ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Have you looked at the ones that are drill driven? A lot faster. I finished my first maille shirt in 1981 and even back then we were using the drill version. At one Middle Kingdom Armourer's Guild meeting I even got to see a semi automated maille ring clipper based off a junked lawnmower and the large pully from an industrial drier. They had removed the head of the lawnmower's engine and mounted the set of *stout* clippers such that the piston going up and down worked them. Then they used the very large pully as a speed reducer mounting it to the drive shaft of the lawnmower and then to an electric mower. Sitting down you then fed the coils into the clipper arranged such that the cut ones fell into a bucket. They were using electric fence wire as I recall. Made an impression as I still recall it 30+ years later.. Quote
Wildernessmedic Posted January 8, 2014 Author Posted January 8, 2014 Yeah, I have no desire to use power tools. All by hand. I can crank as fast as I feel is needed. Any faster and i'd probably make some uneven coils. Quote
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 Well traditionally that part of the job would have been done by apprentices. Not having non-paid apprentices I am willing to speed things up. Now if I was doing real wrought iron wire like the originals then I would probably go all by hand; but using modern steels, (post 1850's), I'll go with "More Power!" Are you going to rivet? Quote
Wildernessmedic Posted January 8, 2014 Author Posted January 8, 2014 I've tried riveting. Getting better but not good enough to start anything. Had some trouble here are there. You can see a few tries at it here. http://s1357.photobucket.com/user/WildernessMedic/library/Armor%20Crafting?sort=3&page=1 Quote
ThomasPowers Posted January 8, 2014 Posted January 8, 2014 I hear it gets easier after the first couple of hundred thousand... Quote
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