Chainmail(le) Primer: Making Jewelry-Size Rings for Weaving Chainmail

Step 6 Alternative Coiling Method: Wire-winding Jig

This information was provided by mum, but edited and posted by me. For questions relating to the jig itself, speak to mum, for questions relating to the presentation of this information, it'll be me you want.

mum says: "I went to a jewelry class and didn't want to spend a fortune on a wire-winding jig that I might only use once, so I made my own."

Items for jig & mandrel:
2 L-shaped shelf supports (about 3inches in this jig, possibly with a bit sawed off the length)
G-Clamp (known as a C-Clamp on the States' side of the pond)
Knitting needle as your mandrel

Assembly:
Clamp the L-supports to the table to form a U shape (if you set them very close, you'll need to have sawn at least one L-support short)*
Bend knitting needle so you can get a bit of leverage to coil your wire (see photo)
Insert needle through L-supports
Wrap a bit of wire on the mandrel (probably at your lever)
Start coiling!
Note: hollow needles will deform in cross-section when bent, so some of your coil may not be perfectly round. Don't use these rings for projects requiring consistent ring size/shape.

mum also says: Knitting needles go up to a very large size so you would have to make sure the knitting needle would fit though the hole in the shelf support! Or you could drill a bigger hole in the support itself.

**I would suggest getting one clamp for each L-support and secure them sufficiently far apart that you can coil between the supports. This way you can also skip having to shorten the L-supports. You'll have to figure out how to start the coil, if you want to conserve wire: maybe a very small hole drilled through one side of the needle? Insert a bit of wire, and start coiling.
If anyone gets the wider set up to work, I can put your photos up, here.

Comments

[BARBARIANROCKER]

My wife loves making this stuff. Great work.

[psykosteel]

Nice job, try using your mandrel in a cordless drill if available. They are cheap enough and a lot of them come in two speeds, set it to slow. Mount one end of the wire in a bench vice and the other end in the mandrel and drill. Pull back from the vice to add tension then squeeze the drill trigger slowly as you walk toward the vice. A few times and you will get the hang of it with minimal waste. You will also notice much tighter and consistent ring sizes. Happy winding.

[ryzellon]

Yep. "Power-winding will be discussed in an upcoming instructable on making armor-sized rings." (Though I haven't gotten around to writing that instructable, 'cause I'm out of the country.)