Results 1 to 11 of 11
Thread: Weight of chain
-
2023-05-11, 09:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
Weight of chain
I'm making an equipment list for a game and I'm trying to find the weights of things. Chains are proving tricky I'm seeing considerable ranges in weight so I thought I might as well see if anyone here knew roughly how much a 10ft length of chain suitable for an adventurer might weigh.
-
2023-05-11, 09:27 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Tail of the Bellcurve
- Gender
Re: Weight of chain
Suitable for doing what? Chains vary in weight because chains vary in link size because different jobs demand different amoubts of strength and flexibility. For something like anchor chain being heavy is a large portion of the job requirement.
In general chains are going to be pretty impractical for most adventuring jobs. They are heavy and loud, and ropes are strong enough for climbing, lashing things together etc. The major advantages of chains are that they are more durable, particularly in wet and dirty environments, but an adventure isn't a 3 month logging expedition where that actually matters.Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
When they shot him down on the highway,
Down like a dog on the highway,And he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.
Alfred Noyes, The Highwayman, 1906.
-
2023-05-11, 09:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2015
- Location
- Maine
- Gender
Re: Weight of chain
As someone who collects chain (we all have weird hobbies) I would say chain that they would be hauling around as general purpose would be grade ~30-43 iron 3/8 to 1/2 gauge. Stuff that that will run about 1-1.5 pound per foot.
You could probably either double the strength or cut the weight in half for better material.
If I was designing an item that is a specialty tool for adventures where it's basically emulating a rope just with anti-slashing properties I'd go for 16 gauge steel. Flexibility lose is nil and relatively light. Lighter than some rope.
Although if you wanted to climb it you would need some kind of kit.Last edited by stoutstien; 2023-05-11 at 09:37 AM.
-
2023-05-11, 09:58 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
Re: Weight of chain
Hm interesting, 16 gauge sounds about what I was think perhaps slightly heavier, correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds like I can just treat it as more expensive rope as far as weight goes.
Last edited by awa; 2023-05-11 at 09:58 AM.
-
2023-05-11, 10:29 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2015
- Location
- Maine
- Gender
Re: Weight of chain
what is the point of living if you can't deadlift?
All credit to the amazing avatar goes to thoroughlyS
-
2023-05-11, 10:35 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
Re: Weight of chain
thanks, this was far more efficient than looking it up myself. Not knowing the correct terminology meant I was having trouble looking up real world information and rpg systems were wildly divergent in weight.
My system mostly works in 5 pound increments so this works perfectly.
-
2023-05-11, 11:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2015
- Location
- Maine
- Gender
Re: Weight of chain
Oh odd side note. If you're looking at small chain like this then it really should be stored on some kind of spool prevent kinks. They almost have a Christmas light level capacity to get tangled up when you're not looking at them. Metal not havin much give makes the knots brural
Last edited by stoutstien; 2023-05-11 at 11:05 AM.
-
2023-05-11, 12:08 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
- Location
- Sharangar's Revenge
- Gender
Re: Weight of chain
McMaster-Carr (I'm not affiliated with them, other than my company occasionally buys stuff from them) has a wide variety of chain available, and they're usually good at giving you all the details, including lifting capacity and weight per foot. I'm not sure how medieval chain measures up, but it's probably a good place to start.
Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Skirmish Game: Warpstrike
My Spelljammer stuff (including an orbit tracker), 2E AD&D spreadsheet, and Vault of the Drow maps are available in my Dropbox. Feel free to use or not use it as you see fit!
Thri-Kreen Ranger/Psionicist by me, based off of Rich's A Monster for Every Season
-
2023-05-11, 12:09 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2009
-
2023-05-12, 03:23 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2015
- Location
- Wyoming
Re: Weight of chain
The weight of chain is useless unless you know the weight of a whip.
They literally go hand-in-hand.*This Space Available*
-
2023-05-12, 03:36 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2015
- Location
- Maine
- Gender
Re: Weight of chain
Honestly for the average non specialty chain the tech hasn't changed much once they started forging link coil chain closed rather than just pinching.
Even pitch links are strong. I still make twist link chain for fun and even being wrought it's stout stuff being able to hold massive static loads. The size of chain uses usually aesthetically based rather than function. Sheering and shock break chains above all elseLast edited by stoutstien; 2023-05-12 at 03:43 PM.