Subject:
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Re: custom sails
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.pirates
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Date:
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Wed, 14 May 2003 17:43:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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2517 times
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In lugnet.pirates, Tom Reed writes:
> In lugnet.pirates, Stephen Rowe writes:
> > hi! i have come to an impasse. i am trying to build custom sails for my
> > ships, but have hit a couple of difficulties. first, what does one use to
> > punch or cut holes to mount them, and how do you cut them so they bulge
> > correctly? i have tried a couple of different methods for making holes,
> > including a punch, and cutting slits, but neither worked very well. also, i
> > have been cutting archs in the lower part of the sails to make them bulge,
> > but they do not do so evenly. if anyone has any suggestions, i would much
> > appreciate them!
> >
> > thanks
> > steve
> Hi Steve,
> What I've found that works best for punching holes is a leather punch tool!
> It looks like a set of pliers only it has a wheel on the end. It allows you
> to select different sizes for the holes by dialing the wheel to the correct
> size. I think I use the 1/8 inch hole size for my sails! If you could find
> just a single leather hole punch in 1/8 inch size, it would work. I've
> found this works better than any paper hole punch or trying to cut the holes
> with scissors or a knife. It leaves a clean looking hole and it fits nice
> and tight on the round stubs that the Lego sails use.
> As for making the sails bulge the right way, I have found that first you
> need to have stiff material for the sails. If the material you are using is
> not stiff enough, they will sag and not look as nice. One of the best ways
> to stiffen them is using a fabric stiffener like "Aleene's" which you can
> find in any fabric store or Walmart. (A cheap method would be to use white
> glue and delute it) I delute "Aleenes" half and half with water then soak
> the fabric in it. Don't wad or wring the fabric as the wrinkles are hard to
> remove. I wipe off excess and hang the fabric until it dries. I sometimes
> need to iron it before I cut it or decorate it. If it doesn't come out
> stiff enough, you can repeat the process (even after the sail is finished).
> The stiffener will also help keep the edges from fraying. You will find
> that cotton fabric works best in this method.
> To get the right bulge, I cut the holes on the sails to be about 1/2 inch
> wider in distance than the stubs that they are being placed upon. If your
> sails are already made, then just set the stub pieces to be 1/2 inch closer
> by adjusting the length of the mast parts. To get a nice look, it helps to
> copy the basic design of the Lego sails. I always make a cardboard template
> before cutting the fabric. Use the Lego sail as a template for your
> cardboard template. It's easy to extend the Lego sail by just adding a
> little distance between the corners using the same curves and arcs as the
> Lego sail.
> You can see some of the sails I've created on my website:
> http://www.zyworld.com/tmot/Home.htm
> If you need scans of sails, I've placed a number of them for use on
> Brickshelf. Here is the address:
> http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=27997
> I hope this helps you. If you have any other questions, I will be glad to
> try and help. Good luck!
thats some good advice, thanks! i think i will try to stiffen my material
up, so it will hold better. i did not think about the cardboard template,
but i will try it! i am trying to build accurate sails for the period, and
have to figure the exact proportions for each sail so that when they sit on
the ship, the look to them is smooth, they dont look mismatched, and it is
turning out to be quite a headache! i will your techniques, and hopefully i
will have better luck!
> Tom
thanks
steve
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: custom sails
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| (...) Hi Steve, What I've found that works best for punching holes is a leather punch tool! It looks like a set of pliers only it has a wheel on the end. It allows you to select different sizes for the holes by dialing the wheel to the correct size. (...) (21 years ago, 13-May-03, to lugnet.pirates)
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