FIRST CASUALTY, WHAT TO DO WHEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS

[Cpt Kangaroo]

I usually discourage players from wearing long sleeves, but it has been real cold lately so it can't be helped.

During handling, a sleeve caught a mast and 'snappo!', down it went.



Unlike the metal ships, these don't bend. So now that the damage is done, I figured I may as well get the best from a bad situation and show how to repair a mast when this happens.



To begin, we have to drill out the old mast bits and create a strong seat for the replacement. Always start with a very small drill bit and step up, making a pilot hole and using larger bits until you get to the size needed. Trying to do it all at once can only make it worse.



The next step is to trim off the remaining mast on the assembly, using a scoring method. Take your time with this step, as it will make a lot better repair if the cutting is clean. MAKE SURE YOU RETAIN THIS PIECE FOR MEASUREMENTS LATER.



Note the notch method of cutting in the top of the mast. By doing this, there is not as much stress on the tree. Plus the final is clean and perfect for the drilling portion of the mast tree. Use the same 'step' method as described above.