What's Your Favorite Chainmaille Weave?

Ya know, I have a few favorite weaves. I'm gonna share them with you just because I can! It might just inspire you to try something you've never tried before.

For simplicity, you just can't beat European 4 in 1. The finished piece has a wonderful, drapey feel to it, almost like cloth. It's versitile, looks great in a bracelet, necklace, ring or anklet. You can even make functional pieces like (of course) tunics, halter tops and change purses with it. I'm not really big into chainmaille as clothing, but nearly every piece of jewelry I've seen done in this weave looks great. It's easy to learn - in my experience it was one of the easiest. It's a little more time consuming than most, especially if you like more than 3 rows in your piece. And depending on the size of the rings used, it can give a different look. Some people prefer a loose, open weave. I myself prefer a nice dense weave done in tiny rings in small gauges. The result looks shimmery and rich.

And then there's Half Persian 4 in 1. I really love this weave. It looks like nothing else and looks equally beautiful in small gauge wire and heavy gauge. It also looks great on both men and women. I know it sounds cliche, but it looks both simple and elegant at the same time. And when it's done in two types of metal, gold and silver for instance, it really pops! It's kind of tricky to get started, which scares a lot of people away from this weave and that's unfortunate. Because once it's started, it's clear sailing all the way! And once you've mastered how to get it started, it becomes easy. Spider has some really good tips on just how easy it is to get started in Weaving Silver Volume 1.

Jens Pind (pronounced "Yens Pint") isn't for the beginner. It's a tight weave to work with because the aspect ratio range is very narrow. If you don't get the size of your rings right either you can't weave it at all, it's so tight when woven that it has no flexibilty or it just simply falls apart. Not falls apart in literal terms, but the weave no longer looks like it's supposed to. Because of that your rings must be the correct size to do this weave. If you've read any of my other posts, then you know I always advise cutting a few rings and testing them first before winding all your wire. It's mainly because of Jens Pind that I suggest this. Make about an inch to see how tight/loose it's going to be. If it's not right, go back and use a ring slightly larger/smaller. Now, I hope I'm not scaring you further to try this weave. Yes, it's tricky. Yes, your rings have to be just right. But when done correctly, this is one of the most beautiful weaves out there. I prefer thin and delicate - tiny rings in smaller gauges (maybe because I love to torture myself :=D). But I and a lot of my customers prefer delicate and fine chains and Jens Pind certainly fits the bill. Here's a tip - my favorite ring size is AWG 20 gauge wire, 2.5mm ID. It results in a thin rope-like chain that's incredibly strong for the thinness of the wire. And because it's the only round chain that I've mentioned so far, it's perfect for neck chains that you intend to put a pendant on.
(Note: the above rings sizes/gauge given for my favorite Jens Pind chain is for Jens Pind 4 in 1)

Lastly, there's Dragon Scale. Another tricky chain and not for the beginner. It also deviates from my usual tastes which run small, fine and delicate. Unless you're completely into self-torture, this weave just can't be done in tiny little rings. I'll leave that to the more adventurous. But the result is just so different looking, so downright COOL looking that it has an appeal all it's own. And as tricky as it may seem to put together, it's actually kinda fun watching it develop. It's heavy when finished, so if you don't like heavy, use a lighter metal like titanium or bright aluminum. But to be honest I haven't seen this weave done in a metal that I don't like. It just looks great whatever is used. And if you're into cuff bracelets, this weave is for YOU! It's thick, it's bold and it'll get noticed.

Just remember one thing: tricky weaves are only tricky until you've mastered them. If you love a challenge like I do, try them. Once you have the weave down it really is like riding a bicycle. It becomes easy. Don't let anything scare you, because even if in the beginning it may seem too tricky, at some point it will click and then you have it down.

Well, those are my favorites. What's yours and why?

Aspect Ratio Revisited: Deja Vu All Over Again?

I know. I've already gone over aspect ratio. Maybe I'm just getting monotonous. Or, just maybe, some folks understand something better when explained in a different way. I mean, far be it from me to question the motives of my high-school math instructor's teaching methods.
I don't know about you, but I'm a "visual" learner. Always have been. You can give me the most eloquent explanation of how something is done but it will stick much better in my mind if it's shown to me. So, for those that are still confused about aspect ratio, I'm going to walk you through an example. Grab a cup of coffee, take a deep breath and keep reading...

Problem:

You've found a chainmaille pattern that you MUST try. The pattern calls for 20 gauge 2.5mm inner diameter rings. However, you - being the slightly more flamboyant being that you are, would much rather have it in 18 gauge wire. Simple, except - OH NO! The pattern never gives the aspect ratio!! Now what?!
Take comfort. We can find the aspect ratio with the information that we already DO know.
Now, 20 gauge wire (assuming we are going by American Wire Gauge measurements - and we are) is about .032 inches in diameter or, if you prefer, .81 millimeters. You can get the mm equivalent from the decimal inch measurement by multiplying the decimal inch measurement by 25.4(there are 25.4 millimeters in an inch):

.032 x 25.4 = .8128

Conversely, if you need to know the decimal inch measurement and only have the measurement in millimeters, then divide .8128 by 25.4:

.8128 / 25.4 = .032

Since the inner diameter of our pattern's rings is in millimeters, we'll use the metric measurement of our wire. We will take the .81mm of our 20 gauge wire and divide it into the inner diameter of the rings in our chainmaille pattern. So,

2.5mm (ring inner diameter) / .81mm (20 gauge wire diameter) = 3.0864197.

There you have it! The aspect ratio of the rings in your pattern is 3.09 (rounding up).

To find the inner diameter of your new rings in 18 gauge wire, take 18 gauge wire diameter (.040 decimal inch/1.02mm) and multiply it by the aspect ratio.

3.09 (aspect ratio) x 1.02mm (18 gauge mm thickness) = 3.15mm.

Your new 18 gauge rings should have an inner diameter of 3.15mm to make your chainmaille pattern.

To review:
- To get millimeter measurement from decimal inch measurement, multiply the decimal inch measurement by 25.4.
- To find the decimal inch measurement from millimeter measurement, divide the millimeter measurement by 25.4.
- There are 25.4 millimeters to an inch.
- Aspect ratio can be found by taking the ring inner diameter measurement and dividing it by the wire gauge thickness measurement of a pattern or chain you already have whereby you know at least the gauge of the wire and the inner diameter of the rings of said chain or pattern.
- Inner diameter measurement can be found by multiplying the aspect ratio by the wire gauge thickness measurement of the wire you intend to use.

Remember! Always wind a few rings and test them out first before winding up a large amount of your wire. Aspect ratios are in ranges, wire thicknesses vary slightly and sometimes a slightly smaller or slightly larger ring gives a better result.

If you still have questions, post a comment/question and I'll try to go over it again in another way.

Happy weaving!

Metal Mimicry

I'm sure no none needs reminding that we are in tough economic times. And while I still buy sterling silver, fine silver, yellow gold-filled and rose gold-filled wire when I can afford to (and while there are folks who can still afford to buy the finished product), I've taken to "faking" the look of these metals with more inexpensive alternatives so that my customers have more options. Here are my favorite "fakers"...


I don't know how many of you have tried plated wire. Do you actually like working with it? I hate working with it. I have various reasons for this, the biggest being that it's just so easy to scratch or chip it. The second biggest reason is that I've yet to make a piece without tumble polishing it, and plated materials don't take kindly to this. And the plastic (or "enameled") wires are so slippery in my pliers I get fed up before I can finish anything. For these reasons I don't use it. Good thing for us there are solid metal alternatives that look great!

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The look of gold...

My personal favorite for imitating the look of gold is red brass (also called rich low brass or jeweler's brass). Unlike it's name would imply, it's not red, but a true gold color. The alloys can range anywhere from 70% copper/30% zinc to 90% copper/10% zinc (I use 85%/15%). Not being a metalurgist, I can only assume that the higher the copper content, the "warmer" the color.

Please do not confuse jeweler's brass with yellow brass. While yellow brass has a "gold" color, to my eye it looks decidedly greenish. I still like it for some things, but if what you want is something that looks like real gold, stick with jeweler's brass.


Rose gold beautiful...

Copper is one of my favorite metals. It's nearly-pink color pleases my eye. I suppose that's why I love rose gold so much too. However, the two don't even come close in color. I guess you could fool someone that's not really familiar with rose gold, but when holding the two next to each other the differences become immediately apparent. Copper is so much darker and pinker. They are so different that I don't even worry about mistaking these two. But there is one type of wire I have to label so that I don't confuse it with my rose gold-filled wire...

On a whim one day (and because I love to experiment), I decided to try bronze wire. The wire I received (Alloy C510, a phosphor bronze) was a light rosey-orange color. Hmmm. When I grabbed my rose gold wire to compare I was simply amazed! It was a eureka moment. The difference was only oh-so-slight. They have the same tonal (or lightness) values. The bronze is just a smidgeon more to the orange, but without really good lighting, it's nearly impossible to tell them apart. I had found my fabulous rose gold "faker"!


Ah, silver...

I've had an incredibly hard time trying to replicate this metal. It's white color is nearly unsurpassed. Nickel silver doesn't cut it, not even a little bit. Stainless steel? Ah, nope. But there's one that's pretty close...

Bright Aluminum is exceptionally white. It's also nice and shiny - two things that describe silver. Silver has a slight "warmth" to it while bright aluminum is brilliant white and "cold" (I'm talking colors here folks, not temperature). The bright aluminum is the closest I've been able to find and yet stay inexpensive. But there is one BIG difference between the two, and that's weight. The same size gauge and amount of rings of bright aluminum probably weighs less than half of the same in sterling silver. For those familiar with the heft of a silver bracelet or necklace, there's no mistaking that that bright aluminum one that you just picked up is NOT silver. Unfortunately, that's the trade-off for this fake. Replicate the color and sacrifice the weight. It's either that or go with nickel silver which looks like gunmetal next to the real thing.

Strange that the "colorless" metal would be the hardest to mimic...
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Now, there ARE drawbacks to not using real gold or silver. Of course there are, or we would never use them! The non-precious metals tend to tarnish. Bright aluminum is pretty resistant, but brass and bronze will darken over time. The trick to keeping them nice is frequent cleanings and polishings with a jewelry cloth and to keep in an airtight bag when not in use. A small amount of work for a bigger reward.

I'm not by any means bashing other metals. In fact I used them - nickel silver, yellow brass and copper (especially copper). For instance, yellow brass looks fantastic with peridot or olive colored beads; the color of the beads picks up the greenish cast of the brass in a good way. Yellow brass also looks great with brown or terra cotta colors as it gives a nice "earthy" look. Copper looks great with beads too - my favorite color for copper is a greenish blue turquoise. Matches beautifully, probably due to the fact that copper's own corrosion is the same color. It also goes well with various greens and oranges. And of course I've used these metals all on their own or in mixture (Half Persian 4 in 1 looks bangin' with half of the rings one color and half another color).

So there you have it! Try them out - they are very inexpensive. You can also buy these metals by the pound. And let me tell ya, a pound of wire is A LOT of wire! Try mixing them (tri-color chains are always hot). Most of all, have fun and be creative. You'll have a lot of wire to use up...