Inexpensive source for 18 ga (or less) wire?

Aaron Miaullis · Post by **Aaron Miaullis** » Mon Jan 29, 2001 10:55 am

Howdy,

As many know, I'm the "faculty advisor" for the "Guild" (middle ages club at Pierce College).

We're trying to make "barrel helms"out of 18 ga mild steel. We're a BOFFER group, and the 18 ga is easier to work with, protects the face from foam boffers, and the helms will NEVER be stolen by SCAdians.

We would also like to make chainmail to go with the barrel helms. Could you suggest a source of 18 ga wire? Or do you have another suggestion?

I figrue we can crank out chainmail one friday, and hammer together helms. This should be fun for all, and EVERYONE likes to hammer or crank something - the people watching are free labor.

-Aaron

PS: 1250 AD is our period.

Loren Patterson · Post by **Loren Patterson** » Mon Jan 29, 2001 11:08 am

Hi Aaron.
Is this for butted maille or riveted maille? I used to make butted maille and I have a ton of left over wire around the 16-18ga range. It's pretty strong when all put together. I know that tie-wire from home depot is cheap (16ga), but its really soft, I dont know how strong that would be in butted form though... you could have my left over wire. there is quite a bit. I bet it could make a couple full coifs or something like that.
- Loren

Magmaforge · Post by **Magmaforge** » Mon Jan 29, 2001 11:49 am

Ooh! Ooh!
Can I have some 18 ga wire too? Is is galvanised, or any such thing, or merely mild?

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Magmaforge
"To Armour is human"

Loren Patterson · Post by **Loren Patterson** » Mon Jan 29, 2001 3:54 pm

Well, Aaron lives near me is the thing, so no shipping required. I have some other stuff that looks galvinized.. and small, like 18ga.. maybe 17...

the stuff i was referring to earlier isn't galvanized, but it has a coating. you can tell when you heat it up. a yellow power forms. Also its not soft. that's why it works well for butted i suppose.

Magmaforge, i suppose you can have what Aaron doesn't take, but i'll have to ship it. i might send you small pieces in an envelope first so you can see if you want it. and if you dont want it, then someone else can have it.

just a warning, its not all the same, but the coils are medium sized to large. Once i started making butted maille, of course people saw it and started to donate old wire. being around a lot of horse people with wire fences made that possible.. arg.

Aaron, let me know what you be wantin so Magmaforge can get his. I have both some galvinized stuff and some that is not. more that is not.

- Loren
Elemental Ironworks

Aaron Miaullis · Post by **Aaron Miaullis** » Tue Jan 30, 2001 11:58 am

Loren,

Thank you for the kind offer, but I will have to pass. We're stil lworking on the helms. I was just asking about sources for later projects.

Thanks again,

Aaron

PS: I'll talk to you aft the baby is born (we need to get some armour fo ryou ....and me).

Armourkris · Post by **Armourkris** » Sat Feb 03, 2001 11:29 pm

here is an idea, i'm just starting ot make my first harness, and i;m conecting pieces with chainmail, so i to needed a cheap source. I went to value village and bought a million coathangers, each one gives you about 3 feet of galvanise steel, it's sca legal, at leat thats what the marsial told me, so i'm pretty sure that means it's at least 18 gauge.

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What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee: