The Armour Archive

I've decided I'd like to put together a Mongolian kit using aluminum lamellar from Polar Bear Forge, but there are some things I'm uncertain about and I would greatly appreciate any help I could get from you knowledgeable folk. I'm hoping to do something similar to what Animal does here, but I've got a couple questions.

• 1. I'm not entirely sure which plates I should be looking at. Am I going to need different plates for the shoulders and/or the skirt?

• 2. Are there any lacing guides available for something appropriate to a Mongolian persona?

• 3. Are there any "authorities" on the subject that someone could point me to? I've bookmarked plenty of sites but would really love to speak to someone that has experience where I have none.

Thank you!

I found this book helpful.
"Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Warriors of the Himalayas: Rediscovering the Arms and Armor of Tibet"

http://goo.gl/rD9ome

I came here specifically to ask for instructions on how to make Mongol heavy armor, and I find this topic on top

However, I'm interested in using steel and leather. I would appreciate if someone could provide as many details as possible (steel thickness, patterns, etc) since I could not find much information on the internet. Is this particular picture any good, I've seen few comments arguing against this lacing pattern?
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/2189/157lq3.jpg