how to repair "plaited chain" ??

Dear group,

I can't find anything though Google.

My best friend handed me her plaited bracelet which had an odd kink in it.

In a moment of madness I set to "repair" it but ended up with two halves and
a few spare links.

Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how to plait
wire links ?

"puzzled" of Bristol, UK

brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how to plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done, depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we can
have a look.


--


If you try to 'reply' to me without fixing the dot, your reply
will go into a 'special' mailbox reserved for spam. See below.


--
Carl West http://carl.west.home.comcast.net

change the 'DOT' to '.' to email me

"Clutter"? This is an object-rich environment.

"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how to
plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done, depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we can
have a look.


great - I'll go take a photo of it and get back to you

thanks

"brugnospamsia"

Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid - was in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG


===================================

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
...

"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how to
plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done, depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we can
have a look.


great - I'll go take a photo of it and get back to you

thanks

"brugnospamsia"

On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 07:03:20 GMT, "brugmansia"
wrote:

Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid - was in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG

That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

===============================

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
.. .

"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how to
plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done, depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we can
have a look.


great - I'll go take a photo of it and get back to you

thanks

"brugnospamsia"


--
Marilee J. Layman

G.W. Bush says "results count!"
That's why I'm voting for Kerry

That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

thanks :-)

it helps to get the terminology right !



========================


"Marilee J. Layman" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 07:03:20 GMT, "brugmansia"
wrote:

Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid - was
in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG

That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

===============================

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
.. .

"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how to
plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done,
depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we
can
have a look.


great - I'll go take a photo of it and get back to you

thanks

"brugnospamsia"


--
Marilee J. Layman

G.W. Bush says "results count!"
That's why I'm voting for Kerry

brugmansia wrote:

My best friend handed me her plaited bracelet which had an odd kink in it.

In a moment of madness I set to "repair" it but ended up with two halves and
a few spare links.
.....
Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid - was in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG


You're going to need two pair of pliers with smooth jaws.
Practice with the 'spare' links to learn to close them nicely.
Basic technique:

Hold the link so you're looking through the hole

the ends are at 12:00, you are gripping at 9:00 and 3:00

instead of just trying to push the ends together (they'll just spring
apart) twist them toward and away from you and push 'in' to make it so
they each go a little past center and stay that way

then twist them away and toward you just enough to make the ends line
up. You'll have to overshoot a little then back them down.

You should find that the ends now press against each other.



When you've got that:

Look very carefully at the chain, it appears that the cycle is four
links long. This means that when you are adding a link, you need to
mimic the interlinking of the one four from the end

You'll find that links are open either left-handed-or right-handed.
which is which doesn't matter, but I'm sure that you'll find that one or
the other is easier to link into the chain in any particular situation

Ideally you'll make a bunch of large links out of stout insulated copper
wire and practice with them until you understand and can re-create the
linking pattern in the bracelet. Once you've bent your head around the
pattern, the repair will become obvious.


This is about as good an answer as I think I can give, trying to
actually explain the minutia of the repair would take many pages of text
and some number of photographs. Even then it might not be enough, chain
repair is a very spatial/kinetic/visual activity that is not easily
rendered on the page.


OR,

find the nearest SCA group (http://www.sca.org/geography/welcome.html)
and ask if there's someone adept at chainmail repair. Ask to see their
work before handing them your bracelet. Look for signs of cleverness
beyond straight, flat 4-in-1 mail. Things like seams at angles,
'woven'-in designs or samples of 'fancy' chains (byzantine, queen's,
&cetera) can be considered signs of cleverness. Be sure they'll use
non-marking pliers.

Where are you anyway?

- Carl
aka Meister Frydherik Eysenkopf, OL &c. in the SCA

--


If you try to 'reply' to me without fixing the dot, your reply
will go into a 'special' mailbox reserved for spam. See below.


--
Carl West http://carl.west.home.comcast.net

change the 'DOT' to '.' to email me

"Clutter"? This is an object-rich environment.

Where are you anyway?

West Dragonshire (Insulae Draconis Region) in the Kingdom of Drachenwald

apparently :-)

I've always known it as Bristol, South west UK

I hadn't thought of this source of arcane knowledge.
I used to have a colleague who spent her spare time as a sorceress and
making costumes.

thanks for all the info

Jeremy aka "Brugmansia" aka "Brugnospamsia"

=========================


"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugmansia wrote:

My best friend handed me her plaited bracelet which had an odd kink in
it.

In a moment of madness I set to "repair" it but ended up with two halves
and
a few spare links.
....
Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid - was
in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG


You're going to need two pair of pliers with smooth jaws.
Practice with the 'spare' links to learn to close them nicely.
Basic technique:

Hold the link so you're looking through the hole

the ends are at 12:00, you are gripping at 9:00 and 3:00

instead of just trying to push the ends together (they'll just spring
apart) twist them toward and away from you and push 'in' to make it so
they each go a little past center and stay that way

then twist them away and toward you just enough to make the ends line
up. You'll have to overshoot a little then back them down.

You should find that the ends now press against each other.



When you've got that:

Look very carefully at the chain, it appears that the cycle is four
links long. This means that when you are adding a link, you need to
mimic the interlinking of the one four from the end

You'll find that links are open either left-handed-or right-handed.
which is which doesn't matter, but I'm sure that you'll find that one or
the other is easier to link into the chain in any particular situation

Ideally you'll make a bunch of large links out of stout insulated copper
wire and practice with them until you understand and can re-create the
linking pattern in the bracelet. Once you've bent your head around the
pattern, the repair will become obvious.


This is about as good an answer as I think I can give, trying to
actually explain the minutia of the repair would take many pages of text
and some number of photographs. Even then it might not be enough, chain
repair is a very spatial/kinetic/visual activity that is not easily
rendered on the page.


OR,

find the nearest SCA group (http://www.sca.org/geography/welcome.html)
and ask if there's someone adept at chainmail repair. Ask to see their
work before handing them your bracelet. Look for signs of cleverness
beyond straight, flat 4-in-1 mail. Things like seams at angles,
'woven'-in designs or samples of 'fancy' chains (byzantine, queen's,
&cetera) can be considered signs of cleverness. Be sure they'll use
non-marking pliers.

Where are you anyway?

- Carl
aka Meister Frydherik Eysenkopf, OL &c. in the SCA

--


If you try to 'reply' to me without fixing the dot, your reply
will go into a 'special' mailbox reserved for spam. See below.


--
Carl West http://carl.west.home.comcast.net

change the 'DOT' to '.' to email me

"Clutter"? This is an object-rich environment.

Try looking at www.mailleartisans.com (I think I spelt that right). There
may even be a forum there where you can ask your question and get a better
answer from someone with specific knowledge of that weave.

Charlie.

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
news
That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

thanks :-)

it helps to get the terminology right !



========================


"Marilee J. Layman" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 07:03:20 GMT, "brugmansia"
wrote:

Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid - was
in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG

That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

===============================

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
.. .

"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how
to
plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done,
depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we
can
have a look.


great - I'll go take a photo of it and get back to you

thanks

"brugnospamsia"


--
Marilee J. Layman

G.W. Bush says "results count!"
That's why I'm voting for Kerry

That's http://www.mailleartisans.org/

Hi, Charlie!



"Charlie" wrote in message
...
Try looking at www.mailleartisans.com (I think I spelt that right). There
may even be a forum there where you can ask your question and get a better
answer from someone with specific knowledge of that weave.

Charlie.

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
news
That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

thanks :-)

it helps to get the terminology right !



========================


"Marilee J. Layman" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 07:03:20 GMT, "brugmansia"
wrote:

Here's my first attempt at a photo - focus isn't great I'm afraid -
was
in
too much of a hurry.

http://uk.geocities.com/gentlegreengiant/chain.JPG

That's chain mail(le), I wouldn't call it "plaited." Google for chain
mail and see which weave that is (I know it's not Byzantine).

===============================

"brugnospamsia" wrote in message
.. .

"Carl West" wrote in message
...
brugnospamsia wrote:

...
Can anyone please point me to a diagram somewhere explaining how
to
plait
wire links ?

There are roughly forty-leven different ways it could be done,
depends
on the chain. Post a scan of the chain and links on the web and we
can
have a look.


great - I'll go take a photo of it and get back to you

thanks

"brugnospamsia"


--
Marilee J. Layman

G.W. Bush says "results count!"
That's why I'm voting for Kerry