Eric

It's mostly practice. There's a sweet spot between the two extremes, and every ring size/material/weave combination will have an ideal pliers size and type for your hands. If a tool isn't working for you, try a different one. Don't use your pinkies if you are leaving tool marks. Pinkies add a lot of leverage, but they don't have the motor control the other fingers have. Get as much contact with the ring's surface as you can. Use adduction/abduction of the wrist (stroking fur) and try to avoid flexion/extension (revving a motorcycle) Fine control is the key to clean rings. Tool Magic/Plasti-dip helps, but it doesn't last long and needs regular reapplication. I use Vetwrap on my pliers' handles to shape them to my hand.

This is a (1,2) Goldberg sphere (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldberg_polyhedron#/media/File:Conway_polyhedron_Dk5sI.png) 60 hexagons, 12 pentagons, 210 edges. The large rings are the hexagons. The medium rings are the pentagons. The small rings are the edges. Every ring is doubled, so you'll need: 120 Large rings 24 Medium rings 420 Small rings These rigid spheres are really sensitive to using the correct ring sizes. There's not much room between a partially finished ball that doesn't have enough curvature to close up and one that feels like a mushy water balloon. Ignore the advice to just guess and follow ZiLi's guides on ring sizes if you don't want to reinvent the wheel.

Is SCALELG-Titanium supposed to have Mix & Match pricing like SCMed-TI does?

Bright, shiny brass exposed to air will tarnish over time. Usually goes greenish, but it can pick up different colors depending on what else is around (see https://www.sciencecompany.com/Patina-Formulas-for-Brass-Bronze-and-Copper.aspx) Bright brass is preserved with protective coating, like lacquer or Renaissance Wax. I use Brasso on a brass & stainless piece to quickly restore the shine, but the ammonia in Brasso will discolor aluminum.

SS16516-bulk out of stock 😨

http://www.theringlord.org/forum/index.php?/topic/9598-scale-tutorial/ Have you seen this tutorial for scales?

There's another method to do skinny scale straps so they don't lift up under tension.

A sheet of scales doesn't fully stabilize until you have a 5x5 diamond, and any individual scales with fewer than four connections will flop around a little. There's a separate technique called "edging" or "edge stabilization" that keeps the outside scales from rotating and exposing the holes on the in the next row.

The difference between a square mantle and round mantle is where the expansions are placed. If they're in the same location in every row, that's a square. Spreading them out so they aren't stacked makes a circle. Changing the number of expansions per row changes the 3D shape. 6 or 7 per row makes a flat disc. 4 or 5 per row makes a shallow cone or pyramid. 1-3 per row makes a sharp cone. Zero expansions per row makes a cylinder. Those numbers are per-row average. If you alternate having 12 expansions in one row and zero in the next, that makes a flat, very round circle. You can also make the shape oval by having more expansions near your shoulders and fewer on your chest/back. That's for Euro 4-1. With dragonscale, the same rules apply, but expansions don't blend into the rest of the weave (example: http://www.mailleartisans.org/articles/articledisplay.php?key=495), so a visually smooth curve is going to be harder. Dragon scale does form a nice wide V. If you don't hate the geometric look, a V front and back with seams on your shoulders could look pretty sharp. No expansions needed.

What calculation got you to 275lbs?

I'm getting the same number: 75ksi * (18swg ^ 2) * pi/4 * 2 =~ 275lbs , but that's just the absolute upper bound--what it would take to break two strands of load balanced 18swg stainless wire. Pushing a dagger through the ring creates wedge leverage and initiates cracks. I suspect the force required at the handle is much less than 275lbs.

Stick a piece of painters tape to the back of some of your scales. Like every 5th row or so. Helps me to keep track when doing tricky seams. If the pieces are long enough to also stick out the front, they are easy to find and peel off when you're done.

If the connecting rings aren't welded or riveted, it won't be stab-resistant. Any ring you can twist open with pliers can just as easily be opened with a knife. Also, as a general rule, life safety equipment is horrible place to start a first time DIY project. Not trying to dissuade you from an enjoyable hobby--just want you to be 100% realistic.

If you were to tackle a similar project again, what would you do differently?

Lar Large and small scales layered