Coifs, expansions, blah, blah, blah

Prince Of Darkmoor · Post by **Prince Of Darkmoor** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 4:44 pm

Okay, I know how to make a coif top now. I know how to make a mantle expand, but how do you guys do it?

Links, etc. would be appreciated. I know there is more than one way to expand and contract rows, and I'm interested in learning them all so I can find what works best for me.

Also, what are your opinions regarding coifs and mantles with the triangle pieces put together instead of expanding rings? I'm torn on the issue. The method of just attaching triangles and square together seems appealing, but it leaves a nasty seam.

For my mantle expansions, I usually put one ring every four or five rows all the way around. Then I attach a strip of 4-1 to that. Then I add expanding rings to that and add another strip of 4-1. What I get seems to be slightly baggier than I'd like, but I think I can just cut down on the amount of rings I'm expanding with to help that. I just finished my last few dags (during lunch, no less) and plan to attach those tonight and tomorrow.

Funny note: I estimated that I would need to have dags 9 rings wide to fit nicely around my mantle. I put the first dag on with 9 rings, and then attached about 5 more that were 8 rings wide. ARGH! But I took them off last night, fixed them this morning, and built the rest about an hour ago.

Sigh.

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Keep the Faith

Munz · Post by **Munz** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 5:01 pm

If you use gussets (the triangle pieces) Not only do you have a visible line, but they tend to hang wrong. My first aventale was done in this fashion and I had to do quite a bit of reworking to make it look right.

JJ Shred · Post by **JJ Shred** » Thu Feb 01, 2001 5:17 pm

I used the expanding method you did. Add an extra link here and there, and make a deliberate attempt to spread them out so as not to start a pattern.

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Virtus vincit invidiam
"Virtue overcometh envy"

Prince Of Darkmoor · Post by **Prince Of Darkmoor** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 12:15 am

So, besides Munz and Bascot, I am the only person who frequents this board that has made a coif?

Man...it's good to be an ass again.

Armour Guy · Post by **Armour Guy** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 1:06 am

I make coif tops two different ways - the regular expanding rings method, which entials making a headband that is the right length, and then expanding a top to meet that, and also a method in which you take a headband that fits and place seven dags on it, and stich them up (Which Ive conveniently named the "Seven Triangles" method of coif construction

). I've found that with something as curved as a coif, the seams aren't too visible at all, no more so than the occasional idle ring.

However, for mantles, I *always* use standard expansions - I'll make 5 rows (so that 3 go one way and 2 the other), add a sixth row, and go back and add a spare link for every 3 or 4 (depending on how much/little I need to expand) links in that expansion row. Add another 5 rows of standard maille, and a sixth expansion row - Lather, rinse, repeat till you've got the desired length/width.

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~AG
Utopia Armoury - Your one stop shoppe for all your maille needs!
Champion of Arland the Bastard
Weilder of the Rusty Spork of Doom!

KeggeR · Post by **KeggeR** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 1:33 am

hey POD:

go here it shows as well as how to make a coif top http://www.chainmail.com/chainmall/patterns/coif/coif.html

But it really didnt work for me.. it took me a car ride to texas

verminaard · Post by **verminaard** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 4:25 am

I use expansion rings for everything. For coif tops I use them sparingly and match the work to my head often. I have my first coif which spins on my head seperatly from my head.
For the mantle part, or a mantle by itself I go crazy with expansion rings. I like the fullness of the maille in that area.

(hope this makes sense, 11 hour days for two weeks straight is making me batty)

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"I'm not fast,
I'm Caffinated!"

Cal · Post by **Cal** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 11:49 am

I, too, use expansions for everything. I hate the look of a hexagonal mantle.

I've only made one full coif so far, using the pattern on the Colluphid site. It turned out pretty well, though the mantle was a bit smallish to my taste. I am now making a standard (mantle with collar) out of 16 gauge stainless, 1/4" ID rings and I'm doing it the exact same way you are: strips of maille 3 rings wide, expansion rings every 4 rings. It is turning out a bit baggy, but I don't mind that too much... Making expansions at intervals of 5 or even 6 can help that.

I hope to see some pics when it's completed!

Cal.

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Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
Jules de Gaultier

colluphid · Post by **colluphid** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 1:21 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Prince Of Darkmoor:
So, besides Munz and Bascot, I am the only person who frequents this board that has made a coif?
Man...it's good to be an ass again.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No, you ass.

Seriously though. Here is a foolproof way to make the mantle. Make a strip of five rows just long enough to fit around your head. Add 1 expansion ring for every 3 to the fifth row. Make five more rows of the new length 1 and 1/3 times as large as the first strip of five rows. attach that to the first set and add again 1 for every 3 in the last row. Make a third strip of five rows, again 1 and 1/3 times the second set of rows, and aatck that. Now you have a mantle that is 17 links deep. here is an example:

:Row: :#links: :contains expansions:
1 72 no
2 72 no
3 72 no
4 72 no
5 96 yes

C 6 96 no

7 96 no
8 96 no
9 96 no
10 96 no
11 128 yes

C12 128 no

13 128 no
14 128 no
15 128 no
16 128 no
17 128 no

Here I've shown which rows are the strips of 5 rows. The Rows marked with a C are connecting rows. This way, you can make all three strips of maille, and then connect them up at the end.

For a coif top, you really need to tailor make it to your head. I recommend starting with a ring for the top about 1.5 times larger than the ring size you are going to use.

Prince Of Darkmoor · Post by **Prince Of Darkmoor** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 2:00 pm

Thanks for the info Colluphid. :cough: ass :cough:

I sat down this morning before you posted this and counted how many rings were in a coif top that fit me well. The numbers are below:

Row: # of links

1 - 1 ring
2 - 5 rings
3 - 10 rings
4 - 20 rings
5 - 20 rings
6 - 30 rings
7 - 30 rings
8 - 40 rings
9 - 40 rings
10 - 50 rings
11 - 50 rings
12 - 54 rings
13 - 54 rings
14 - 54 rings
15 - 54 rings
16 - 54 rings
17 - 54 rings
18 - 54 rings
19 - 54 rings
20 - 54 rings
21 - 54 rings
22 - 54 rings

Now, somebody better damned well bookmark this thread so that we don't have to go through this again!

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Keep the Faith

Rev. George · Post by **Rev. George** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 8:11 pm

I never used expansion rings... i pleat up from the bottom. but i guess that would work less well on a mantle...

-+G

colluphid · Post by **colluphid** » Fri Feb 02, 2001 9:59 pm

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Prince Of Darkmoor:
Thanks for the info Colluphid. :cough: ass :cough:

(snip [Ring List])

Now, somebody better damned well bookmark this thread so that we don't have to go through this again!

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Son, you seem to have some sort of obsession with the buttocks!

Anyway, I'm putting this sort of info up on my page (I'm in the middle of a major rewrite). I'll be doing a detailed step-by- step, link-by-link coif pattern with pictures of each important row. I'll include lists like the ones we've listed for coifs of various ring sizes (including 1/8"!). It'll be in the style of my hauberk explorer.

[This message has been edited by colluphid (edited 02-02-2001).]

Armour Guy · Post by **Armour Guy** » Sat Feb 03, 2001 1:14 am

Ugh. Maille shouldn't be about math and planning and counting... You should be able to just sit down, and let it come forth much like the runs after mexican night at the all-you-can-eat buffet.