yesterday...

[medusa]

I enjoy making chains and can get quite meditative when doing chainmaille (unless it's a *really* complicated weave). Handmade chains always add something a bit special. Here's a bracelet that I made after buying a set of different shaped mandrels and getting slightly carried away and one made while learning how to do loop in loop chains.

Attachment 6105
Attachment 6106

oh lovely stuff! really love the fluorite one.

[medusa]

ETA: Re the baby teeth, I've set one of my daughter's, one of my son's and one of my wisdom teeth into resin ready to be made into a pendant. I figure someone might use it to clone us in the future ;-)

good to know I'm not the only weirdo in the neighbourhood

[Patstone]

I love the look of chainmaille, but hate making the jumprings as I dont have the strength in my hands to hold the coil still while I saw it. I love the one that Carin made with the oblong links, can you buy mandrels in that shape. I also love the ones with the beads in it, really lovely.

[ps_bond]

ETA: Re the baby teeth, I've set one of my daughter's, one of my son's and one of my wisdom teeth into resin ready to be made into a pendant. I figure someone might use it to clone us in the future ;-)

In Brepohl, there are examples of either deer or boar teeth set in metal; from memory it is a deep bezel set.

[MeadMoon]

Pat, You can get mandrels in all sorts of shapes. My set has square, rectangular, round, oval and triangular. I think they were called bezel mandrels or triblets.

[Patstone]

Pat, You can get mandrels in all sorts of shapes. My set has square, rectangular, round, oval and triangular. I think they were called bezel mandrels or triblets.

I didn't know you could get anything other than round.

[camalidesign]

Thanks everyone for lovely comments on my chain. I just made it freehand actually, cut square wire in lengths all the same, then just used some flat nosed pliers to bend them into shape. I used the same procedure for each link but every one is slightly different, I like assymmetric and organic, so that's how it was made.

I do have a set of mandrels as well, the square, rectangular, triangular, oval, round etc. and they were sold as bezel mandrels I think. I think I got them from Proops ages ago. I use them now and then but actually mostly just the round and the oval for starting off making bezels. I like the chain you made Elaine, cool with different shapes, and the flourite one is very cool!

Carin

[Dennis]

Proops still have the bargain set of mandrels, six for £24.95 plus tax. http://www.proopsbrothers.com/cgi-bi...Go!&PR=-1&TB=A

[Patstone]

I looked on Proops website and must have missed the offer for six, I thought it was just the options of which shape to have. Anyway I have just placed an order for some. Thanks Dennis and Carin.