Genuine chainmaille from pop tabs

Step 6 Weave

Now that you have a massive pile of tabs ready, you will begin the weaving. The first picture shows 4 links woven together in the traditional European 4 in 1 style. The next photos show the proper way to connect them together.

Holding one tab by the back, with one hand, take another tab with your free hand.
Push the back of the second tab through the cut on the first tab from the bottom so that it is on one side.
After they are connected together do the same with a second tab, but on the opposite side.
The fourth tab you put on will connect the two "shoulder" tabs together.
Connect the fourth tab so that the second and third are laying one on each side.
The back of the tabs should always end up on the bottom side of the weave.

Comments

[Dusk Shadows]

this must have taken ages

[Grinch227]

I'm going to use this technique to make a hacky sack or footbag, thanks for the idea!

[therealgroovemachine]

excellent i'll start creating my "tazer proof shirt" immediately, see you at the protest rally. LOL ;-)

[seabananers]

if i were you i would were a rubber shirt

[king kolton9]

yea rubber because doesn't metal increase the shock (look im 11 i knew it i spaced out a min ago and i forgot (question rubber absorbs? the shock???))

[dczupik]

duh, he was making a joke, lol, oh, and it doesnt increase the the shock, it just lets the electricity travel, since its conductive

[king kolton9]

god ^%$#&* it was conducts

[hintss]

tazers use neadles, it won't work

[singhjr96]

not all tazer some use fish hooks besides if use use this the stop a tazer shock it won't work. aluminum coducts electricity and you just catch on fire or get minor burn wounds, plus the damage will be more widespred so theres a posobility that your heart will stop or u will have some damage to nerves. the nerve part i likely due to surface area of the shock but the heart part  a super small chance

[king kolton9]

the heat part is possible if their pressing the button for like 30 seconds just like frozen (lol imagin if a police officer spaced out tazing you)

[hintss]

they auto stop after 5 seconds, then they have to release the button and push it again

[Dms12444]

Not entirely true, Taser guns (wich most govt agencies use have needles), taser's which must make contact with the body dont. However chain mail would be a bad thing as it would arc onto you and make some really bad burn marks.

[smattman22]

ive got the make contact one with hiddden mace :P

[Loki_Peverell]

My stepfather is a police officer who followed these things. You're right.

[hintss]

tasers tht make contact with the body are just stun guns with a taser name slapped on

[therealgroovemachine]

you guys took my comment way too seriously......
but you know that electricity prefers to travel along the outside of awire (not through its core) therefore my theory is that if you wearsomething that allows the current to easily conduct and travel to groundacross the outside layer of your body it would hopefully lessen if notcompletely redirect the current from lighting your nervous system up.

of coarse to counteract the needles in the "tazer" type attacki would wear a nice fitting "needle-proof" vest made ofcardboard.... and possibly a tall cone shaped paper hat to help protectme against scientologists... ;-)

[lasersage]

electricity doesn't tend to flow along the outside of a wire, AC tends to. Its called skin effect, the higher the frequency the more it tends to travel in a thin skin, increasing resistance.

needles or not, unless the needles are insulated to the tip then they will short on the vest. Electricity will take the easiest path, a good metal vest should be far more preferable than a meat bag. Some may flow through you but the majority will be in the vest, hopefully enough that you can still tell the person whos tased you how unimpressed you are instead of just writhing around on the floor

[ursostupid]

really? you guys have a whole conversation about electricity? i don't even know what tazers are...

[ARK1L0]

Who is so stupid?

[Luvarian]

LMAO! I'll see you there for sure then...

[H1T4TCH1]

i have got over 2000 pop tabs ^^

[Clyde5246]

It just so happens that i have a gallon ziplock bag full of pop tabs ... finally a use for them! btw i love chain mail, i'll now have something to wear for the heck of it.

[callandor87]

This is amazing! Going to try is as soon as I muster all the tabs :D

[AT4]

 1/100 of the way there! 10/1000 tabs, and a small piece of mail! This stuff is awesome man!

[__Master_]

lifelong-newbie Ur right wow i can't believe that wow wow wow!!!!!!

[afrodud]

i have a few pull tabs but they are all different and it doesnt work!!!!!!!!! what should i do??????????

[lifelong-newbie]

Bye a bag off eBay

[nivekcizia]

 I made one and whenever I take it off of my table it gets all messes up and crumpled and I have to set it down again or something just to turn each piece back. Any suggestions?

[ironsmiter]

make sure you're using all the same style of tab.
Make sure to finish sheets, not just strings.
   The larger the sheet, he better it should hold it's shape. 
Make sure your tab cuts are closed.
If none of that works for you, consider sewing o riveting the finished product to some heavy cloth.  

[MaggieTCat]

I found it easier to start working from the back almost right away. Also, I bend the cut pieces like one would a jump ring instead of trying to pull them apart. I have sensitive fingers, so also cover the tips with bandaids. I tried using finger cots, which were fine for the bending and cutting but too thick for the actual weaving. One thing I really like about this weave is that it is very easy to see when you make a mistake, not like knitting where it may be rows later before you notice the missed stitch.

[freerunnin1]

lol my pile of tabs is massive... 2 :S ill snap them off my dads beer cans :P

[zant99]

I do the same thing with my dad and his beer! XD

[quesoman]

i do that too. although at the moment he is drinking bottled beer. :-(

[codongolev]

I've been looking for easy chainmail. I thank you for your expertise.

[knoxarama]

nice way of doing this. my instructable for for tab chainmail is more of a japenese type of thing.