Medieval Style Chainmail Fabric

thingiverse

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