How to make sail look like wind is blowing in them

[ranikola]

Hello everyone, 

 

I need some help, I want to make my sails to look inflated, like wind is blowing into them.

The problem is that I already installed them on the musts. Is there any way to do this withaout using wire, with some lacquer, fluid or any other way?

 

Thanks in advance

RaNikola

[mikeaidanh]

I have not tried this yet but I have a notion that a soaking in very diluted PVA and applying a hairdryer  might do the trick.

Set the vessel on whichever tack you like, put a bit of "heel' on the hull, and apply wind! 

If your model is a full rigged ship then this process could take some time.

 

Mike.

[ranikola]

Hi robin B, sails are of canvas, Santa Maria, scale 1:50 lenght 780 mm.

[JerseyCity Frankie]

I think you could apply a stiffening agent then clamp the model in a bow down vertical position. Gravity would pull the sailcloth into the billowed sail shape. I know of one case where the modeler used a plastic bag of rice draped into the sail and the weight of the rice caused the fabric to bulge. 

I have had great success using a fine art supply product called GAC-400 sold by a company called Golden. Designed specifically as a fabric stiffener Its a water based acrylic and it hardens in the fabric. This product works better than white glue, better than "Stiffen-It" and "Stiffen-Stuff"( two names for the same product sold at sewing stores) and ordinary laundry starch too.

Check out my HMS VIctory build log, which is really mostly about how I am making the sails. Sails like the ones you describe, shaped like they are drawing wind.

[ranikola]

Thank you!

[BubbleHead]

A long long time ago this subject was addressed some what and one molder had pic of what he did.  He made a stand ( two vertical poles) rigged the sail as if it were on the ship ( spar in place) tied the four corners to the poles with a short line from the pole to the corner of the sail, turned on a fan, filled the sail to desired look sprayed with hair spray (final net ) or applied deluded glue.  I thought this was a grate idea.

 

TJ  

[Bender]

I don’t know how to get to the correct post, but look down about half way on this third page.