These are not the clearest of pics for illustrating the added/dropped ring method of loosening/tightening maille that I used to taper my sleeves, but it's the best I can do, at least for now.

This first picture is for clarity/reference without the colors shown in the other pics below - it's a detail of part of the top of a coif.
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In this pic, I've detailed the "typical" link in the usual 4:1 pattern. You can see the ring with the red dots passes through 4 rings with blue dots...
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This shows an extra link added to widen the next row down... if the red ring were the one from the prior picture, the two blue ones would be the bottom two in the picture. The green one is an "extra" one, that is stuck in there to make the expansion. The reverse of this is to leave out one of the blue ones (and obviously not add the green one) to reduce the next row.
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This is probably clear as mud, but if you play with it, it'll work out, the light :idea: will suddenly go on, and you'll have it.

Another neat feature for the surcote/tunic is folded front/rear gussets....
These are a bit complicated to explain...
you can see them on the picture of my kit...

I'll try to put together a explanation, that is simple and comprehensive enough to post... :confused:

What Aaron's posted is a pretty good illustration of the expansion method, something I've become very familiar with over the last few months. :eek:

Adding a link will expand the mail and removing a link in the same fashion will contract it. It may look confusing in a photograph but it's pretty self-explanatory when you have it laid out in front of you. At least with butted mail it's easy to fix a mistake without waisting material. Unfortunately with riveted mail you're immediately past the point of no return!

Tsk tsk Aaron, that mail's not riveted... :D

Very Nice Aaron and once again, what an awesome year on swords etc!

Elling, love your kit too!


Bob

Jeff,

It took me a while but I finally found something on-line that explains expansion and contraction. I think this may help you.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/trevor.barker/fa...r/mail.htm

I only had to wade through a few hundred websites of mail bikinis and other assorted jewelry. :eek:

Aaron is correct when he says I have an advantage when looking at those photos. I glad I'd done several butted mail projects before tackling the riveted stuff. Already having a grasp on the basic pattern made it much easier for me.

I'll get along to it as soon as i get my hands on a digital camera. ;)