Making the Rings

• 1). Clamp the wire in place at one end of the dowel using the vice grips.
  
  
• 2). Wind the wire tightly around the dowel using the pliers as needed. Each successive ring you make around the dowel should be as close to the previous ring as possible for consistency. When working with the wire, you may want to wear work gloves to protect your hands.
  
  
• 3). Remove the vice grips once you have finished wrapping the wire and slide the wire off. It should look like a compressed spring now.
  
  
• 4). Cut each individual ring off using the side cutter. Be sure to always cut them one at a time and in the same place for consistency.
  
  
• 5). Spread some of the rings using the pliers so they are open. Do this with at least one out of every five rings.
  
  
• 6). Close all of the other rings using the pliers and bend them as needed to make sure they are as round as possible.
  
  

Linking the Rings

• 1). Take four of the closed rings and slide them onto one of the open rings. Close the open ring using the pliers.
  
  
• 2). Arrange the four rings around the center ring in an "X" pattern. This is referred to as "4-in-1" and is the most common chain mail pattern.
  
  
• 3). Take another open ring and two more closed rings and slide the two closed rings onto the open ring. Then, slide this open ring into two of the closed rings on one side of the "X" pattern you created in Step 2. Close the ring with pliers and arrange the rings so that you have created a new "X" pattern.
  
  
• 4). Repeat Step and Step 3 until you arrive at the desired shape.