# Doper Armorers: Whatcha Making? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 4, 2003, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835 "2003-08-04T04:43:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/21 "2003-08-06T02:28:53Z")
(disappointed) They don’t go smaller than 3.5 mm! They looked at me as if I was crazy when I asked if they had anything smaller! I think I’ll start using the 3.5’s tomorrow morning, as my eyes are going to fall out. I just finished a pretty stripy necklace, maybe 350-500 links. It’s very lacy. Does no one else here make jewelry? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/22 "2003-08-06T04:05:07Z")
I’ve tried a time or two, **Lissla** , but it just keeps turning into armor. You know, I make a headpiece, and I start touching it up, here and there with a link or two, and suddenly it’s a coif. Ahem. Actually, **Gulo** mentioned above that she just started making jewelry. I don’t suppose you’ve got pics of any of your work posted anywhere, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/23 "2003-08-06T13:38:40Z")
Where did you get your jeweler’s saw and how much did it cost, **Gulo**? I’ve been thinking about making my own links, but I don’t have all the necessary equipment. I got a piece of 3.5 mm started last night. Oh, my head. I’m not sure if our website is running right now- if it is, then I’ll link to the pics. Does anyone else have pretty pictures online? ---
**Author:** ![MarkofT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MarkofT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkofT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/24 "2003-08-06T14:25:23Z")
I’m MarkofT over on the message boards at [The Ring Lord’s website](http://www.theringlord.com). [MAILLE](http://www.mailleartisans.org/) is a good resource as well. If you need instructions on how to weave various patterns try [Derakon’s Library](http://www.cs.hmc.edu/~cweisige/) I have a few pics in the gallery over on the TRL messageboards, not sure if I just posted my keychain and dreamchime pics or if I posted the candle holder I made as well. ---
**Author:** ![MarkofT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MarkofT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkofT)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/25 "2003-08-06T14:37:31Z")
I forgot to mention they use the terms Macromaille and Micromaille. Micromaille is made using links with an ID smaller then 3/16". Macromaille uses links over an 1", some people have cut up garage door tension springs and wove full persian chain. ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/26 "2003-08-06T16:40:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lissla Lissar \* > **Where did you get your jeweler’s saw and how much did it cost, Gulo? I’ve been thinking about making my own links, but I don’t have all the necessary equipment.** I got the saw from my boyfriend’s work table. 🙂 He used to do a lot of bronze piecework for pouches and such. They don’t seem to be that expensive. I did a quick check at [TSI](http://www.tsijeweltools.com/) and you should be able to get a saw and blades for around $15. While I’m sawing the rings (or any other metal for that matter) I keep the blades waxed and they break less. I made a bracelet in [this](http://www.currentmiddleages.org/torfin/46.jpg) style a couple years ago, but it wasn’t using jump rings. It involved a lot of soldering and bending, but turned out nice in the end. I have a book called “Great Wire Jewelry” by Irene Peterson and it shows a nice setup for making your own rings, as well as many chaining patterns. ---
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835/27 "2003-08-06T18:59:52Z")
I have only made a couple of small peices of chain: some chokers, a bracer and a small skirt. I did both 4-in-1 and 6-in-1. The hardest part for me was the tedium, It’s really easy to do with friends while playing D&D or watching a movie or just bs’ing, but just plain boring otherwise. Leather and padding were a little less tedious, but were much more brain consuming (at least for me), they were better looking when I was through too. [Abritrary Chainmail Link](http://how.to/chainmail) By the way, thank you to whoever posted the Worthco link, you just halved my time an tedium…dreaming of titanium links. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-armorers-whatcha-making/192835.md?page=1)