How to make armor out of waxed leather scales.

0.1 - Result

0.2 - With Thanks

With thanks to Cariadoc, who provided the SCA's Known World with something like these instructions years ago. Take a look at his stuff:
Cariadoc's Perfect Armor page wherein is described this process with drawing instead of pictures.
Also,
Cariadoc's homepage
Cariadoc's Improved Perfect Armor wherein is described Cariadoc's newer method for boiling leather in just water. It turns out that he can't find documentation that folks boiled their scales in wax, just that they boiled them.

1 - Get your Stuff

I buy my leather from The Real Leather People. (click Products.) They are willing to ship. Get one side of vegetable tanned leather per person. You might be able to get two bodies out of one side, but you'll need more leather for the rest of your armor anyway. Jim (the real leather guy) grades his hides and prices them according to quality. I usually just buy the middle grade stuff.

Buy these blades for your utility knife. They are great for cutting the arc of the scales.

Cord or lacing: I bought my lacing from Lee Valley Tools. I'm using their 96lb test nylon cord. I used a spool and a half (75 yards) to make two sets of body armor.

Wax - Sadly I've forgotten what I bought. It came in a 5 or 10 pound slab from the local craft store. I think they intended it to be used for candles. Here's my best guess at what I used: parafin. I have no experience with this merchant.

A bread pan for the wax

Some tongs for grabbing scales out of the wax

Tin foil to protect the kitchen

A lighter of some sort to cut and fuse the nylon lacing.

2 - Cut the Leather

Take a look at Figure 5 on Cariadoc's page pick a scale shape and cut them. I've used the first one each time and I think I'll change for the next rig I make.

On to Waxing -->

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