Sails for the ship

I had posted a picture of this ship previously, but without sails.  I had started and stopped with this project a couple of times as I wasn't satisfied with the result.  I ended up buying slightly heavier cotton cloth, which looked better.
My current plans are to finish 2 x 10 gun brigs, 2 x 8 gun schooners, 2 x 4 gun cutters and 2 x 4 gun sloops.  I still have a lot of sails to cut.  I actually only have 3 ships ready to rig, but 2 more have the masts done and are ready to paint.
I want to mention once again that I probably would not have been able to do any of this without the use of my Optivisor.  My eyes are not what they were, and it works well not only for painting but for the stitching and running of small black thread.
The rigging is definitely for wargaming.  It only bears a vague resemblance to the actual rigging of a ship.
The next step is to buy a bunch of 15mm cannons for the ships.

More Progress, NQSYW

I recently finished the second company of my regiment, leaving only one to go.  The figures in the background are my company of Grenadiers.

My immediate goal is another company of line infantry to make up the regiment, a company of light infantry, an artillery battery and 2 squadrons of hussars.

The figures are fun to paint, and large enough that with the optivisor they go pretty quickly.

As many have mentioned today, Don Featherstone has passed.  He was an inspiration in my wargaming, as I am sure he was to many other people.  The first Historicon my friend Darryl and I went to, we were sitting at the bar and Don came up and sat down and started chatting with us.  Its about the only time Darryl and I have been at a loss for words.  

Optivisor - Love it

My wonderful wife gave me a gift card for Christmasa to my local wargame store (Tabletop Games and Hobbies - great store). I knew she was going to do this, so a few days before Christmas I went down there to scout around for what I might get.

I had seen Optivisors in advertisements for years.  The store had some, and I asked the Phil (the owner) if it really worked.  His answer was that it gave his hobby back to him.  His eyesight had gotten bad enough that he was getting very frustrated trying to see what he was painting.  He said it allowed him to easily see the figures well enough to paint.

They come in 4 different focal lengths, and he had me hold a figure and brush at the distance I would be comfortable painting.  He then measured that distance, and recommended the 14" focal length model.  He was quick to tell me to keep the packaging, because if I needed a different one he could swap it out.

If it sounds like we have a really great local wargame store, with a really good proprietor, you would be right.

So I get home, and tell my wife about this and that I would be heading to the store the day after Christmas to get it.  She gets the gift card and tells me we are going to get it now.  :)  (Have I mentioned that I have one of the most wonderful women in the world for my wife?)

The optivisor was all that Phil said and more.  Its simple, it has an adjustable band that holds it on your head, even my unusually large long oval head.  You wear your glasses with it, it doesn't make any difference.  I have a lighted magnifying glass on an adjustable stand, but I couldn't use it.  It seemed to flatten everything out and I had trouble controlling the brush.  The optivisor is binocular, so you see in 3 dimensions.  It works incredibly well.  I have been able to paint more in the last 2 weeks than I did in the past 4 months.

I really recommend this product for anyone who is having trouble with close work.  Its probably the best $50 I ever spent on the hobby.