Yes, the chain mail protects you from the experiment detonation products, such as fragments of blast shield or fume hood, lacerating your hands. Also recommende

Yes, the chain mail protects you from the experiment detonation products, such as fragments of blast shield or fume hood, lacerating your hands. Also recommended is an iron face-mask and heavy leather apron. The candle effect you mention, is the principle behind Sir Humphry Day's safety lamp, as used by miners, which used a wire gauze screen to prevent flames igniting other flammable gases in the mine atmosphere. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_lamp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_lamp for more information.