Section of spreadsheet
Ring info goes here
Categories: Instruction and information; Jewelry
Word count/read time: 375 words; 1-1/2 minutes
Every chainmaille weave uses jump rings. Ring size, wire diameter, wire profile, weave,
and finished chain length dictate how many rings are required. Once the proportion of ring size,
quantity, and chain length is established for a given weave then a simple formula
will determine ring requirements for any size provided the aspect ratio
is about the same.
Weave information can be sparse.
If all else fails, there is usually (hopefully) a picture.
While rudimentary, figures can be gleaned from this.
Start by measuring the I.D. of one ring and figure out the ratio of picture size
to actual ring size. If the pictured ring is 1/2" but the stated size is 1/8" then the picture
is 4x larger. With a length of 5" in said picture and a ring count of 50
the actual length would be 1-1/4", meaning each ring adds 0.635mm on average (1/40" for those
stuck in the stone ages).
Armed with ring count, wire length can be computed. Or at least a range.
When coiling wire, the inner surface against the mandrel
gets squeezed and compressed while the outer surface is stretched and thinned. Depending on the metal,
wire diameter, temper, tensioning device, and ring size, these effects can be pronounced.
Why does this matter? Not every material is as cheap and disposable as galvanized steel.
A 1/2" 14ga galvanized steel ring is under $0.01/ea on a popular website. That same ring
in 18k gold would be $80+...8000x more expensive!
Assume the math says 320 rings. The wire diameter is 2.0mm and the I.D. is 1/4".
Using the inner diameter of the ring to compute wire length for 0.999 fine silver would require 20.9ft
and weigh 210g; by the outer diameter, 34.1ft and 343g. That's a whopping 64% difference!
Precious metals get expensive fast so over-estimating is more than a nuisance.
Manufacturing wire and cutting rings is a hassle so most people click a mouse instead.
Still, it's interesting to understand what one has to do to meet the
legal definition
of handmade jewelry.
It means all parts and pieces are made manually from wire, sheet, clay, casting grain,
or ingots only (i.e. no machine-made clasps, jump rings,
findings, blanks, parts, components, etc.).
Handmade is its own iconic selling point.
Posted by M: December 4, 2020
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