If you're interested in chainmail then a good place to start looking is the Atlantia A&S links for chainmail.
moas.atlantia.sca.org/wsnlinks/index.php...laycat&catid=155
As far as the rest of your armour I would recommend buying a sheet of 14 guage steel and checking out the pattern section of Armour Archive. One of the greathelm patterns is particularly easy requiring no welding, only rivets.
www.armourarchive.org/patterns/
If you need access to knowledge or tools try asking around in your local area. The people you want to fight ust have gotten their armour from somewhere. If you are unsure where to go for help getting armour together try talking to the local Marshal or Arts and Sciences officers to see who does armouring in your area. Who knows, you may find a new love in armouring.
If you do find a little bit of money down the back of the couch Bokalo's Armoury specialise in getting people onto the field as quickly and as cheaply as possible. I've bought a set of aluminium **shudder** armour from him myself for when I have to travel by plane (limited weight). It's well worth the price.
www.bokalosarmoury.com/
Have a little think before you start making your armour about the period you want to portray. If you can make your starter kit along the same vein as your ultimate kit you will avoid a mismatched mess when you're trying to go from old kit to new.
As a personal recommendation; Make sure you get a good helm. If your head is worth $100 to you then feel free to buy a $100 dollar helm. If you're at college you may want to protect the thing that keeps you there. I would try to borrow a helm and save up for that extra month or two to buy a more solid one. Also try to get or make wrap-around cuisses(upper leg armour). Leg wraps hurt.
