GMM SHOWCASE: Building the Boat – Cutting the Jib
Hello BoLS readers! Today let’s talk about building some sails for your sailing ship.
Recently on my Instagram page I have been running a series on past large displays for Adepticon – big monsters of miniature I have been doing over the years. They decorate my house well, but it feels good to dust them off and get them out there in the world again. Plus it is a good opportunity to go over points I never shared, and revisit the past. When making something so big under time pressure, it leaves a lasting imprint on a person. Can still hear the Alestorm and taste the Kraken rum late into a cold March night, plugging away on this beast. I want to share that with you, the love and experience of building something at the edge of one’s abilities. So sit back and enjoy – crack open the Kraken and pour a little out for my man Coleridge.
The huge sails were definitely a challenge. They needed to be removable, but I also wanted as much realism as possible. In order to make it happen I used elastic cord instead of twine for the rigging, which stays taught but also stretches for the whole thing to come up out of the ship and lie down for transport.
Using spade bits, a hole was drilled for a bit of pipe and large dowel. The pipe is epoxied, and the dowel a snug fit that comes out. Doesn’t look pretty here, but it was important to remove the planks temporarily to get a good hole drilled and not destroy them.
With that cured, More dowels were used as a frame. I used a eyelet machine to add points of connection to the sails and attached with model rope.
Normally I would just get it wet and throw it in the dryer like a true bachelor. That would cause the cut material to fray like mad. Bought some wrinkle releaser and it worked just fine.
Impromptu weights stretch out the wrinkles and give it a little wave.
Watered down glue in a spray bottle locks in the curve. This took 4-5 applications to really get it right, drying overnight each time. Thick material!
The mast, where a few extra figs would stand lookout.
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Thanks, and until next time!
