Metals Information

We have selected alloys and tempers that are best suited for making chainmail while still reasonably priced.

The alloy and temper of a wire is extremely important, it can make the difference between chainmail that can not hold its own weight and chainmail that will give years of service with only minor repairs.

A wire is defined by alloy, temper, finish and diameter.

Alloy

Definition - A homogeneous mixture or solid solution of two or more metals, the atoms of one replacing or occupying interstitial positions between the atoms of the other: eg Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.

Basically the alloy defines what is in the metal. The alloy controls the resistance to corrosion and the color. Together with the temper the alloy also affects the strength and workability of the material. The alloy defines the price of the material - using non-standard alloys is very expensive.

Specific alloys have standard names. For example alloy C510 defines a specific bronze material. There are many types of bronze and each has slightly different properties.
Here is a list of recommended alloys. These ARE NOT the best alloys. The best alloys cost a lot more. These alloys are chosen based on price, availability, strength, workability, appearance, and price (yes I said price twice).

Recommended Alloys

Metal	Alloy
Aluminum	5154
Bright Aluminum	5356
Brass	C260
Bronze	C510
Copper	C110
Nickel Silver	C745
Stainless Steel	304
Titanium	grade 5 aka 6-4 or Ti-6AL-4V

Temper

Definition - To harden or strengthen metal or glass by application of heat or by heating and cooling.

The temper is extremely important. How many times have you heard "copper wire is too soft to make chain mail"? This is because most copper wire is used for electrical wiring and is a dead soft temper. You can take the same copper and temper it into wire that is excellent for chain mail. You can have copper chainmail that is as strong as titanium chainmail if the copper is a hard temper and the titanium is a poor alloy that is dead soft.

In the wire industry the temper is defined by certain heat treating numbers. For the chainmailer it is enough to use the following terms (from softest to hardest): dead soft, 1/4 hard, 1/2 hard, full hard, spring temper.

The harder the temper the stronger, springier and more brittle the wire. Soft tempers are weaker but will bend instead of break. Hard tempers are stronger but more difficult to work with and are subject to breaking. It is important to select tempers that maintain a balance between workability and strength. This temper is different for each metal. Recommended tempers are listed below. Harder tempers that those listed below are suitable for chain mail but they are more difficult to work with. For example 14Gu spring tempered stainless steel would make incredible chain mail but it is extremely difficult to cut and equally difficult to open and close the rings.

Choosing the best temper

Metal	Temper
Aluminum	full hard
Brass	1/2 hard
Bronze	1/2 hard
Copper	full hard
Nickel Silver	1/2 hard
Sterling Silver	1/2 hard
Fine Silver	full hard
Stainless Steel	1/4 hard
Steel	1/4 hard
Titanium	1/4 hard

Comparing the Metals

	Aluminum	Brass/Bronze/Copper	mild steel	Galvanized	Nickel silver	Stainless	Titanium
workability	good	okay	excellent	okay	okay	okay	okay
durability	okay	good	okay	good	good	very good	excellent
corrosion resistance	okay	okay	poor	okay	good	excellent	excellent
material cost / square foot	low	medium	low	low	medium	medium	high

Workability - how hard it is to bend and how much it springs back. Ratings are relative, the real workability of a ring will depend on the ring size used.

Durability - ratings are relative, the real durability of a ring will depend on the ring size used.

Corrosion Resistance- this will give you and idea of how much you need to clean your chainmail

Aluminum

Aluminum weighs only 1/3 as much as steel. This means that you get 3 times as many rings per pound! Don't be fooled by the cost of aluminum rings, on a price per ring basis aluminum is about the same cost as galvanized steel.

 

Aluminum is suitable for a wide variety of uses from combat grade armor to delicate jewelry. It is excellent for pieces that need to be light such as costume pieces. Combat grade chainmail should be made from a slightly smaller rings or larger wire than steel armor. The resulting armor will be as strong as galvanized steel and it will be stiffer (more protective) plus it will be lighter. Aluminum is the material of choice for women's chainmail fashions.

 

The main complaint with aluminum is that it leaves a blackish residue on whatever it touches. It is not really bad but after handling your chainmail your hands will be dirty. This is particularity annoying if it is jewelry or chainmail fashion piece. This residue is aluminum oxide, you can clean it off but it will keep coming back. If the oxide builds up the aluminum starts to turn a darker gray in color. There are 2 things that can be down to permanently prevent aluminum oxide - anodizing and etching. The best alternative is to buy bright aluminum. Bright aluminum has been drawn into wire with a smoother surface finish than other aluminum. This makes it shiny and it does not leave as much black residue if any.

 

Etching is a cost effective method of getting clean aluminum. This process uses dangerous chemicals and it is recommended to buy pre-etched rings or wire. Etched aluminum varies between dull light gray to white in color and the color may not be uniform.

 

 

Anodized Aluminum

Anodizing makes aluminum clean, corrosion resistant and colorful.

The anodized coating is slightly harder than aluminum but can be scratched by steel and harder metals.

The coating is as corrosion resistant as stainless steel in normal conditions

Anodizing is available in many colors and can add a whole new world of possible chainmail designs.

Bright Aluminum

• Aluminum with a very smooth finish that is chemically cleaned after drawing. Made for welding wire.
• May dull with age and handling but washing in hot soapy water or betyter yet tumbling in walnut media shines it up.

Brass

• Brass has a reputation for being weak - this is not true if you get good brass.
• Tempered brass is much stronger than untempered brass.
• Brass is excellent for trim and jewelry. It is yellow in color.
• Brass turns a duller, darker color as it oxides and can turn green if left damp.

Bronze

• Bronze is similar to brass but more coppery in color.
• Excellent for trim and jewelry.
• Slightly more corrosion resistant than brass but has similar aging effects. Bronze turns a duller, darker color as it oxides and can turn green if left damp.

Copper

• Most copper wire is electrical wire which is extremely soft and not suitable for chainmail. A hard temper is much stronger than electrical grade copper.
• Copper tarnishes very easily turning dull and darker and even green when left damp.

Galvanized

• Galvanized is the best all round deal for making armor. It is the cheapest, it has some rust resistance, and it is durable.
• Galvanizing is the process of coating steel in a layer of zinc, the zinc prevents steel from rusting through a chemical process (see reduction - oxidation processes in a chemistry text). While it does not rust the zinc will oxidize and turn gray. The zinc oxide will wear off eventually and the metal will be shiny again.

Inconel

• An alloy of mostly nickel and chromium
• looks and acts a lot like stainless steel
• completely rust proof (i.e. more stainless then stainless steel)
• Extremely resistant to acids, bases, high temperature
• Welds like a dream

Mild Steel

• We buy mild steel with chainmail in mind. Our mild steel is not the flimsy tie wire you get at hardware stores. It is stronger than galvanized and more durable.
• We sell mild steel tempered to about 100-110 ksi in tensile strength
• Our mild steel is light gray in color and rusts very easily

Stainless steel

• Stainless steel is, in my opinion, the best material for maille.
• It is the only material I recommend for prolonged contact with skin (except titanium).
• Strength is good.
• Stainless steel is a nice shiny silver and will not corrode.

Titanium

• Titanium is an expensive but amazing metal.
• Titanium is 1/2 the weight of steel. You get twice and many rings per pound as with steel.
• Titanium can be heat anodized. But applying a flame to your chainmail you can get blue, bronze, gold and several other colors. The color depends on the temperature and the time at that temperature.
• Titanium work hardens very quickly. If you bend the rings too much they will break. This is fine for maille making but you can not make as many mistakes and undo your chainmail as you could with another material.