chains

Hey "G";

   What I do when I need real looking chain is go to Squadron , Micro-Mark or my local Model railroad store .If they don't have it I can Go to Spring Creek Model trains in Deshler , Nebraska .

 There is also Bluejacket in Maine . The trick is you want regular link chain , not chain with the Florentine twist ! I found a source also in Jewelry shows . 5 foot of blackened metal chain( Proper Ovoid ) links for 12 dollars a length and it seems to be ( don't tell the Jewelers ) available in all scales . I use a lot of chain on my ships too . Tie downs and other such configurations .

Not to mention that the entire thread is full of what I would consider bad advice. That cheap chain always looks like cheap chain. It is worth buying the $ 5 a foot stuff from sailing ship model sites.

modelmaker66

i generally buy chain off ebay. cheap overseas import stuff. it works great.

 

OOOOPPPSSS! This thread is from NINE years ago - I fell into it as well, and I wasn't going to post anything until I read your reply. I think that the original forum member who started this thread got the idea.

 

~ Cobra Chris

i generally buy chain off ebay. cheap overseas import stuff. it works great.

Here in Aus, the "dollar store" type places are into the bead/craft/do-it-yourself jewellery thing. You can get one-metre lengths of reasonably fine chain for $1.50 - $2.00. Just remember to get "regular" pattern chain, not the "flattened" pattern that looks like... umm... jewellery chain. 

I bought some on ebay. It looks really good and is not too expensive. $6 including shipping for about 7 feet of chain. Also comes with some hooks. The seller is wapititracks I think. I was very happy with it. I can put up pics if you want.
---------------------------------------Kevin

nope just the stripping here are a few pics they are not the best but i think you will see what i'm talking about

would a fridge mangnet work? (hehe! my mom could use a little more fridge space)

one more thing. does the chain require any painting? it didn't sound like it from your post, but i just want to be sure.

yeah um anything that is going to take the oil out of the metal.i actually use meratic acid since i wash my concrete truck with it i can get it really easy but paint thinner should have about the same effect.one note that i forgot to mention earlier you have to make sure the necklace is metal not aluminum,just take alittle magnet with you and this should make it alot easier to tell.some brands are a little difficult to tell the difference between.but airbrush thinner should do the trick

heyguys thanks for the posts!! prowannab, a couple pics would be a big help! i think ill go with the dollar store chains. paint stripper and paint thinner. are they the same thing?

not trying to sound as if i'm desparetly selling this idea to anyone but the dollar store necklaces are usually about 12 inches in usable lenght at a dollar.so in my opion it's definately the cheapest route

Both the ideas posted already are good, but just as another possibility, at some train shops, they sell big packs of chains that come in lots of diffferent sizes. I got a pack on sale of 20 chains, each about an inch long for $10. Hope this helps.

David

the cheapest fastest and easiest method i come across is to go to a dollar store,find some of those cheap necklaces for a buck.bring them home and you have to use a stripper like a paint thinner works good(something you probably already have in you stash of goodies).then soak the chain in the stripper for a few hours.remove from stripper.lay the chain on a folded paper towel for a day or two.you may be tempeted to put oil or something like that to stop the grouth of the rust,don't i've done this method a few times and a few years ago and the chian is still tere and not in any worse shape than the day i installed them.now you have a perfectly rusty looking chain.one thing is that it is actually rusty so it's very effective.if you would like i can post a pic of one just let me know

Wind the proper gauge wire for the link size around a brass tube or wire of the correct internal diameter for the links. Anneal both tube and wire without taking them apart. Place the tube with the wound wire in a smooth-jawed vice and gently flatten to produce ovoid links. You can also do this with a wire as the central mandrel, but then annealing becomes critical.

Another approach to shaped links is to wind the wire around a shaped mandrel. Producing the mandrel is difficult in small scales unless you can find the right shape premade. Basically, you have to build the tool before you can build what you want to make.

Slide the coil off the mandrel and use a fine nipper to cut each link free of the coil. Assemble individual links into a chain.

This takes a long time. I've done it for heavy chain, about 3 inch links in 1/32 scale. I think I'd go nuts doing it for anything smaller.