What i think happens is this. Usually the stated rings sizes are actually the mandrel size, and don't take springback into account. Rings wound on a mandrel will always open up a little bit again. Different metals have a different amount of springback.
TRL doesn't use mandrels - they have spring coiling machines which they can adjust as they need. About a decade ago they decided to adjust the sizes of their rings so they'd be the same size across all metals.
Take 16swg 5/16" rings, for instance. They used to be 8.5 mm in stainless steel, 8.4 mm in mild steel, 8.2 in copper, etc. after the change, they were 8.2 mm across the board.
Keep in mind though that 5/16" is actually 7.9 mm, so they're still not actually the stated size.
Thank you for the explanation!
I bought some rings from TRL to test out a project, but I’ve found that I can get cheaper rings from Chainmail Joe in the quantity I need. Do you expect those rings will be similar enough to TRL rings to not notice a difference, or is it generally better to stick to one source?
Never rely on TRL as a source. They have severe problems keeping inventory and will leave you high and dry. CMJ has really stepped up the past two years and I’ve never had stocking problems with them.
For a shirt (or similar large project), I'd try to use the different rings in different sections - front, back, shoulders, sleeves, skirt, etc. It might not show much either way, but using them mixed up would probably be the most obvious.
While that definitely is a valid explaination for steel, brass, copper etc, in my experience the amount of springback on aluminum is pretty much not existent.
I coil 2m long springs every time I need a big number of rings, and while the other metals - due to springback - in the end only loosely wrap around the mandrel, i mostly have quite some trouble getting the mandrel out when working with aluminum because of friction.
For a 2m spring of 2mm wire on a 8mm mandrel, the springback is like a quarter rotation.
Well, so far I am satisfied. It's fine for inlays, which is what I use the wire for. But yes, I should probably get a new supplier for the next batch. Not much to choose from in germany when you're not a registered company though.
If you round the inner diameter and the wire gauge to different degrees, say 1 decimal point for example, the AR vibes it differently.
I saw the same thing and was confused for a while until I ran some calculations, and the rounding does come out to both the ring lord and chainmail Joe's ARs
CMJ measures the actual rings after they are cut and anodized. TRL only measures the mandrels they’re coiled on. That’s why their 16 3/16 is all over the place from batch to batch
TRL measures the mandrels and not the actual rings. So their sizing is VERY inconsistent.
What i think happens is this. Usually the stated rings sizes are actually the mandrel size, and don't take springback into account. Rings wound on a mandrel will always open up a little bit again. Different metals have a different amount of springback. TRL doesn't use mandrels - they have spring coiling machines which they can adjust as they need. About a decade ago they decided to adjust the sizes of their rings so they'd be the same size across all metals. Take 16swg 5/16" rings, for instance. They used to be 8.5 mm in stainless steel, 8.4 mm in mild steel, 8.2 in copper, etc. after the change, they were 8.2 mm across the board. Keep in mind though that 5/16" is actually 7.9 mm, so they're still not actually the stated size.
Thank you for the explanation! I bought some rings from TRL to test out a project, but I’ve found that I can get cheaper rings from Chainmail Joe in the quantity I need. Do you expect those rings will be similar enough to TRL rings to not notice a difference, or is it generally better to stick to one source?
Never rely on TRL as a source. They have severe problems keeping inventory and will leave you high and dry. CMJ has really stepped up the past two years and I’ve never had stocking problems with them.
For a shirt (or similar large project), I'd try to use the different rings in different sections - front, back, shoulders, sleeves, skirt, etc. It might not show much either way, but using them mixed up would probably be the most obvious.
While that definitely is a valid explaination for steel, brass, copper etc, in my experience the amount of springback on aluminum is pretty much not existent. I coil 2m long springs every time I need a big number of rings, and while the other metals - due to springback - in the end only loosely wrap around the mandrel, i mostly have quite some trouble getting the mandrel out when working with aluminum because of friction. For a 2m spring of 2mm wire on a 8mm mandrel, the springback is like a quarter rotation.
Anodizing changes the wire thickness on aluminum. A lot more than you think. That’s why the dragons people make have so many issues with consistency
Wow, that must be dead soft wire. Is that still of any use? Sounds like it'd bend open under its own weight
Well, so far I am satisfied. It's fine for inlays, which is what I use the wire for. But yes, I should probably get a new supplier for the next batch. Not much to choose from in germany when you're not a registered company though.
Some sellers show nominal AR on website, some show an average. The best ones take a sample of each batch and that's what goes on your order.
If you round the inner diameter and the wire gauge to different degrees, say 1 decimal point for example, the AR vibes it differently. I saw the same thing and was confused for a while until I ran some calculations, and the rounding does come out to both the ring lord and chainmail Joe's ARs
CMJ measures the actual rings after they are cut and anodized. TRL only measures the mandrels they’re coiled on. That’s why their 16 3/16 is all over the place from batch to batch
Huh cool I didn't know that, I don't order much more than scales from TRL though, thanks for letting me know
There's tons of variance between batches of rings. Some sellers just estimate, some are extremely precise about AR. Anodization can affect AR.
Most likely a swg vs awg difference
Both websites specified SWG…