Looks like you're having fun with that. Good job!

I had originally thought about using a variable speed router but after checking the proper cutting speeds needed, I chucked that idea. Instead I'm using a keyless chuck hand drill in a homemade clamp, with a 0.008" thick, 1.75" diameter steel jeweler's saw blade.

When cutting aluminum wire I'm running somewhere around 400 rpm but I don't have a laser gauge, so that's only an estimate. I control the speed by plugging the drill into a router speed control box.

I didn't realize that you were back! Good to see you :)

Something like 16 gauge, 1/4" links of aluminum makes for a great costume grade suit of chainmail. It weighs roughly a third of what actual steel would. That full chainmail weighs about 20 pounds. The halter I made weighs in at less that 8 pounds (maybe around 6) and both the women who tried it on, my model for the pictures and a friend who is big on cosplay, said that they barely noticed it while wearing it.

Doing this has also resulted in a skill that has made me pretty popular ;)

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/mult...l/Q8161565.JPG

Thanks, I'm definitely enjoying this. Everything from the tool building to the final product. While typing this I actually have another project sitting on my table a few feet away; a scalemail short that will make for a better Hallowe'en costume, because it's much lighter.

I'm attempting a come back...hopefully more successful than Lindsey Lohan's...

I'm a secret ren fair fan, and the hubby and I are planning to finally attend some comicon events, but armor would be awesome for our bug out bags in the event of thezombie apocalypse, or general civilization downfall...I make jewelry as a hobby myself, and I am really digging those bracelets!!

I doubt that you could do any worse ;)

We've got a couple of Medieval/Renaissance fairs in the area and I could never really get into the jousting, but the art and archery competitions have always fascinated me.

You can go a few different ways with the armour thing:

You can do what I did and build your own coiling and cutting rigs, make the rings from scratch in whatever materiel you liken and then figure out how to assemble the whole thing yourself. There are patterns available on how to make a suit, but I just winged it. Satisfaction is definitely high, once it's all said and done, but it takes a high level of dedication to the work. It definitely has cosplay cred though.

You can let someone else cut the rings and come up with the pattern, then just assemble it like a kit. Places like my materials supplier not only sell instructions/patterns on how to assemble a suit, but also packaged ring or scale sets with everything that you need. Add some additional rings or scales, and you can customize it however you like.The satisfaction level is still high, because you made something with your own hands.

http://theringlord.com/cart/shopdisp...B+Instructions

Then again you can just buy a finished suit, made on the cheap somewhere like India, that has all the satisfaction of buying a new pair of shoes ;) Costs about the same as making it yourself though, on the low end.

http://www.darkknightarmoury.com/c-5...-hauberks.aspx

[QUOTE=Papa_Complex;531554]I had originally thought about using a variable speed router but after checking the proper cutting speeds needed, I chucked that idea. Instead I'm using a keyless chuck hand drill in a homemade clamp, with a 0.008" thick, 1.75" diameter steel jeweler's saw blade.

When cutting aluminum wire I'm running somewhere around 400 rpm but I don't have a laser gauge, so that's only an estimate. I control the speed by plugging the drill into a router speed control box.



QUOTE]

Ah! I didn't realize you were using aluminum! I was thinking you were using steel and figured you'd need the power of a router to cut that quick.

I can run much higher speeds than I do when cutting aluminum but the funny thing is that the tougher the metal, the lower the speed that you cut it with. The routers that I checked, including my own, were up in the 10,000 rpm range. Aluminum should be cut at no more than about 1,000 rpm with the size of blade I use. I also routinely cut brass, which should be cut at around 200 rpm. Mild steel is about the same as brass. Mid strength Ti or stainless steel is around 100 rpm, but I haven't tried them yet. no idea if my current rig can handle it.

Those router speed controls come in handy don't they! I have one I use for a lot of different things. I've even used it on my hand-mixer when the lowest speed was too fast for the recipe!

Definitely. I used it on my router when I cut the plastic block that is the bottom plate for my cutting rig too. I still have to pick up a laser rpm gauge though, so that I can be more precise with my cutting speeds.

Well Billy Bear is ready for the ZA now.

Now I just need to find a model.