Scale Armor & Accuracy

[gaiusseptimiuslucianus]

Hi Jay,

Thanks for posting those closeup images of scale from Dura, they are very helpful.

Some general questions to all. Do we know the type of textile used for the backing in the first image? Is it linen, hemp, nettle, something else? It is very coarse and appears to be a twilled bast fiber. Do you think something like this might be appropriate: http://www.hemptraders.com/product_info....cts_id=254 for the back fabric?

The wires on the second image are curious. They have used flat wire which would suggest to me that they first drew it round and then went through the additional step of flattening it (and they did a very good job at it, its very square and even). Maybe it was flattened by hammering and then drawn through a squared off draw plate? Just speculating. It appears from the photo to be the same gauge as the scales. Also the wire seems to curve over as it comes up through the hole in the plate, it isn't just hammered flat. Perhaps that was done to give it a little bit of play for flexibility? It would mean the wire would be rather more evenly work hardened as it bends over, rather than being sharply kinked. Also the part of the wire coming through the lower hole and pointing upwards is shorter than the one coming down through the upper hole whose piece of wire is almost twice the length. I wonder if the upper wire would have more of a tendency to snag on the backing if it was longer. The downward pointing wire would just rub on the scale below.

Just some thoughts as I get going on the project.

Best,

Lucianus