Cathead

I've developed a method for making paneled sails from paper that works nicely to simulate the three-dimensional texture of a sail. It seems to offer a lot of visual interest, more so than a flat sail, and the procedure is pretty manageable. I like paper sails for several reasons: they hold their shape better than cloth sails (including a natural bellied curve), they have a nice texture (especially when colored by pastels), and there's no need for complicated or careful sewing. In this topic I'll walk through the method I worked out so far, starting with making the panels themselves. I haven't seen much else about paper sails on MSW, so hopefully this is of interest to some folks.
 
I first tried paper sails on my 18th century longboat build and was quite happy with the result. In that case, I just used a flat sheet of paper and drew on the seams and stitches. It worked, but was too flat. For my current build of a US Revenue Cutter, I decided to try making sails the prototypical way, assembling them from long panels of material joined at the edges. I first asked for guidance in another sail-making thread, which produced a lot of good ideas and guidance. This guide to sail-making from the Historic Naval Ships Association was a particularly useful suggestion, as it's chock full of detailed diagrams for the arrangement of panels and the overall design of sails for different craft. Following these guides, I made a few sails and was very pleased, so I finally put in the time to document each step of the process for the foresail of my revenue cutter. Here's what these sails look like on that model:
 

 
Cutting & Assembling Panels

I used bond paper, which is heavier and more textured than regular printer paper. This is commonly used for printing theses; my supply came from leftovers of Mrs. Cathead's graduate thesis. Beware of watermarks in bond paper; you don't want your sail advertising a paper company when you shine a light on it! As shown above, I mark a sheet of bond paper in scale 2' strips, then cut the strips on a small paper-cutter. Using a dedicated fine brush, I run a narrow strip of basic wood glue along the edge of each strip, then lay it out on the edge of a neighbor strip. A glue stick might work too, but I've been fine using this method. Repeating this process produces a nice 3D-textured shape from which you can cut the final sail pattern. Make sure you pay attention to the direction in which you lay out the strips; I did one of my sails backward (so that the seams ran counter to the other sails) and had to start over because it looked funny. Above, you can already see how the overlapped panels create more visual interest than a plain, smooth sail.

Next, I cut and attach any corner reinforcement panels. Then I cut thinner strips for the edging of the sails, and fold them in half. Then I brush glue along the inner surface of each one, and carefully fold it in place along the sail's edges. There are several ways to do this: you can brush 1/2 of the strip, glue it on, then brush on the other 1/2 and fold it over; or you can brush the whole inner surface at once. Although the former approach sounds better in theory, I've found that the moisture in the glue causes the paper to buckle, so that if you do the 1/2 approach, the strip bends out of true and is really hard to align on the sail's edge. If you glue the whole thing, it stays straight and is easier to handle. Incidentally, the same buckling-when-wet property works to your advantage in the sail overall; as the moisture dries between the panels, the sail inevitably takes on a bit of a curve, which nearly perfectly mimics the gently belly of a sail with wind in it. I also cut any reef-point strips and attach these.

Once the sail is fully assembled, I color it with artist's pastels. You can use your finger or a cotton swab to gently rub on color; the paper takes up the color wonderfully, and it really brings out the texture of the bond paper. The 3D nature of the assembly helps, too, as the pastel powder naturally collects a bit along seams and highlights the structural elements of the sail. You can use a mix of colors to get just the appearance you want. One important warning: don't rub too hard, and hold the sail flat. A downside of paper vs. cloth is that paper creases; if you rub too hard or otherwise force the paper to bend or kink, you'll never get that feature out again. Some folks may want to use some kind of fixative on the color, but I've never bothered; the bond paper holds pastel really well on its own. Just be careful about handling the sail with fingers coated in pastel; you don't want to leave a dark fingerprint smudge somewhere.
 
That's the first stage. You could stop here for a basic version, but I went ahead and added boltropes and reef points, which I'll cover in the next few posts.
 
 
 

The AL site, like those of many manufacturers these days, has all the instructions provided digitally on their website's listing for the kit. Look for the tab "Instructions and downloadable contents". I found it in a few seconds of Googling:
 
https://artesanialatina.net/en/ships-advanced/459-tuna-fishing-boat-marina-ii-wooden-model-kit-8421426205060.html 

I answered this in your original thread, but I'll repeat here. AL, like many manufacturers, provides digital version of instructions on their website. I found it through an easy Google search: https://artesanialatina.net/en/ships-advanced/459-tuna-fishing-boat-marina-ii-wooden-model-kit-8421426205060.html

Google "knitted military tank" and you'll find quite a few creative results, like this:
 

 
Very cool model so far. I haven't really dabbled in the non-ship parts of MSW before but this is too interesting to let go.

Google "knitted military tank" and you'll find quite a few creative results, like this:
 

 
Very cool model so far. I haven't really dabbled in the non-ship parts of MSW before but this is too interesting to let go.

The AL site, like those of many manufacturers these days, has all the instructions provided digitally on their website's listing for the kit. Look for the tab "Instructions and downloadable contents". I found it in a few seconds of Googling:
 
https://artesanialatina.net/en/ships-advanced/459-tuna-fishing-boat-marina-ii-wooden-model-kit-8421426205060.html 

Without a rigid wire core, in a model it is difficult to avoid some deflection of the stays.

Hung and rigged the boats. I had a bear of a time belaying the lines, the forward ones especially, and the boats slipped downward a bit. The manual warns of obscuring the gun ports, but that is what I ended up with- if the guns were fired, it would blow the bottoms off the boats! Would still have happened if tightened up to the point where the blocks touched each other. . . I'm going to leave them alone. During this operation I got the magnifying headset I've been using caught in the main mast backstays- almost a disaster but I was able to get it free without breaking the lines or worse. This is not the first time that the headset has caused me problems. It's fine for working with small items on the tabletop, but not for rigging! I will be looking for an alternative to use for the next model.
 
 
The martingale stays at the bowsprit should have been with one attachment at the outer stop, and for the other side, at the inner stop. But it does not look bad to me, and I will not change it. I broke the striker three times already! There is a paper band added below the cap for added strength, and it looks like I still need to paint it.
 

 
Another instance where I seemed not to have absorbed the instructions- I added ratlines to the mainmast upper shrouds. The manual clearly states that they are not required. Also, I had forgot to add the mast hoops to the upper mast, so I cut them, spread them apart and inserted, then used a dot of CA and closed using tweezers. I rotated them so that the cuts would not appear all in a line. These are not shown installed in any of the pictures in the manual, including the picture of the finished model on the cover, but I cannot see that they could go in any other location.
 

I add these True Confessions as an aid to future builders of this model. 
 
Down to a couple of items, then touchup. I still haven't selected the next project. I've looked at USS Constitution and Rattlesnake, but am not sure that my skills are up to tackling either of those models. 
 
Overall, I'm very happy with the results, and can't quite believe I have pulled this one off (crossed fingers for the railings).
 
 
 
 
 
 

Hello,
just a few quick photos to document current state. With sails being set the access to belaying pins etc. becomes more and more challenging....
 



 
 
 

I'm not sure where John got his, but Micromark (an excellent model-tool supplier) sells a similar-looking set:
 
https://www.micromark.com/Micro-Mark-10-piece-Planking-Clamp-Set

Nice job so far, and great work learning from mistakes and keeping a good attitude toward it all!

A few years ago I wrote up my method for making paper sails using bond paper and pastels. I think it works quite nicely and the thread generated some useful discussion of different techniques. See here: 
Here's what these sails look like the way I made them:
 

 

Hope this helps!
 

Planking

Planking begins at the keel with the garboards. These are large, laser-cut pieces that didn't quite fit. The instructions say to score the aft parts of the garboards lengthwise on the inside to help them follow the compound curvature. I scored one, soaked it in water, and it promptly split when I tried to install it. That was patched later. The other side worked much better without the scoring.

Planking  continued down from the subdeck. I soaked the planks briefly in water, and glued them one frame at a time with medium CA and finger pressure. The gaps between the planks will require filler later. There is only one layer of planks, so no opportunity to fix this later.
 
Models of the Seguin on-line often show a beautiful varnished hull, but the planks would need to be varnished before assembly. The instructions say that the original color scheme was copper red below the waterline, and white above. That's what I plan to do.
 
"A little caulk and a little paint, make a carpenter what he ain't."

She looks pretty good after a lot of sanding, but still needs filler. The hull is flimsy with only one layer of planks. I coated the interior liberally with Titebond glue, but couldn't reach everything because of the sub-deck. It would be difficult to make this model watertight  for RC.

I had my doubts about planking the stern like this, but after sanding the shape looks fine.

The real deck needs to be fit before planking the bulwarks. I'll need to do some varnishing and painting before that. That means clearing out my spray booth, AKA garage, next.
 

Framing
Nice to see some new names. Thank you for following.
 
I actually started building in early August and have put in about 25 hours so far. The framing and rough planking are complete. I didn't take enough photos but here's what I have.

Yes, Gary, the model only has 5 frames, and one of them doesn't amount to much. The frames are built up out of laser-cut pieces and straight stock. They don't quite line up with the plans so you have to guess. The keel is built in 3 layers that leave a perfect rabbet for the garboards (first layer of planks.)
 
Assembling the keel, frames, and upper deck was really tricky. I cut a dado in a long board to hold the keel, then tack glued the frames in place. I glued the 4 subdeck pieces together, transferred the width between the frame uprights to the subdeck with dividers, and enlarged the notches to fit. I carefully put the subdeck in place and held it down with tape. Then I flipped everything over and glued the deck to the keel and frames from front to back with CA. Whew.

There are 2 heavy stringers for strength. Some of the pre-cut notches lined up, and some had to be enlarged. The joint at the bow took a lot of trial and error, mostly error.

The stern has 2 brass tubes for the rudder and prop. The rudder tube has a beam attached to the rear deck that is quite flimsy at first.

There is an interior tray for motor and servos. The plans show much larger pieces for the tray but it's not clear where they go. I am just building for display and won't use them anyway.

Bottom view of the frame.

Yard Sale stuff removed, Starboard side glued down, and Yard Sale stuff piled on the Starboard side.
 
Once dry and removed, ready for planking.       Just gotta love those nasty seams in the middle.   Actually, the seams in the middle not not much better.   I had always planned to plank the deck, so not a big deal.   I plan to plank with "1/32"x"1/8" strips.   The trick will be to keep track of all those holes and transcribe them onto the planking.
 

 
One thing I forgot to mention earlier when I was talking about the temporary stand the hull is attached to while building.    Note in green below, the stand extends a few extra inches to "somewhat" protect those skinny extensions off the back of the hull against something sliding up against them or moving the boat and accidentally sliding it into something.     Not fool proof, but hopefully will prevent some  tears.
 

I remember seeing a finished version of this on display at BlueJacket when I visited in 2016. It caught my eye as a really attractive vessel and model. Great to see a build log of it here, BlueJacket often seems under-represented on MSW for the quality of their kits.

A few years ago I wrote up my method for making paper sails using bond paper and pastels. I think it works quite nicely and the thread generated some useful discussion of different techniques. See here: 
Here's what these sails look like the way I made them:
 

 

Hope this helps!
 

I remember seeing a finished version of this on display at BlueJacket when I visited in 2016. It caught my eye as a really attractive vessel and model. Great to see a build log of it here, BlueJacket often seems under-represented on MSW for the quality of their kits.

Thanks Cathead. Your reply reminded me that the whole purpose of this half hull kit is learning to plank properly. After thinking about your comment I decided to remove the planking from the first bow section band to build up frames 4a and 5 and re-fair that section of the hull to try and remove that awkward knuckle (I like the way you put that observation). The garboard and broad strakes don't exhibit that dip so I am leaving them in place.
 

 
While I'm in the process of reworking this section I am also going to address the counter as it is likely easier to do that now than after laying the second planking band.
 
I am curious as to how you addressed the counter with respect to the way the wale transitions into the counter and transom.

Would you not be able to buy online and have shipped to you?
 
I know VM have shipped to Norway with no problems.

Don't you hate it when builds are started and never seem to get finished, especially when the object of starting a build thread is to possibly help others building the same subject who might get stuck on something and need a visual aid to get them started again? Blue Jacket is top notch as far as kits go.

I remember seeing a finished version of this on display at BlueJacket when I visited in 2016. It caught my eye as a really attractive vessel and model. Great to see a build log of it here, BlueJacket often seems under-represented on MSW for the quality of their kits.

A few years ago I wrote up my method for making paper sails using bond paper and pastels. I think it works quite nicely and the thread generated some useful discussion of different techniques. See here: 
Here's what these sails look like the way I made them:
 

 

Hope this helps!
 

A few years ago I wrote up my method for making paper sails using bond paper and pastels. I think it works quite nicely and the thread generated some useful discussion of different techniques. See here: 
Here's what these sails look like the way I made them:
 

 

Hope this helps!
 

A few years ago I wrote up my method for making paper sails using bond paper and pastels. I think it works quite nicely and the thread generated some useful discussion of different techniques. See here: 
Here's what these sails look like the way I made them:
 

 

Hope this helps!