Making mail armour - part one

I made my first proper metal mail when I was fifteen or so. I wound galvanised garden fence wire around a dowel and cut it with a hacksaw. It took ages. Later, in my school metalwork room, I used a lathe to wind coils around a steel rod. That saved time. Here, I talk of making (butted) mail with pre-made links. Lindybeige: a channel of archaeology, ancient and medieval warfare, rants, swing dance, travelogues, evolution, and whatever else occurs to me to make.