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[klingon13524]

You the images are too big you can just change the image tag to resize it. The tag would look like this: [img width=800] and it would be 800 pixels wide.

I'll need to keep an eye out for updates. If you do go for the Lameller armor, I would try and get a hold of at least some leather to act as a buffer between you and the metal. If you get hit you don't want the metal to go straight into you.

This is entirely cosmetic, not going to be used as actual armour I'm rolling the edges of the cans aswell, otherwise I essentially have a shirt made of razorblades.

No, you should totally use this practically. Wear it under a trench coat when doing shady drug deals! Have it on as a layer of insurance during protests and riots! The possibilities are endless!

[LordBucket]

Tin can armour

Relevant links:
Chainmail from soda can tabs
SCA Armor making guides
Armor patterns
Making plastic armor

Finally, if you want help, locate your local chapter of the Society for Creative Anachronisms

[Chattox]

Huh, you know, since I'm working with cans anyway, I figure I'll try my hand at that chainmail from the can tabs, too. Thanks! Uploading another picture to update the OP now, gimme a sec.

EDIT: Nevermind, it's not loading properly for me at the moment, will try again soon.

EDIT 2: Okay, after making a couple lamellae (individual pieces that make up the lamellar armour) in the "tombstone" shape I found to be most common on pictures I could find, I'm going to change to the simpler rectangular ones, for the sake of my sanity and for the sake of getting it done this year

EDIT 3: Okay yeah, it's far, far easier to just go by eye and cut rectangular ones. They also end up much more regularly sized since I don't have to faff about with measuring and stuff, I just go by estimate. Besides, this isn't precision engineering, I'm not going for looks, or functionality, I'm just doing this because I can

QUADRUPLE EDIT: Change of plans, after lacerating my fingers no matter how hard I try not to, I've decided to move away from tin-can lamellar, and do the can ring-pull thing suggested by LordBucket. This will be much easier, and much safer I'll still post pics once imgur stops being such a bitch.

[alfie275]

Hmm, idea, don't know if it will work:

You could get some chainlink fence, shape it into roughly armour shape, then squash the soda cans and weld them on?

[LordBucket]

can ring-pull thing suggested by LordBucket

Here's a more impressive looking finished product than the one in the guide:

[Girlinhat]

FYI: pop-tab chainmail would be considered Oriental 4 in 1 sheet weave, or you could attempt traditional scalemail using tabs for scales, though I'm not entirely sure you could make that work.  In either case you're going to need a significant number of rings to piece them together, or else start clipping at the tabs so you can link them.  If you're turning the tabs into rings, then you have a somewhat wider option for mail patterns, but European 4 in 1 would be easiest.  If you have any soldering or welding, or even some stiff superglue, that might be very fun to try.

[LordBucket]

Stringing tabs together with wire as per the above guide would be both faster and easier than cutting and weaving them like chainmail.

[Chattox]

Yeah, weaving is far, far easier than cutting and closing. I've tried, and because of the way pull-tabs are shaped it ends up horribly inflexible and cock-eyed. I apologise for the lack of updates, I'm currently waiting for some wire to be delivered so I can get started, however I horribly underestimated just how many tabs I'm going to need. This may take a lot longer to finish than I originally thought, but it -will- be done!

[Sheb]

Ask you friends and family to keep tabs for you. Put plastig bags near vending machine asking people for their tabs. Pretend to run a charity that give 10 cents for every tabs collected to feed Somalian and have you little sister's school collect their tabs! The possibilities ar eendless!

[Chattox]

Ask you friends and family to keep tabs for you. Put plastig bags near vending machine asking people for their tabs. Pretend to run a charity that give 10 cents for every tabs collected to feed Somalian and have you little sister's school collect their tabs! The possibilities ar eendless!

Aye, my entire family is collecting, several of my friends are and the brass band my mum plays in are, too

[LordBucket]

I horribly underestimated just how many tabs I'm going to need

Thousands?

[Girlinhat]

I like the vending machine idea, that could actually work wonders.

[Chattox]

So yeah, this thread is going to be pretty much update-less for now, since all I'm going to be doing for a while is collecting pull-tabs. However, I'm getting a considerable amount of them over christmas due to the sheer amount of booze my family and friends get through
Feel free to let this thread die, and I'll make another one or necro this one when I have enough tabs to start building