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Acute Mandala
Article © MAIL User: Chainmailbasket_com

Acute Mandala is a cute little 15 ring unit. Three ring types are present, and at least two sizes are required to make it.

It is rather ring size specific: too low and it will dome, or not be possible to finish. Conversely, if any rings are too large, the unit will be floppy. This tutorial uses two sizes in the same wire diameter. In some cases, such as with the sample picture for the weave entry, different sizes are used for each of the larger ring types. Unfortunately the pictures aren't all that great, but the pattern is easy enough to follow.

.062" (1.57mm) WD bright aluminum
11/64" (4.37mm), and 11/32" (8.73mm) mandrel
.188" (4.78mm), and .378" (9.60mm) inner diameter
AR of 3.0, and AR of 6.1

ARs are post-springback.

Step 1:
Rings:
Image: am01.jpg

Step 2:
Close one large ring. Close another large ring and attach one small to it:
Image: am02.jpg

Step 3:
Make of the large closed ring an orbital by adding another large ring to the small ring:
Image: am03.jpg

Step 4:
Reposition this four-ring entity as illustrated:
Image: am04.jpg

Step 5:
Make another two-ring unit, one small, one large:
Image: am05.jpg

Step 6:
Position it like this:
Image: am06.jpg

Step 7:
Add another large ring to the small ring as shown:
Image: am07.jpg

Step 8:
Close the ring added in the previous step, and add a small ring to it, and the one on the bottom:
Image: am08.jpg

Step 9:
Insert a large ring between the two large ones, but go completely around (orbit) the small ring added one step ago:
Image: am09.jpg

Step 10:
Close the large ring:
Image: am10.jpg

Step 11:
Make yet another two ring piece of one small and one large:
Image: am11.jpg

Step 12:
Position it like this, as you did in Step 6:
Image: am12.jpg

Step 13:
Add another large ring through the last small ring, similar to Step 7:
Image: am13.jpg

Step 14:
Close that ring:
Image: am14.jpg

Step 15:
Add two small rings, one to each side of the chain:
Image: am15.jpg

Step 16:
Reorient what you have according to this image:
Image: am16.jpg

Step 17:
Start feeding a large ring around one of the small rings:
Image: am17.jpg

Step 18:
Continue to feed it around the other small ring, making sure not to pass through any ring:
Image: am18.jpg

Step 19:
Close the ring, and now you have completed the Acute Mandala.
Image: am19.jpg

If you don't have the exact ring sizes, experiment with different ring sizes for each of the large ring types present. If you use the same wire diameter for each ring type present, the small rings should be kept very close to an AR of 3.0.

Original URL: http://www.mailleartisans.org/articles/articledisplay.php?key=783