Scale maille, also known as dragon scale, is a type of armor that looks like scales on a dragon. It is a popular protective armor used in the Middle Ages, and it can be used for costumes and art projects. If you’ve ever wanted to make your own scale maille, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will guide you through the steps of creating your own scale maille.
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
Before you can make your own scale maille, you’ll need to gather some materials. You’ll need a few jump rings, a pair of flat nose pliers and a pair of round nose pliers. The jump rings can be made of copper, aluminum, steel, stainless steel, brass, or even gold. You’ll also need a measuring tape and a ruler, as well as some scissors.
Step 2: Cut the Rings
Once you’ve gathered all of your materials, you’ll need to cut the jump rings. Use the measuring tape to measure the desired length of the jump rings. Use the ruler to mark the desired length and use the scissors to cut the jump rings. You can cut multiple rings at once by using the ruler to make multiple marks for the desired length.
Step 3: Open the Rings
Once you’ve cut the rings, you’ll need to open them. Use the flat nose pliers to open the jump rings. Make sure that the jump rings are opened evenly and don’t get twisted. It’s important to open the jump rings gently and evenly, otherwise they will be too weak to hold the scale maille together.
Step 4: Connect the Rings
Now that you’ve opened the jump rings, you can start connecting them together. Take two jump rings and put them together so that they form an “X” shape. Use the round nose pliers to close the rings. Make sure that the rings are closed tightly, so that they don’t come apart. Once the two rings are connected, you can start connecting more rings together to form a chain.
Step 5: Create the Scales
Once you’ve created a chain of connected jump rings, you’ll need to create the scales. Take one jump ring and thread it through two connected jump rings. Close the ring with the round nose pliers. Repeat this step until the entire chain is covered with scales. You can create different patterns and designs with the scales.
Step 6: Secure the Scales
Once you’ve created the scales, you’ll need to secure them. Take two jump rings and connect them to the two rings that form the base of the scale. Close the jump rings with the round nose pliers. Repeat this step for all of the scales. This will help keep the scales in place.
Step 7: Attach the Clasps
Once you’ve secured the scales, you’ll need to attach the clasps. Take two jump rings and connect them to the two ends of the chain. Close the jump rings with the round nose pliers. You can attach a clasp to each of the jump rings. This will help you to secure the scale maille.
Step 8: Wear It!
Once you’ve finished making your scale maille, you can wear it! You can use it to create a costume or to decorate a piece of art. You can also use it as protective armor for reenactment or LARPing. No matter how you choose to use it, you’ll have a unique piece of armor that you can be proud of.
Conclusion
Creating your own scale maille can be a fun and rewarding experience. With a few simple steps, you can make your own unique piece of armor. Just gather your materials, cut the rings, open and connect them, create the scales, secure them, and attach the clasps. Then, you can wear your scale maille and show off your creativity!