Expansions and contractions are useful when you want to tailor maille for garments, or any time you want to change the width of the maille patch without putting in a seam. There are two types of expansions/contractions: column and row. Column expansions will make the patch wider as you go up and down (presuming the maille is hanging the 'right way') and row expansions will make the patch wider as you go from side to side (again, presuming the maile is hanging the 'right way'). Column expansions are much more common and much easier to do. This tutorial is for a column expansion.

E4-1 can be made with AR's down to 3. However, in order for there to be enough room to make an expansion, the AR should be 3.8 - 4 or above. 18swg 3/16" and 16swg 1/4" rings work well.

Metric sizes - approximately 0.5mm wire with 2mm inner diameter; 0.6mm wire with 3mm inner diameter; 0.8mm wire with 3.5mm inner diameter; 1mm wire with 4mm inner diameter, 1.5mm wire with 6.5mm inner diameter, and so on.

New rings are gold and old rings are steel.