Chain Making @ Jewel Info 4 U
By: Ms Nandita Ray
Rousseau's famous statement, "man is
born free but everywhere he is in
chains" is apt today, literally
speaking! Chains around necks,
around wrists, around waists on
boots dangling from hip pockets, it
has inundated the world of fashion.
From bikers, to muscleman to fashion
models sport chains, queen size to
princess length, flashing and
clanging all over. Chains form the
core of jewelry dressing adding
flavor and spice to the attire worn.
History of Chain Making
As with all jewelry, chain
making is not a simple process. It
too involves a number of stages and
it's a long way from the raw
material to the final finished
product. Invention of the wire
helped the goldsmiths to craft
chains from gold and its alloys.
Neolithic men found gold very
pliant, soft and supple and they
hammered and pounded it to take any
form and shape and also stretch its
length. Perhaps this was the birth
of chain and chain making. Till the
18th century chain was handcrafted,
laborious and time consuming. It
still is. By twisting and turning
the wire different shapes are formed
and linking one link with the other
forms the most basic chain. Romans
and Persians were adept at chain
making. They used chains on bridles
of horses, on vests for protection
in war, on doors, in anchors and
jewelry; chain making was a well
practiced art. The wires were made
into loops and connected to each
other to form chains which were used
to especially on armor. The loops
were sown on vests worn by soldiers.
Chains constructed in this fashion
with interlocking links are called
chain maille /mail or chain armor.
This was the common term used in the
medieval times to indicate flat
chains.
Before machines took over,
goldsmiths used to hand make most
chains.
They would hammer the metal, gold or
silver into flat strips. Then they
would draw or pull these strips of
metal through a number of dies to
form wires. The wire which was
reduced to the diameter or thickness
required. The wire was then wound
around a mandrel forming loops.
Mandrel is used to shape metal into
a desired size or shape by using a
tiny hammer. Then it was cut through
the looped wire. Then they would
interlock the loops; bend each link
to close it.
Then use heat to solder each joint.
And this process was continued till
the desired length is completed.
Such chains and many even today, are
handcrafted. Hand fabrication is
indispensable in any form of jewelry
making. Delicate touches, mounting
difficult settings or attaching
beads need skilled fingers.
Therefore hand crafting cannot be
totally discontinued. However demand
requires mass production.
Mechanization was the obvious answer
and this led Jacques de Vaucanson, a
French man in 1750, to invent a
machine which made U shaped wire for
mesh chain. This progressed into a
chain making machine in 1782.
Pedaling generated power and this
machine was highly sought by
goldsmiths and craftsmen. By the
1800's different types of chain
making machines were designed, all
based on this basic model. In 1870,
this method of chain making caught
the eyes of Europeans and Americans.
In 1893 in Chicago World Exposition,
Americans for the first time
exhibited their model of chain
making machine which was decidedly
better. It was based on better
technology, possessed speed and was
sophisticated. During the sixties
Italians became and still remain
masters of chain making and chain
making machines.
Chain making machines
There are two main types of chain
making machines. The cable machine
and the curb chain making machine.
Cable machine ProcessThe
first step is to feed/introduce wire
into a set of straightening rollers.
It then passes into a guide and a
gripper section.This chamber guides it into a
chamber called 'stop'. In this
section the wire length is measured
and the size of the link
established. This is the first link
of the chain. The next pierce of
wire is measured and is passed
through this first link to form a
part of the chain. In this way links
are measured and made and
interlocked. A cutter cuts the
wire from the feed stock a forming
tooth slides out and pushes on the
wire to shape it into a U. After the
U is formed, a set of jaw like
clamps holds the wire in place and
closes the link to complete the
shape. The link is given a complete
90 degrees turnabout and the next
link making process starts.
Curb Making MachineAt
first the wire is introduced into a
loop like tool. Ii is twisted and
coiled into a spiral. As the loop
revolves the spiral wire is put
through the previous loop.
The loop is closed and a set of jaw
like scissors snap and cuts off the
spiral. This link is rotated and the
next spiral is made and this process
continues till the desired length is
acquired.
Snake Chain Making Machine
This machine makes chains from flat
stock.
Ball Chain Making Machine
This machine is capable of making
ball chains from both wire and flat
stock.
Firago Chain MachineThis
machine is able to make two sizes of
link since it has two heads.
Platinum Chain makingPlatinum chain making was
not easy since it is a hard metal
which is not easy to work with. For
many years only pliant metals like
gold, silver, copper were made into
chains. To full fill the need for
white metal was filled with white
gold, rhodium plating or silver.
During the nineties, the demand for
high end products like platinum was
greatly desired and hence
manufacturers started finding ways
to make platinum chains. Some
started plating the wire with copper
to make it greasy and slippery as it
passed through the machine. This was
done so as not to hurt the tools.
After this the copper was
laboriously stripped off the wire.
It was time consuming and not very
profitable. So some manufacturers
started chrome plating their tooling
system. Today, improved grades of
carbide has eased the problems not
cured it completely. Soldering the
links is another problem. Heat
damages the color and matching the
color is difficult. It also gets
tarnished. A number of methods were
used to resolve the problem. The
coming of the laser welding machine
is a boon. It is a clean weld as it
is suited for the thermal grade of
the platinum.
Some chains are hand made. Glass
beads, plastic and resin beads are
strung by hand. Pearls are also
(mostly) hand strung. Bead made from
organic material like wood, shell,
bones, clay even fake ivory are also
hand fabricated. Some chains made
from gold are also hand fabricated.
Problems encounteredThough
machines do the elementary work the
finished product has to be hand
done.
The finished product is the
result of skilled fingers and
toiling hands as they decorate, set
and polish the chain to its final
finished stage. Heat and soldering
required for completing the final
product.
Some chain designs like herring
bone require a flattened profile and
this has to be done by rolling the
chain on a rolling mill.
Secondary operations are needed
to make the chain loose and flexible
in order to sit properly around the
neck.
Decorations like diamond cut are
added by using a special machine.
Tools will wear and tear.
Machines are expensive to
maintain in tip top condition.
Some parts might not be easily
available, especially if it's of an
older machine.
It turns out to be expensive
unless used for mass production.
Benefits of Chain making
MachinesChains can be massed
produced. Variety of designs can be
made.
Complex chains can be made from
stamped components which are bent
and then interlocked.
It allows the making of thin and
light hollow chains.
Chains can be made in all karats
of gold.
It saves time as a number of
chains can be made quickly and
accurately.
It is labor and cost effective.
In up to date modern machines,
which are very expensive, links are
automatically welded by laser or
micro plasma welding torch.
Wires can be round, oval or
square and can be used in machines
with ease.
Length of chainsChains
can be made to order in the length
one desires. However there are two
acceptable lengths of chains, the
Princess length which is 18" long
and the Rope length which is 45" or
120" long. A number of contemporary
lengths are available; 15", 20", 25"
etc. Chains are also sold by foot or
by spool. This system is useful for
mass production.
Types of chainsVariety of
designs run riot in the fashion
world of chains. Broad, thin, light,
heavy, ornamental, simple,
intricate, Princess or Rope, flat or
cylindrical, lots of styles and
motifs abound. Here are some
contemporary styles:
Box chain: - a chain with
box like wide squares.
Byzantine chain: -a type of
weave which is an old world style
and is a chain with round links
which create an intricate design
that forms a tube. This design is
also called birdcage design, idiot
box and fool's dilemma.
Cable chain: - a chain with
round links all of the same size.
Curb chain: - a chain with
oval links that are twisted to lie
flat.
Figaro chain: - a pretty
popular design that has two or three
small round links with and long oval
link. This is a famous Italian
design.
Herringbone chain: - a chain
with resembles fish bones being
thin, small and slanting links that
lie flat. Also resembles a
centipede.
Fob chain: - a thick chain
with an ornamental pendant or seal
or charm attached to it.
Mesh: - thin, delicate, gauzy
looking mesh woven from very fine
wire, resembling a fabric, like
chain.
Omega: - a chain that lies
flat and is solid and heavy and the
surface made up of thick links.
Multilayered chain: - a
number of thin delicate, soft and
pliant chains all strung from two
clasps form a thick layered look.
These are some of the common
styles of chains available and in no
way does this write up sum up the
gamut of designs available
internationally.
Use chains as adornment. Dress up
your purse with a dangling bead
chain or have a pearl or silver
chain protecting your sunglasses or
adding color to your attire. Key
chain, wallet chain, jacket chain,
boot chain, chain swinging from ear
lobes, finger rings with chains,
bracelets with chains. Chains can be
used easily. Be innovative. Chain up
or shackle up. Start a chain
reaction.
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