TPU Chainmail - lightweight, cheap, and fast!

This design was inspired by FoamArmor as featured in Adam Savage’s video years ago. After watching that build, the obvious question was: why not do the same thing in TPU?

So I mocked up a similar interlocking ring layout in Fusion and printed a test panel.

The result:

• ~14g per plate
• About $0.30 in filament
• ~1.5 hour print time
• Extremely lightweight
• Excellent drape
• Stretch-resistant and durable thanks to TPU

I’ve tried a few printable chainmail designs before. Most of them were heavy (~90g per panel), cost $2–3 each, and the panel joins were either fragile or tedious.

This version is different.

Because it’s TPU:

• It flexes instead of cracking.
• It handles stretching very well.
• It feels good when worn.
• It survives handling without babying it.

The joins are simple, fast, and strong. You can assemble panels exactly the same way shown in Adam Savage’s video. His walkthrough of the FoamArmor method is still the clearest explanation of the joining technique: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8KmARIgCdY

Plate 2 includes individual loose links that can be printed separately and used for joining panels together or for custom edge finishing and decorative detailing. These single rings let you expand, repair, or modify the mail in specific areas without reprinting a full panel, and they’re also useful for attaching straps, trim, or reinforcing high-stress connection points.

Print a few. Knit them together. Keep going until you have a full shirt.

At ~$0.30 and 90 minutes per panel, scaling up is realistic. A full haubergeon is actually achievable without spending a fortune or weeks of print time.