Author's Note
I wanted to contribute my tutorials to Chainmaillers.com to help ensure that the entire chainmaille community has access to them. The tutorials are presented here with the same images and text from my old site CGMaille. I hope they continue to help inspire you to learn and create many amazing pieces!
-Phong
Tutorial text by Theresa Olin (Vacacita)
Weave Background
The key to joining a length of Half Persian 4-1 chain into a continuous loop is recognizing how the two rows of rings interact. One row (gold in the diagrams below) consists of the open rings worked while weaving the chain, and the other (silver) row comprises the pre-closed rings that are added along the way.
There are two important principles: First, each ring in a row lies in an over-under sequence with the adjacent rings in that row. (Imagine a row of books on a shelf that have slumped over partway.) Second, each ring goes through only rings of the opposite row.
A couple of notes: These instructions are designed for a right-handed person, so lefties may have an easier time by going at some steps from a different angle. Also, if you have rings of different colors, try using a different color for each row as in the pictures. That simply means that all open rings will be one color, and all pre-closed rings will be another.
Aspect Ratio & Ring Sizes
Half Persian 4-1 takes an AR of 5.0 and up. You can probably make it work with high 4.x, but to have enough room to comfortably work, go with 5 or higher.
Metric sizes - approximately 0.6mm wire/3mm ID; 0.8mm wire/4.8mm ID; 1.2mm wire/6.4mm ID; and 1.6mm wire/8mm ID.
Tutorial Color Scheme
/// rings are silver tones and \\\ rings are gold tones.
Step 1: Make a length of Half Persian 4-1chain that is one 2-ring unit shorter than the finished connected length. (An easy way to count units is to count the number of open rings you've added, since there will generally be extra pre-closed rings on each end.) Don't add the extra pre-closed ring for the last unit on this initial chain. (For example, if the finished closed chain will be 30 units long total, the 29th open ring should be added without a closed ring.) Lay out the chain as shown, with the row of open-worked rings on top.
Step 2: See how the silver row has rings sticking out on both ends? Take off the extra ring on the left side.
Step 3: Move the ends of the chain up toward each other to form the shape of a circle. The gold rings should be on the inside of the circle. This is the layout of the chain ends as they will be joined:
Step 4: Connect a new ring (bronze) to the end silver ring on the left side. Make sure that the bronze ring is below the other gold rings on the left side.
Step 5: Making sure the chain doesn't twist, continue passing the open bronze ring through the 2 silver rings on the other end. Keeping the bronze ring on top of the gold ring on the right side. Close the ring.
Step 6: Rotate the chain around 180 degrees. This will make it easier to add the new silver ring in the proper place.
Step 7: Add a new ring (steel) to the silver row, once again starting on the left side of the gap. Start by nudging that silver ring out of the way, since the new ring will settle in underneath it. Pass down through the bronze ring and then through the next gold ring. Make sure you don't actually go through any silver rings.
Step 8: Continue passing up through 2 gold rings on the right side, with the steel ring laying over the adjacent silver ring. Close the ring.
Step 9: In the picture above, see the silver ring and gold ring that don't cross through each other? (They're sort of framed by the bronze ring.) Open one of those rings and pass it through the other so that they match the rest of the pattern.
That's it! For good measure, you can check the join area for anything out of place. It should look exactly like the rest of the weave pattern. If anything is amiss, just try retracing your steps and remember the two principles at the top of the page.
I wanted to contribute my tutorials to Chainmaillers.com to help ensure that the entire chainmaille community has access to them. The tutorials are presented here with the same images and text from my old site CGMaille. I hope they continue to help inspire you to learn and create many amazing pieces!
-Phong
Tutorial text by Theresa Olin (Vacacita)
Weave Background
The key to joining a length of Half Persian 4-1 chain into a continuous loop is recognizing how the two rows of rings interact. One row (gold in the diagrams below) consists of the open rings worked while weaving the chain, and the other (silver) row comprises the pre-closed rings that are added along the way.
There are two important principles: First, each ring in a row lies in an over-under sequence with the adjacent rings in that row. (Imagine a row of books on a shelf that have slumped over partway.) Second, each ring goes through only rings of the opposite row.
A couple of notes: These instructions are designed for a right-handed person, so lefties may have an easier time by going at some steps from a different angle. Also, if you have rings of different colors, try using a different color for each row as in the pictures. That simply means that all open rings will be one color, and all pre-closed rings will be another.
Aspect Ratio & Ring Sizes
Half Persian 4-1 takes an AR of 5.0 and up. You can probably make it work with high 4.x, but to have enough room to comfortably work, go with 5 or higher.
Metric sizes - approximately 0.6mm wire/3mm ID; 0.8mm wire/4.8mm ID; 1.2mm wire/6.4mm ID; and 1.6mm wire/8mm ID.
Tutorial Color Scheme
/// rings are silver tones and \\\ rings are gold tones.
Step 1: Make a length of Half Persian 4-1chain that is one 2-ring unit shorter than the finished connected length. (An easy way to count units is to count the number of open rings you've added, since there will generally be extra pre-closed rings on each end.) Don't add the extra pre-closed ring for the last unit on this initial chain. (For example, if the finished closed chain will be 30 units long total, the 29th open ring should be added without a closed ring.) Lay out the chain as shown, with the row of open-worked rings on top.
Step 2: See how the silver row has rings sticking out on both ends? Take off the extra ring on the left side.
Step 3: Move the ends of the chain up toward each other to form the shape of a circle. The gold rings should be on the inside of the circle. This is the layout of the chain ends as they will be joined:
Step 4: Connect a new ring (bronze) to the end silver ring on the left side. Make sure that the bronze ring is below the other gold rings on the left side.
Step 5: Making sure the chain doesn't twist, continue passing the open bronze ring through the 2 silver rings on the other end. Keeping the bronze ring on top of the gold ring on the right side. Close the ring.
Step 6: Rotate the chain around 180 degrees. This will make it easier to add the new silver ring in the proper place.
Step 7: Add a new ring (steel) to the silver row, once again starting on the left side of the gap. Start by nudging that silver ring out of the way, since the new ring will settle in underneath it. Pass down through the bronze ring and then through the next gold ring. Make sure you don't actually go through any silver rings.
Step 8: Continue passing up through 2 gold rings on the right side, with the steel ring laying over the adjacent silver ring. Close the ring.
Step 9: In the picture above, see the silver ring and gold ring that don't cross through each other? (They're sort of framed by the bronze ring.) Open one of those rings and pass it through the other so that they match the rest of the pattern.
That's it! For good measure, you can check the join area for anything out of place. It should look exactly like the rest of the weave pattern. If anything is amiss, just try retracing your steps and remember the two principles at the top of the page.
