Product Description

• Beaders and wireworkers will be en-chain-ted by the chance to make their own chains • Classical chain designs in silver, copper, and brass • Entire chain-making process is explained and illustrated step-by-step • One of a kind!

Handcrafting Chain and Bead Jewelry shows how to create beautiful, dimensional silver, copper, and brass chains using simple tools. The main style is based on the elegant, classical Byzantine pattern, and uses the Golden Ratio to determine the circumference of a chain’s interlocking rings based on the thickness of the wire. Illustrated step-by-step directions show how to calculate the circumference of the rings, how to wrap wire into coils, how to cut, and finally, how to assemble the chain. Starting from the basic Byzantine, new chain makers can then progress to increasingly Byzantine variations, including linear, knot, crown, and combination chains. Incorporating beads and charms offers endless possibilities for crafters who will soon, surely, be locked up in chains!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #101418 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-27
• Released on: 2006-10-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780823022991
• BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
• Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

About the Author
Scott David Plumlee, an authority on ancient chain designs, has created more than sixty unique chain designs based on mathematical formulas. His chain-making workshops have been presented throughout Washington State. He now lives in Manhattan, Kansas.

Customer Reviews

Ultimately rather disappointing
When I first saw the blurbs for this book, I was excited. I make chains and I love incorporating beads into my designs, so I had high hopes.

But when I got the book and started leafing through it, I found out that the bulk of the *designs* are based on Byzantine (a lovely chain, but there ARE others out there), and for the most part the beads are strung on Beadalon or Tigertail and woven into the chain. This was not what I was looking for at all. *sigh* Descriptions are given only for the two in two chain, the Inca Punto (or round) chain and the Byzantine.

Yes, some of the designs are pretty, but nothing spectacular from my perspective.

Irene From Petersen's Great Wire Jewelry has far more chain designs to offer (just be aware that the gauge table in the back is based on the Stantad or Imperial Wire Guauge system, whereas most of the US jewelry stores use B&S wire gauge system. And her publishers don't make that clear...which screwed up some of my earlier designs when I based my AR on her table).

A great design idea and "recipe" book!
I thought the directions were great and easy to follow, but I have some experience with most of these weaves. I wasn't looking for a "how to" book, you can see tons of CGI tutorials for free via the chainmailleartisans community. What I got most out of this book were design ideas, tips to weave beads into my chainmaille jewelry by tucking the jewelry wire through the rings, and the recipes of rings required! For everything I've tried from the book, the quantities and ring sizes have been dead on and easy to order. I appreciated the bead size info with the great pictures, it gave me the ability to say "I'd use something smaller/larger there" and know what to go buy instead of guessing at what size they used. I'd love to see more designs, more pictures, and more recipes of what to buy.

Chainmaille Introduction
All in all a good introduction to chainmaille, but definitely not a beginner book for those that are starting in jewelry making. I have learned chainmaille before so the instructions were easy for me to follow, but someone who has never done chainmaille will find it somewhat confusing especially if the beader has none/minimal experience with wire. This is why I gave the book a three star, but there are at least some great designs at the back of the book. The Ying-Yang pattern is great; I finished a bracelet from it.