1st Chain Probs - How or proceed or Abandon?

[ABitoSlo]

I'm not sure where to go with this. The links are square with very tight inside radius. Not what I was looking for, and I think the only way to get in there is with a new tiny knife or sandpaper. Couldn't get an edge to hold on that exacto for the life of me. Dockyard chisels aren't the right tool for those corners either.

Snapped a link last night but that would be fixable I think. Large cut in the hook. I pretty much think that to finish would be a very very thin linked square-ish chain, and I doubt that would be very attractive and extremely fragile. The box at the end I still have a chance at a captured ball so that's not gone.

From your experiences, just dump it and move on, taking only the lessons with me, maybe using it as a test piece for different tools or sharpness?

It's hard to remember I'm still in the lowlands of the learning curve.

Addendum: I guess I'm asking honestly - cut my losses and not waste time on a failed project?

[ABitoSlo]

...might have helped if I would have added the pictures...

[Nomad]

Looks like a perfectly good chain to me. I'd thin all the links, making them as uniform as possible, and be happy with it. If you have to use a rasp or some sandpaper to clean it up, I'd still do it. It is well worth salvaging, one way or the other imo.

[ABitoSlo]

NM. Found some overcuts that go almost all the way thru the ends. I'll end up with pencil-lead-thin links on the end grain. Thanks for the encouragement Nomad. Might salvage part of it.

Back to the drawing board with a larger piece of wood, better understanding of the layout, and smaller knife for those tight areas.

[BobBlaney]

Maybe round the links a little more and use super glue to strengthen the end grain.

It sure looks salvageable.

[Bob K.]

I think it still looks fine. Thin the links and reinforce the weak spots with super glue. Leave the chain and ball in a box as two separate carvings. Most importantly learn from this experience and I'm sure your next try will be better.

[ajcoholic]

On my first chain i did this past summer, i used a drill to mark the inside corners which made it easier to cut. The links were also square-ish.

I also broke links on the first try... takes a bit of practice and a gentle touch.

[cut up]

I would finish it as best as I can. You may or may not like it, but its a learning experience for the next on. So its still not a loss.
Looks good to me.

[sashadoc]

I agree. It's a good first effort. Next time I bet you use a larger radius for the links. As for cleaning this one up, I personally, would use a diamond bit on the inside corners. But that's just me.
Also, if you carve the outside of the chain first and match the inside to that it will be more rounded.IMHO

Tim

[ABitoSlo]

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll get out the super glue/files/sandpaper for the cuts and inside radius, just to see what happens. In another thread I asked about texturing and I think I should take a step back and go that route instead of trying to force a perfect shape to the links.

Also, I keep thinking the inside curve dictates the outside shape - time to re-think that as I work this out.