live action role playing; not for actual protection. Have fun using
your new chainmail and stay safe.
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Index
35
Index
closed rings ................................................................................................................................................. 16
loop ............................................................................................................................................................. 29
open ring ................................................................................................................. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 30, 31
rings ........................................................................................ v, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 29, 30, 31
rivet ....................................................................................................................................................... 11, 12
shirt ............................................................................................................................................................... v
sleeve .......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Weave ......................................................................................................................................................... 31
References
References
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-chainmail-shirt/
http://metalsmithing.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-chain-mail-armor-from-start-finish-0118499/
http://www.mailleartisans.org/articles/articledisplay-old.cgi?key=1799
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