Many (40ish, I'd estimate) hours and I deeply regretted the endeavour at many points, especially when rushing to get it finished in time, but once I got the hang of the process, a lot of it was quite zen. It was almost like knitting, it gave me something to do with my hands.
It could, though, when worn properly, chainmail was always worn over padding. The chain mail blocks piercing attacks, while the padding dealt with concussive forces. An arrow, or sword, has significant amounts of both. Blocking 1 alone wasn't enough.
Basically, it shouldn't be an issue, other than getting hot in the padding. If you're going for a stylish look, use flexible material. Loose weave metallic fabrics give a similar (superficial) look, but don't pinch.
Sometimes, especially because I made chainmail, rather than the much higher quality (and more authentic?) (images not mine, randomly from Google images). I don't particularly remember pinching being a problem though, especially given I was wearing just my underwear beneath it most times.
I for one welcome you to Raider Nation. Please show up to Allegiant stadium for all the home games in this. You'll fit right in. (Moreso if you had a time machine to when we played in Oakland in front of actual fans, but I digress)
The answer for any crusade is "an embarrassing yet hilarious disaster or a heartbreaking tragedy, depending on which side you're on." which side each applies to varies by crusade.