Introduction: Giant Chainmaille
During my time creating my chainmaille shirt , I had a lot of time to think. And one of my thoughts was creating very large chainmaille. This thought sat on the back burner for quite some years until I was bored in a welding shop, with a bandsaw, and scrap pipe. And so the giant chainmaille begins.
Step 1: Tools
For the giant chainmaille, the tools I used where as follows.
- grinders - flapper wheel and cut off wheel
- welder
- bandsaw
- vice
- a rod (for leverage)
Step 2: The Materiel
I found chunks of 3 1/2" pipe in the scrap bin. But you could use any pipe or rod.
Step 3: Start Cutting Rings.
I cut the rings 1/2" wide. A lot of rings are needed so patience is the key.
Step 4: Keep Cutting
1 cut around 75 rings , I somehow lost count. But just like regular chainmaille it's very time consuming!
Step 5: Clean Up the Edges
Using a flapper disc I cleaned up all the edges, of all the rings. Inside edge and outside edge, both sides.
Step 6: Making Giant Jump Rings
For a 4 in 1 weave, every 4 rings , you'll need one jump ring, I made a jump ring by finding the seam on the pipe, and cutting the pipe along the seam, creating a jump ring.
Step 7: The Weave.
There are plenty of instructables on weaving chainmaille, so if you have any questions please find a pre existing instructable on this.
To bend the jump ring, place in a vice, put a bar through it and open up the ring.
Place 4 closed rings in the opened ring
Put the bar back through the ring and close it up.
Step 8: Make a Lot of Them
I made as many as my attention could handle.
Step 9: Continuing the Weave
Using the jump rings I continued the 4 in 1 weave
Step 10: Continuing the Weave...
Now that I have two strips, I need to connect them together, continuing on with the 4 in 1 weave, I connected them.
Step 11: Welding Shut
Now, every jump ring will need to be welded, I tacked each side, and then one on top.
Step 12: Clean Up the Welds
Using a flapper disc I blended the welds out,
Step 13: All Done
And that's how I made giant chainmaille. This is the beginning of a much bigger project, just wanted to get the theory down. Thanks for looking
Step 14: More Shots.

Grand Prize in the
Big or Small Challenge
7 Comments
6 years ago
Micro!
6 years ago
Great very good indeed!
6 years ago
It's funny you say that. I actually have gone micro. Using 3mm jump rings, I unfortunately lost the small patch I did! Thanks guys
6 years ago
Cool! I voted.
6 years ago
Now that you have gone macro. go micro. Great job!
6 years ago
Thank you so much ! My thoughts exactly! It's been a fun project
6 years ago
This is so impressive! And a perfect entry in the big and small contest. Good luck in that, you certainly got vote from me! :)