The Sails: Am I the only one underwhelmed by them?

[Northern Wolves]

So please merge this with an existing appropriate thread if I've missed it, but I'd like to discuss the sails and what others feel about them and what, if any modifications are popular.

I've seen the very expensive and gorgeous mods done by the Spanish company (forget the name), but is there a tutorial somewhere on how to do something similar at home?

I'm an old school miniatures painter, but haven't done anything in years and would be starting from scratch as far as tools go for something like this.

I just don't like the sails, they kill the immersion for me. I get excited about the Constitution pack coming and then I picture what the sails will look like :/

I love everything else about the models and the game. The way the sails attach to the masts are the worst part of it. Has anyone successfully dremeled those out without bringing the whole thing down on the crew below?

Thoughts? Advice?

[Redcoat]

Hi Mike,
A year ago I made a little tutorial about how convert a SOG ship.
I add a link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/osisfyff6u...rsion.pdf?dl=0
If you want some more information, let me know.

Best regards and I hope it helps you.
Julián

[TexaS]

This Julián is the maker behind that Spanish company with the very gorgeous mods.

There's also Vol (Volunteer on the forum) who have a blog.
http://volsminiatures.blogspot.se/

I have not done anything about it, but intend to add ratlines when the Anchorage has made new ones for 74:s. It hides it rather well, or distracts from it.

[Comte de Brueys]

..., but I'd like to discuss the sails and what others feel about them and what, if any modifications are popular.

I know that WoG/SoG has always a model maker side.

But in the very first those ships are for gaming in my opinion and the should be affordable & stable.

So you havve to make compromises in desing and model structures.

If you play a WoG game you sit at a table, watch over two gaming mats and a lot of ships, keeping on overview.

The minis look awesome in battle and maneuvering over the mats.

Not a single games complaint about the sails or what's more important for me as the game owner - ripped of a sail od mast during the game.



Can't give you an advice how to make the sails more better.

[DeRuyter]

Mike:

The sails and spars look 100% better painted and washed. A great return for minimum time investment. What I have done is paint the spars black or dark brown and then give the sails a wash with Vallejo sepia tone or Army Painter Soft tone following by an off white or ivory dry brush (although that is optional). You could also use a Citadel wash - Agrax Earthtone as well.

Certain ships have good sources for mast and spar colors. I just finished up with Le Hermione which those of us on the East Coast will soon see in person. Here is a shot of some frigates with the spars painted and sails washed. No rigging as yet....




BTW - Are you Northern wolves on NA and TDA?

Eric

[Northern Wolves]

Thank you all for the responses and links! Looks like just the ideas I needed :)

Thanks for the tutorial and those pics look great, any close ups of those perhaps? Never even thought about a wash.

DeRuyter, I am indeed, you're DeRuyter on there as well?

[DeRuyter]

Thank you all for the responses and links! Looks like just the ideas I needed :)

Thanks for the tutorial and those pics look great, any close ups of those perhaps? Never even thought about a wash.

DeRuyter, I am indeed, you're DeRuyter on there as well?

Yes. I 've been a miniatures gamer for many years, but I have only recently gotten involved with the MMO style computer games. In fact I learned about NA from a thread on this site!!

I did not unlock the Santi so I am going to be waiting a but longer for the OW testing, but more time for painting minis. I'll see if I have a better close up photo. Most were taken with an iphone4 and the mats messed with the focus.

[Northern Wolves]

I'm in the process of buying a house and it has a fantastic wooden workbench in the garage, I cannot wait to get it all setup to get back into miniatures and models, once I do that there will be tons of photos :)

I plan on using the above sail tutorial and lay out all my ships at once and do them en masse.

[Volunteer]

So please merge this with an existing appropriate thread if I've missed it, but I'd like to discuss the sails and what others feel about them and what, if any modifications are popular.

I've seen the very expensive and gorgeous mods done by the Spanish company (forget the name), but is there a tutorial somewhere on how to do something similar at home?

I'm an old school miniatures painter, but haven't done anything in years and would be starting from scratch as far as tools go for something like this.

I just don't like the sails, they kill the immersion for me. I get excited about the Constitution pack coming and then I picture what the sails will look like :/

I love everything else about the models and the game. The way the sails attach to the masts are the worst part of it. Has anyone successfully dremeled those out without bringing the whole thing down on the crew below?

Thoughts? Advice?

Excerpt from the Blog:

So the first order of business was to cut away the masts, sprit and flag pole. I decided to see if I could save the sails since the Langton 3-Decker sail set is obviously just too small for the 1/1000 scale. I cut the sails away from the masts. This was surprisingly easy. The plastic for these sails and masts is much softer than what the hull is made from, maybe that is why the masts break in the packages? I dressed the inside of the sails where the plastic was cut away with first course then fine sandpaper. Then I built the masts and new bow sprit. Next I attached them to the sails. I had left the fighting tops attached to the sails. This gave me a better anchor point for attaching the masts and I felt this would improve the sturdiness for lots of game play.

[Northern Wolves]

Wow that is exactly what I want to do. Where did you get the battle sails and what process did you use on the masts, what did you use for the masts? I broke a foremast off a 74 at the deck and planned on cutting the sails free and leaving the tops just like you did here, but am undecided on what to use for a mast.

Also what ratline set did you use? I see them listed on aerodrome but not sure what size would work with the 74's/Constitution.

Really great job here. I plan on making a water/wave base like the ModelJships. Love the jack flag, the flag on the stock Ares ships are a bit comical. I plan on making mine even bigger, much like on the Acheron here

[Volunteer]

I normally work on 1/1200 ships. For them I use .047 gauge music wire for the lower masts, .039 for the top masts, and .032 for the top gallant masts. In this case I used a larger brass tubing for the lower masts that fit the 1/1000scale better, and music wire for the rest. All purchased at Hobby Lobby.
I didn't use the Anchorage Store ratlines, sorry. I use a mesh I get at Joann's Fabrics that has thicker thread one direction and thin the other. With the thick lines in the verticle it looks like heavy shoud lines with lighter ratlines running accross. You will have to ask Gunner if he likes them, it's his ship.
I did make a "water wave" base insert for this ship.


For how I do masts, look under "How To" label on my blog volsminiatures.blogspot.com

[Lugburz]

Now THAT is a thing of beauty!

[Bligh]

Magnificent Vol!
Oh no! I am getting a feeling that a new job is looming on the horizon.
Good to hear from you also Keegan.
Rob.