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wire
chain mail
Corrugated
Knot Chain Bracelet
Combining basic wireworking skills
with a traditional Byzantine chain mail
pattern results in an eye-catching,
distinctive chain.
by Howard Siegel
t s no secret that jewelry makers This project involves two such wonder-
are, quite often, tool junkies. We get ful homemade devices: a wire feeder and
Ipositively giddy over good tools  a jump ring opener. The raw ingredients
with  good defined not just as high- to make these tools aren t expensive 
quality tools from manufacturers, but a wooden spring clothespin for one, and
also as those inventive little devices that an old broom handle for the other.
our fellow jewelry makers cook up and
make themselves.
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in
any form without permission from the publisher. www.ArtJewelryMag.com 1
Once you ve made the tools, you can make this chain, which requires coiling,
cutting, fusing, stretching, forging, annealing, and corrugating fine-silver
wire, then connecting the corrugated rings with Byzantine knots made from
handmade sterling silver jump rings. When you finish this eye-catching
bracelet, you ll have conquered a host of basic wireworking skills.
make your
own tools!
materials
% Fine-silver wire: 18-gauge (1.0 mm)
Slotted screw round, 5 in. (12.7 cm)
Rope recess (for flat head screwdriver)
% Sterling silver wire: 20-gauge (0.8 mm),
Drilled hole round, 4 ft. (1.2 m)
% Sterling silver jump rings: 16-gauge
(1.3 mm), 4 mm inside diameter, 2
Wire
% Crab-claw clasp
End of
dowel/broom handle
toolboxes, www.artjewelry
mag.com/toolboxes
% Chain mail
" Clothespin tool (left): To make your own
% Soldering
jump rings, you ll need to coil wire around
% Sawing/Piercing
a mandrel. You can do this by hand, but
% Wirework
this handy tool, which you can make from
a spring-style wooden clothespin, helps
control the tension of your wire as you coil
it mechanically. additional tools & supplies
% Wooden spring clothespin
To make the clothespin tool, select a drill bit
% Jump-ring-opening tool; or 3 4-in.
that s slightly larger than the gauge of wire
(76 102 mm) wooden dowel,
you ll use to make the jump rings. Insert this
slotted screw (optional)
bit into a flex shaft, and drill a 45° angle hole
through one leg of your clothespin, below
% Coil winder
the rope recess. The 45° angle will allow
% V-block tool (optional)
the wire to pass smoothly through the tool
% Shears
without kinking.
% Tweezers
" Jump ring opener (above): To help you use % Ring stretcher (or snap ring pliers)
good technique while opening your jump
(optional)
rings, you can buy a slotted ring tool from
% Felt-tip pen
a tool manufacturer, but making your own is
% Corrugator (choose from): paper
fairly simple. Start with a 3 4-in. (76 102 mm)
crimper or tube wringer
length of dowel (I used an old broom handle)
and screw a slotted screw into one end.
suppliers
% Mandrels, Blazer-type butane torch
(Harbor Freight Tools, 800.444.3353,
www.harborfreight.com)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
See Safety Basics at
The clothespin tool was shown to me by master chain maker Cao Madina. He has
www.artjewelrymag.com/howto
my thanks for sharing this very simple but useful tool.
The idea for corrugating the links in this chain is the result of taking a corruga-
tion workshop taught by Trish Macaleer for the Society for Midwest Metalsmiths.
I was greatly aided in the composition and taking the chain process photo-
graphs by Herb Halpern of Herb Halpern Productions.
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 2
3
1 2
easier to cut with a jeweler s saw. You
Part 1:
will need roughly 70 small jump rings
Make the jump rings to complete the bracelet.
Position fine-silver wire in your Cut the sterling silver coils into jump
clothespin tool. Cut a 31D 2-in. (89 mm) rings . Thread a 2/0 or 3/0 saw blade
piece of fine-silver wire. Insert one end into one end of a jeweler s saw . Thread
of the wire through the drill hole in your the blade through a sterling silver coil,
clothespin tool (see  Make Your Own then into the other end of the saw frame, 4
Tools! page 2) so the wire comes out and tighten. Lubricate the saw blade by
inside the rope recess. pulling the teeth through beeswax or
Pull the wire through the hole and another lubricant. Continue cutting until it becomes
the jaws of the clothespin until you have Place the coil against your bench pin. difficult. Then, collect the cut rings and
a 1-in. (25.5 mm) tail. Use chainnose (Instead of using a bench pin, I use a V- resume cutting, taking care to align the
pliers to make a 90° bend about ½ 3D 4 in. block tool that I designed and made for blades with the cut end of the last wrap
(13 19 mm) from the end of the wire. myself [2].) Saw through the coil with the on the coil. Continue cutting the coil until
saw blade tipped at roughly 45° so you re you have cut all of the wraps.
Prepare a coil winder. Insert a 9 mm only cutting through two or three wraps
mandrel into a coil winder and tighten the at any time. Collect the jump rings as they Open the sterling silver jump rings. Pick
chuck. Then insert the bent end of your separate from the coil, and resume sawing. up one sterling silver jump ring, and grip
fine-silver wire into the jaws of the chuck, one side of the ring with chainnose pliers,
tightening again if necessary. This will hold NOTE: Be careful to align the saw blade positioning the pliers tip close to the cut.
the wire so you can wind the coil. with the cut end of the last ring. If not Place the other side of the jump ring in
properly aligned, there will be two cuts the groove in your jump-ring-opening tool
Wind the coils. Turn the coil winder s in the ring, one only partially through the (see  Make Your Own Tools! page 2; as an
crank clockwise to wind the wire around ring. If you try to open a ring with a second alternative, you can use two pairs of pliers
the mandrel. Use the clothespin tool to partial cut, the ring will break, making ) and twist the tool away from your
guide the wire so the wraps lie side by side instant scrap metal. body until the ring is open about 60° [4].
with no gaps [1]. Continue until you have Repeat to open all the sterling silver
wound all the wire; the coil should have Continue sawing until you ve cut jump rings.
about seven or eight wraps. Slide the coil all the wraps on the coil. Then, cut the
off the mandrel. remaining sterling silver coils into Prepare the fine-silver jump rings for
jump rings. fusing. Place a fusing or soldering board
Coil the sterling silver wire. Using 8 on top of a firebrick to prevent burning
10 in. (20.3 25.4 cm) of sterling silver wire Cut the fine-silver coils into jump your bench.
and a 3.6 mm mandrel, repeat the previous rings. Grasp the fine-silver coil in your Using pliers or your fingers, close a
steps to make another coil. Wind a coil nondominant hand between the heel of fine-silver jump ring so that the cut edges
about 2 in. (51 mm) long, then use flush your thumb and your fingers. Hold a pair make good contact. To do this, over-form
cutters to cut the wire. Continue winding of shears in your dominant hand and the ring (bring the cut edges past each
and cutting 2-in. (51 mm) coils until you insert the lower blade inside the coil [3]. other), then carefully pull them apart, and
have coiled all the sterling silver wire. line up the cut edges. Make sure the edges
NOTE: The shears should point down the are aligned both when viewed from the
NOTE: Limiting the length of the sterling center of the length of the coil to ensure edge of the ring and down the center of
coils to about 2 in. (51 mm) makes them that you don t cut your hand. the ring. Place the closed ring on the
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 3
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 3
5 6
7
fusing board with the cut facing forward. will cause the join to  thin
Repeat for the remaining fine-silver out, then melt completely
rings, placing them in a row across the and form a ball of metal on
fusing board and leaving a little space either side of the join. If this
between each ring. occurs, the ring is scrap. Try
deliberately overheating the
Fuse the fine-silver jump rings. Put on first ring so you can observe
an Optivisor so you can clearly see the join what happens.
in each ring as it fuses.
8
Fuse all the fine-silver jump rings.
NOTE: If you hold your torch in your right You will need about eight fused rings to
hand, start with the ring at the rear left of complete the bracelet. Use tweezers to rings. Forge all the fused jump rings in the
the fusing board; if you hold your torch in push the fused rings off the fusing board same manner.
your left hand, start at the rear right. This and into a water-filled container to cool.
will minimize the danger of accidental Anneal the fine-silver rings. Forging
burns by keeping your hand away from Stretch the fine-silver rings. Place the rings work-hardens the silver. Since
previously fused rings. a fused ring on a ring stretcher about our next step will be to corrugate these
halfway down the jaws [6]. (You could rings, we need to soften the metal.
Move the torch flame in a circular also use roundnose pliers.) Mark this Annealing softens the metal and is
motion around the first ring until it turns location on the stretcher with a felt-tip done by heating the metal .
a dull red. (I use a propane-fueled pencil pen so you can position all the rings in Place the forged rings in a row on the
torch, but any standard jeweler s torch the same place and stretch them to the fusing board and turn down the lights.
setup will work, including a handheld same size. Heat each ring until it is dull red, then
butane model.) move on to the next, keeping the torch
NOTE: Position the fused join on the moving in a circular motion so you don t
TIP: When you re fusing, turn outside of one jaw of the stretcher. This melt the rings. After heating all the rings,
down your studio lights to will stretch the ring so that the join will push them into the container of water to
make it easier to see the be inside the chain and not visible on the cool them.
metal change color as you finished bracelet.
heat it. Corrugate the fine-silver rings. Use
Stretch all the fine-silver rings. chainnose pliers to place the narrow end
Once you see the color change, move of a forged and annealed ring into the
the flame to the join in the ring and move Forge the fine-silver rings. Place a corrugator. I used a paper crimper from
the flame in a small circle. Concentrate the stretched ring over the corner of a bench a local craft store as a corrugator; you
heat evenly on both sides of the join [5]. block so that only half of the ring is on the could also use a tube wringer. Whichever
In a short time, the silver at the join block [7]. style of tool you choose, use it according
will melt and surface tension will pull the Use the flat face of a ball-peen hammer to the manufacturer s instructions to
molten metal together, fusing the join to flatten this side of the ring to about corrugate the ring [8]. Corrugate all the
without the use of solder. twice its initial width. Reposition the ring fine-silver rings.
so that the other side of the ring is across
TIP: When you re fusing the corner of the bench block, and flatten
jump rings, remove the flame this side.
from the join as soon as the Try to forge both legs to the same
metal melts. Overheating width. Do not forge the curved ends of the
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 4
123
Byzantine knots until your chain reaches
Bonus Videos
Part 2:
the desired length. End the chain with a
Check out these bonus tutorials
Assemble the bracelet Byzantine knot (rather than a single ring).
for fundamental techniques used
in this project:
Weave the chain. Pick up a corrugated Add the clasp and finish the chain.
% Making jump rings
ring. (If desired, you can thread a paper Open two 4 mm inside diameter (ID)
% Threading a saw blade
clip or twist tie through this ring for a sterling silver jump rings. Thread a single
in a saw frame
better grip.) Thread a 3.6 mm sterling silver 4 mm jump ring through the Byzantine
% Opening and closing jump rings
jump ring through the corrugated ring and knot at the end of the chain; add the clasp
% Annealing metal
close it; repeat with a second 3.6 mm ring. to this jump ring and then close the ring.
Thread a third 3.6 mm ring through the Thread a second 4 mm jump ring
first pair of rings and close it; repeat to through the corrugated ring at the end Videos, www.artjewelrymag.
add a fourth 3.6 mm ring [1]. of the chain, then close the ring. This com/howto
Grasp the corrugated ring and the first ring will form the other half of the clasp.
pair of 3.6 mm rings between your thumb Alternately, you can skip this second jump
and forefinger. Separate the second pair of ring and close the bracelet by closing the
3.6 mm rings and flip them back, one to clasp through the final elongated corru-
each side of the first pair [2]. gated link. Howard Siegel
Grasp the corrugated ring and the Place the chain in a tumbler with has a master s
second pair of 3.6 mm rings between your mixed stainless steel shot and burnishing degree in metal-
thumb and forefinger, and push up on compound. Tumble the chain for 1 2 lurgy and works
the second pair of rings. Insert a scribe or hours. Remove the chain from the tumbler, in lapidary,
needle tool above the corrugated ring rinse it with running water, and then dry silversmithing,
to hold the first pair of rings open and it. Pull the chain through your hand. If and chain
expose the second pair of rings [3]. the chain feels rough, put it back in the making. He
Thread a fifth 3.6 mm ring through tumbler, and tumble it until the chain feels teaches at the William Holland School
the V-shaped opening in the knot, then smooth. Additional tumbling will not harm of Lapidary Arts, the Society for Mid-
through a second corrugated ring, and the chain. west Metalsmiths, the Craft Alliance,
close it. Repeat to add a second 3.6 mm and the Jacoby Arts Center.
ring through the same path, going
through the two 3.6 mm rings and the
corrugated ring.
You have just completed a Byzantine
knot at the end of the first corrugated ring
and added a second corrugated ring to
your chain.
Each corrugated ring and Byzantine
knot is slightly under 1 in. (25.5 mm) long;
you can estimate the length of the chain
by counting the corrugated rings.
Continue adding corrugated rings and
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 5
Process photos by Herb Halpern.
Make it
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