How do you display your sets, with or without sails? If with, how do you keep them clean and crisp?

[Lord Valgor]

Hello,

 

Looking for input/ experience/ advice. As my fleet continues to grow, I'm reconsidering how I would traditionally display my ships. Previously I would display them without sails, because I was too afraid that the sails would become dusty and/or deflated (not crisp). Sails I store in ziplock bags, with silica packets, and beneath books (keep them away from light, dust, and moisture).

I'm specifically interested in how some of the 'newer' sails (10210, QAR, 21322) have held up for you so far, but any experience is welcome.

 

Thanks for your input!

[Mister Phes]

With sails!  Because the ships don't look very good without them.

 

How do I keep them clean and crisp?

Ummm... Uhhhh... I hate to think how dusty they are!

[Lord Valgor]

Thanks for the reply! I was hoping to hear from a few more folks, but that's okay 

 

I think for now most of my sails will remain stored away. Maybe some day I'll get brave haha.

[allanp]

I get wanting to store them away, but then why have them if you can't enjoy them? You can always clean them. Years ago I found my skulls eye schooner sails in the bottom of a box of random bricks, all dirty and creased to buggery. They looked like Picasso sales! I carefully hand washed and ironed them between two paper towels and they turned out great. Just keep them from direct sunlight and dust regularly, then wash and iron as needed, once per year maybe? 

[blackdeathgr]

Or make your own custom cloth sails and keep originals for special occasions/exhibitions if needed.

To be honest most of the original sails are too "junior-ized" for my taste (with some notable exceptions ofc).

Edited March 3, 2022 by blackdeathgr

[PxChris]

I can't fathom wanting to display my ships without their sails. Like somebody else said, why display them at all if I can't enjoy them, and I certainly wouldn't enjoy them nearly as much without their sails.

[eldiano]

Use a lint roller to clean up your sails or anything fabric with toys related.  

[Lord Valgor]

On 3/3/2022 at 12:07 AM, allanp said:

I get wanting to store them away, but then why have them if you can't enjoy them? You can always clean them. Years ago I found my skulls eye schooner sails in the bottom of a box of random bricks, all dirty and creased to buggery. They looked like Picasso sales! I carefully hand washed and ironed them between two paper towels and they turned out great. Just keep them from direct sunlight and dust regularly, then wash and iron as needed, once per year maybe? 

Have you cleaned and ironed any of the newer sails? Talking from 10210, QAR, or the new Barracuda Bay? Curious if those would be any different. 10210 especially since I don't want those to lose their stiffness.

On 3/3/2022 at 6:30 AM, PxChris said:

I can't fathom wanting to display my ships without their sails. Like somebody else said, why display them at all if I can't enjoy them, and I certainly wouldn't enjoy them nearly as much without their sails.

How do you ships look after 1,5,10 years? Primarily I'm thinking of my 10210 Imperial Flagship, I don't want its sails to go flat and lose their stiffness.

 

Thanks all for the replies! You might be pushing me towards displaying with the sails on :D

[PxChris]

On 3/4/2022 at 11:36 AM, Lord Valgor said:

How do you ships look after 1,5,10 years? Primarily I'm thinking of my 10210 Imperial Flagship, I don't want its sails to go flat and lose their stiffness.

Most of the ships I own have sails that are much older than 20 years, a few older than 30 years, so we're probably looking at it from different perspectives. And while some of the sails certainly aren't as crisp and stiff as they would have been brand new out of the box, I've found ways to work around that.

There are other threads around here that talk about cleaning sails and I've seen people mentioning starching old sails. I have cleaned many sails to very good results, however I haven't taken that step of trying to stiffen any of mine with a starching agent.

[Mister Phes]

On 3/3/2022 at 4:23 PM, Lord Valgor said:

Thanks for the reply! I was hoping to hear from a few more folks, but that's okay 

The crew was a the pub...

Seems like some of them have sobered up now....

On 3/4/2022 at 1:30 AM, PxChris said:

I can't fathom wanting to display my ships without their sails

Nor can I! Does anybody actually do that?

[Marooned Marin]

We live in the universe which is based on entropy, meaning everything will eventually deteriorate and overall everything we do is pointless (very nihilistic I know). But that is not the point, the question is did we have a blast while we lived, while we rebelled against the pointlessness. Your sails will deteriorate in time either way, question is how did you enjoy them better during your lifespan, in zip bag or on full display? 

Let us rather run the risk of wearing out than rusting out - Roosevelt

 

[Mister Phes]

41 minutes ago, Marooned Marin said:

We live in the universe which is based on entropy, meaning everything will eventually deteriorate and overall everything we do is pointless (very nihilistic I know).

Isn't the point determined by the objective and the meaning we apply thereafter?

 

[Marooned Marin]

16 minutes ago, Mister Phes said:

Isn't the point determined by the objective and the meaning we apply thereafter?

Well that can easily be the case, but that gives us new can of worms question: 'Who' (what superpower or entity past or present) gets to determine 'the objective' on which we therefore do our best to apply the meaning?

[Jack Sassy]

On 3/8/2022 at 5:12 AM, Mister Phes said:

The crew was a the pub...

Not everyone, mind ye. 

On 3/8/2022 at 5:12 AM, Mister Phes said:

Does anybody actually do that?

My confession, I do! Out of the whole Pirates line I own Brick Bounty and 2020 Barracuda, Bounty is disassembled in a box, while Barracuda is underneath a sheet (to prevent dusting), it seems rather weird but that is how I take care of bigger sets in general. Them sails are in a seperate bag (don't see much use of them for now anyway). Technically I am not displaying Barracuda, but keeping it stored away. Ye decide whether I shall be punished or not for keeping the sails away. 

[AViewToALego]

I always display my ships with the sails on. Every three months or so, I would remove the sails and put the ships in a bathtub and then spray the ships on full power. This works perfectly and removes all the dust. After leaving it to dry for a couple of days, the ships shines as if they were new. Before I started doing this, I would always dismantle every ship I owned and polish them piece by piece, but I decided this was a waste of time. Especially drying every piece by hand. Oh man. It was a tedious process.

 

Regarding the sails: I have washed sails, I have ironed sails, I have repaired sails, I have sails with mold stains on them. I had epic wars in my childhood leaving the sails dirty and frayed. It's up to each and everyone how to treat their sails, but for me personally: I don't really mind. I even clone the sails and print it on paper/canvas and display it. My recent project was painting new sails with acrylic paint. Looks great!

Actually if the sails looks really nice, almost pristine quality, this just means the sailors haven't experienced a real adventure yet. Just laying in port. Friggen cowards!

Edited March 9, 2022 by AViewToALego

[Elephant Knight]

I display mine with sails. Every so often, probably every couple of years, I pull them out and iron them and dust them. I do find the newer stuff (2008 stuff and onwards) hold their shape much better over time, most of the sails still look as good as the day I bought them.

One way I found for the older sets, when displaying the sails, don't attach the lower section. Just attach to the top bit and let them hang straight down. the retain their shape better when you do pull them out and attach it properly, and since they are fully vertical, they don't collect s much dust. Downside is it doesn't look as nice. No wind billowing the sails. Has a becalmed look.

EKnight

[MarcoMak]

Hi,  I am the new one in this forum,  the photo shows my solution,  hope you like it. 

 

 

[Jack Sassy]

On 3/26/2022 at 7:35 AM, MarcoMak said:

Hi,  I am the new one in this forum,  the photo shows my solution,  hope you like it.

A good solution (however, it would take me whole desk to display vessels behind glass ). Do ye have more pictures of the diorama by any chance? Would love to see more of it. And if yer up for it, you could even create a new topic just for it, thus this lovely diorama would not disappear in this topic. 

[MarcoMak]

12 hours ago, Jack Sassy said:

A good solution (however, it would take me whole desk to display vessels behind glass ). Do ye have more pictures of the diorama by any chance? Would love to see more of it. And if yer up for it, you could even create a new topic just for it, thus this lovely diorama would not disappear in this topic. 

Good idea,  I will create a new topic to show more photos,  also I want to discuss about the lighting of ships too. Thank you.