About a week after visiting my old art teacher I finally began cutting out the stencils I traced for the model ship. I did a few pieces and fit them together without glue and that was about it. Now that I can be more patient with this sort of thing I'm carefully looking over every step to see what I can do to make it work out the best. The stencils I traced were years old and have produced scores of ships for students and grandchildren. They were well worn and in need of some redesigning to regain their former shape. A lot of the corners were rounded, the edges were stained with ink or graphite, and some pieces were torn and taped or bent where stencils ought not to be. I was careful to note where I should cut outside the lines to regain their former accuracy and made additional notes so the next trial will be even better.
I've been putting it off for a couple weeks because I'd had neither the time nor ambition to do it properly. I also didn't have any glue which prevented me from doing any more than measuring and cutting. I don't remember the brand he suggested so today before work I just got a bottle of good ol' Elmer's™. I came back to the model tonite for an hour or so and cut out the rest of the step (1) stencils and then retraced and cut for parts I would actually use. I assembled and glued the hull and rear wall of the captain's cabin, then inserted the hull reinforcer and the lower decks. I remember how important the hull reinforcer was from back in class because he pointed out over and over how these flaps must stay up because otherwise your ship will collapse! So the flaps are up and I have a damn sturdy hull. Since this is a prototype I don't expect to actually sail it but just in case, I dipped into my 401k for some ballast to seal in the bottom before hammering down the planks in the deck.
This is the type of project that's difficult not to work on once I get started because of my instant-gratification gene. I want to keep going until I'm finished, even before the glue dries, which would ruin it. So I must be content to leave the hull be as it dries here on the table next to me and watch as the white glue holding the seams slowly fades away. And eveningdream of the many forms it may take, and of the day when it is finally complete and can sail the vast origami seas.
- E V I L O U T -
P.S. New emotions at emotioneric.com
Current Mood: meditative
