# real chainmail... possible in 40k scale?



## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

So I've been considering getting into chainmail... and then it occured to me that the chainmail on many of the GW figures lacks realism. A good paint job can often remedy this, but I havn't gotten into painting, and have always thought that the best way to make something look like metal is to make it out of the metal it's supposed to be made from. 

So the million dollar question... do any of you have a stunning mini with real chainmail somewhere on the figure? Ever seen anyone anywhere with such a thing? And if such a thing was possible, would you put some of it on your special figures?


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## officer kerky (Jun 12, 2008)

well creating chainmail in its proper size is a timely subject it takes ages just for like a few inches squared of it.
also doing it in 40k scale is something like a scale of 1:62 or something like that. anyway i have never seen it been made but if any one has done it i will give +rep for the hard work.

edit: oh yeah 1300th post


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## Djinn24 (Jan 12, 2008)

Like said above it would take forever but could be stunning if done right and I would only use it on the most special of characters.


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## Svartmetall (Jun 16, 2008)

I make chainmail myself for live roleplay; here's me wearing some patterned chain I made myself:








...and there's no _way_ you could make actual chainmail at that scale. Given that real chain is made from interlocking steel rings in a 4-into-1 pattern between 6 and 12mm in diameter, you'd have to have rings of like 0.05mm diameter or something; it's just not going to happen. I'm currently working on trying to get decent-looking chain done with green stuff, and it's driving me crazy, possibly more so since I'm so intimately familiar with how the stuff _really_ looks...


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

so... hypothetically... if I were to have a something with approximatly 1250 rings per square inch.... what scale would that make it?

and not so hypothetically... i'll be posting some pics before i go to bed tonight. Making a terminator groin flap as a proof-of-concept piece.


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## The Wraithlord (Jan 1, 2007)

The other problem with your original question is the fact that unless the chain mail is painted like the rest of the model it will look unfinished.


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

This is not chainmail, but it is flexible, it is metal (copper from a toy motor winding because I havn't been able to find any other wire this small), and it is MUCH stronger than chainmaille and MUCH faster/easier to make. (this took me less than 2 hours from a 3 foot piece of straight wire to pics posted here) 

For scale... the entire flap is almost exactly as long as an american penny is wide.


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

I promise that copper wire is not more sturdy than steel rings. But that's not the point.

Real chain might be workable on a dreadnought-sized model with very small-gauge rings-- although it'd have to have an ornamental look to it, and not be intended to look practical on the model for protection. 

There's still the issue of painting it, too. As Wraith said, if it's just left be, it looks unfinished.


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

The Wraithlord said:


> The other problem with your original question is the fact that unless the chain mail is painted like the rest of the model it will look unfinished.


I understand that it wouldn't match the rest of the model without paint.... but even painted, it might look more real than what is currently available. 

I am still trying to come up with a reliable way to eliminate the twist that my method is producing... I can produce either right or left handed twists, but attempting to flatten this stuff makes it look a bit off.


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

The Son of Horus said:


> I promise that copper wire is not more sturdy than steel rings. But that's not the point.
> 
> Real chain might be workable on a dreadnought-sized model with very small-gauge rings-- although it'd have to have an ornamental look to it, and not be intended to look practical on the model for protection.
> 
> There's still the issue of painting it, too. As Wraith said, if it's just left be, it looks unfinished.


Ahh... but this is stronger at this scale unless you welded your steel rings shut. Because each row is a single piece of wire going the full width of the piece. You would have to pull on it hard enough to unwind the entire thing before it would break.


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## Lord of Rebirth (Jun 7, 2008)

Having made a tiny bit of chainmaille I'd say it's so hard to work with tiny rings it would be way more trouble than it is worth and it would still be over sized.


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## officer kerky (Jun 12, 2008)

how about to remove most of the chainmail replica leaning towards a certain way how about:

half of it is done in one direction than the other half is done the other way. might work, yet might not.


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

So... after some work, I have found a way to make this stuff even smaller than the test piece in my earlier pics. Now I just need to figure out what to use it for... I currently have 40k chaos daemons and CSM armies. Anyone have any ideas on what the potential applications might be? I need ideas! 

Also... I am considering selling pieces of this, but I don't paint my minis... so I would like one of you (preferably someone with talent in conversions and also reasonable painting skill) to "test" a piece on one of your upcoming conversions. You send me a message of the figure you would add the chainmail to, a bit of a description (and preferably pics and measurements) of what size/shape piece you might need. Then I will pick from the 2 or 3 people who respond, and mail the item to you (I'd prefer to mail it to somewhere in USA, but if you're one of my favorite modelers, I'll mail it anywhere). You would then add it to your model, take some pics, paint it, take some more pics, and then post them here and include my name. This strategy will cost you 0 dollars, potentially give you an interesting model to field, and hopefully give me some publicity. 

Message me


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## dirty-dog- (May 14, 2008)

well im quite into my medievil re-enactment, like Svartmetall, and to be honest, your method would take alot less time to replicate, but it would leave soo many openings for a sword or similar weapon to go through. the rings would split apart around the sword/similar and would probably be better not to wear it at all cause the stuff would be too heavy to dodge the attack, but for a decrotive peice, it miht work, but then again, it does look good on a model.


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)

As far as making a lifesize piece of this... it's exactly as protective as the average chainlink fence. But when it's scaled down to model size, you'd need a magnifying glass to figure that out. On the bright side... those models have plastic swords with blades 4 inches wide... so they wouldn't be getting through anyway.


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## enieffac (Nov 24, 2008)




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## dirty-dog- (May 14, 2008)

lol, thats why you do not re-create for real life lol...

but yes, it definitly looks good on a smaller scale.


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