Bending Wire
Published Sat, Jan 22 2011 9:14 PM
Technorati Tags: Hobbies
Layla wonders where I’ve been. Then she speculates that I’m working on another chain maille “masterpiece.” Well, I don’t know about masterpieces, I’ve still got a long way to go before I even come close to that quality of work, but I have been hard at work on my primary maille projects. I finished the work on the kid’s projects, and started working on the two haubergeons again. One in 14 SWG galvanized steel and the other in 16 SWG stainless.
When I posted last, I had finished working on the inlay for the front piece of the stainless haubergeon. Since then I’ve extended the piece out to it’s basic width according to the pattern I’m working from, although I only have half of the height finished. I figure that it will probably take another two weeks to finish that piece. When it’s “done” there will be a total of 5,965 links in it. As you see it here, there are 2,945, so there’s still a way to go.
Of course, it takes more than just square sheets of maille to make a haubergeon. So for the last 6 days I’ve been working on the yoke. This is the part that my head will go through, and that goes over the shoulders. It’s a bit more interesting, because all of the maille has to hang in the “natural” direction, which means that the sides have to run at a different angle than the front, or the sleeves will end up hanging the wrong way. So it has some triangular pieces and an interesting 45° seam. The seam isn’t “really” 45° though, since the triangular pieces are only missing one link from each basic unit on the edges, but it’s close enough to do the job. He’res a close-up of the seam, so you can see how the natural direction of the maille turns.
Sorry, I don’t have a link count for this piece yet. I’ll work it out sometime soon though. I do know that the 10,000 stainless steel rings I bought for this project aren’t going to be enough. I will probably need another 5 to 6 thousand more to finish the piece. At the rate I’m going, I will also probably need about another two months as well. Anyway, here’s the front part of the yoke. I still have the back part and the two pieces that join them together on the sides to do.
That’s all for now. I have more wire to bend.
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Layla responded with:
 | Whoa! I am impressed. I just make the jewelry. Necklaces in shaggy loop or byzantine chain maille. I have some gals that want me to custom make their pieces, which is always fun to be creative.
But you my friend are going to look authentically Celtic when you finish. I applaud you. Beautiful work. :) |
Angel responded with:
 | wow Perri..you sure are dedicated to this!..I design hats and hair accessories for women and I thought that was tough! :) |
David responded with:
 | Makes my lil amateur woodworking projects look like small beer. :-) |
Layla responded with:
| Well, I see you are still at it! :) |
T.F. Stern responded with:
 | It should be fun going to the airport and setting off all the alarms, TSA and the questions which must follow. It would almost be worth it; not. |
Perri Nelson responded with: TSA humor.
 | Me: What do you mean I can't wear this on board the plane? Is this a joke?
TSA: No sir, we at the TSA do not have a sense of humor that we're aware of. |
Perri Nelson responded with: Yoke
| By the way, I expect to have the yoke (not joke) finished tonight. When I do, I'll post a few more pictures. |
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