Medieval Style Chainmail Fabric

thingiverse

For Halloween, I designed a chainmail pattern that could print without supports and no post printing processing required. In the end, I didn't get it completely right on time, but still managed to achieve a decent medieval chainmail look-alike that is worth sharing. The traditional European 4-in-1 mail was too difficult for me, so I opted for a slightly easier 3 in 1 or "tri-mail" as an intermediate challenge. While not perfect yet, it is usable. Notes: 1. This will print at scale, but likely not smaller due to gap interference. 2. Increase the number of wall shells until the links are solid filled. 3. Prints flat with no supports needed. 4. Easier to print in PLA, but I found that printing in PETG helps the links stay organized thanks to accidental plastic stringing in separating spaces. Update on 11/18/18: I added an improved .stl with subtle yet important geometry changes allowing better flex and less loop "jamming" when folding and unfolding the fabric.