RingBling/WireGenius - Making Chainmaille/Jump Ring + Wire Sculpture Jewelry

The tools of the trade for chainmail can be as minimal as two pairs of pliers and a tray, or as complex as jigs, vice grips, circular saws, and more, especially if you want to make your own jump rings. (This is very cost effective if you do a lot of jump-ring work.) As I do not have a workshop set up yet, I rely on pre-made jump-rings, I only use 2-3 types of pliers: needlenose, bent nose, and for more complex work, something to snip wire with.

A good a set of jewelry pliers is highly recommended, but for my early work, I bought a set from a local hardware store. The reason you want jewelry pliers is because they are better suited for jump ring and other jewelry work, and hurt the hands less after many consecutive hours of working. I will often work for 6-8 hours, after which time my hands will be aching. If you have pliers that are too small in length, get rid of them. The proper length is important to save you from hand problems later (most especially Metacarpal Tunnel Syndrome).

Beyond two good pairs of pliers, all you really need to get started are jump rings. The large hobby shops often have them, but their stock is often packaged in the most ridiculously small quantities at stupid prices. If you are going to do serious work, buy in bulk. That means you'll have to search out a "bead crafts" store. In the United States, these kinds of stores are abundant. Up here in Canada, there aren't as many, and it's often hard for me to get any work done. I'd have to order by credit card, but I don't use them anymore. (Many stores will give you a discount for cash, or alternatively, add a surplus for credit cards.) For example, a Japanese maille necklace, shown above, can take up to 300-600 jump rings of 2-3 sizes, depending on the precise style and whether you add "dangles" or not. You can reduce this quantity by replacing some of the rings with colored glass beads.

(c) Copyright 2005-present, Raj Kumar Dash, http://ringbling.blogspot.com