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How Realistic Can One Make Sails?


Julie Mo

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I used a cake fondant  roller to smooth and roll the leading edges to give them weight and a good billow.

 

Paper is vary forgiving

 

Rob

IMG_9268_JPG_6c666e5a41b8dcdf9e56dc5a3dd3a9dc.jpg

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

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The jibs and stay sails work fine too.

 

Rob

IMG_8742_JPG_cf57d63286f18f3b539e284de7f1d75d.jpg

IMG_9041_JPG_d5cca955af0c30c65952ba9d5e0a7fd4.jpg

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Edited by rwiederrich

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

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19 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

The jibs and stay sails work fine too.

Rob, how did you keep the staysails suspended horizontally instead of drooping down from gravity?  How does the sheet remain taut?  Is there hidden wire in there somewhere?

Peter

 

Completed build: Virginia 1819 from Artesania Latina

In progress: Sultana

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3 hours ago, SardonicMeow said:

Rob, how did you keep the staysails suspended horizontally instead of drooping down from gravity?  How does the sheet remain taut?  Is there hidden wire in there somewhere?

The jibs and stay sails sheets are thin stainless wire painted to mimic rope

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

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Excellent work, Rob! I can pretty much guarantee that I'll be copying your method! 

Clear skies,

Gabe

Current builds:
Harvey, Baltimore Clipper - Artesania Latina
HMS Triton Cross Section, 18th Century Frigate - online scratch build
HMCS Agassiz, WW2 Flower-Class Corvette - HMV - card model
 

Completed:
Swift, Pilot Schooner - Artesania Latina --- Build log --- Gallery

Skeeter, Ship-in-Bottle - Ships a Sailin' kit --- Build log

Santa Maria, Caravel - Artesania Latina --- Build log

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11 hours ago, Gabek said:

Excellent work, Rob! I can pretty much guarantee that I'll be copying your method! 

Clear skies,

Gabe

 

If you have any questions just ask Gabe........

Glad I could be help...and follow my build log of the Great Republic and you can see pics of the process.......

 

Rob

Current build:

Build log: https://modelshipworld.com/topic/25382-glory-of-the-seas-medium-clipper-1869-by-rwiederrich-196

 

 

Finished build:

Build log: of 1/128th Great Republic: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/13740-great-republic-by-rwiederrich-four-masted-extreme-clipper-1853/#

 

Current build(On hold):

Build log: 1/96  Donald McKay:http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/topic/4522-donald-mckay-medium-clipper-by-rwiederrich-1855/

 

Completed build:  http://modelshipworld.com/index.php?/gallery/album/475-196-cutty-sark-plastic/

The LORD said, "See, I have set (them) aside...with skills of all kinds, to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts."

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  • 2 years later...

The thing that ruins model sails for me is the insistence that seams be stitched, because at the usual model scales, the stitching amounts to being cable as big as a man's arm and just looks cartoonish.
When you look at photos of sails, what you see and interpret as "seams" are shadows - not stitches. 

Jerry Todd

Click to go to that build log

Constellation ~ RC sloop of war c.1856 in 1:36 scale

Macedonian ~ RC British frigate c.1812 in 1:36 scale

Pride of Baltimore ~ RC Baltimore Clipper c.1981 in 1:20 scale

Gazela Primeiro ~ RC Barkentine c.1979 in 1:36 scale

Naval Guns 1850s~1870s ~ 3D Modeling & Printing

My Web Site

My Thingiverse stuff

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  • 2 weeks later...

While I see many excellent examples of sails in this discussion I would suggest also to give some thoughts to how to set them:

Perhaps I'm a bit fussy - especially for a landlubber -  but after all that work we put into building a perfect model I find it a pity to see it set up in an altogether unrealistic stance.

 

In my opinion it's best to imagine the model in a concrete situation to avoid an unrealistic setup: What amount of wind is there and from what direction does it blow? As the best point of sailing for most square riggers would be with a wind from an aft quarter you would see her most of the time sailing with braced yards and only a selected amount of sails set. A squarerigger with exactly squared yards and all sails set and filled with wind from dead astern therefore looks a bit unrealistic as the aft sails would partly or fully becalm those on the main and fore mast. Only mizzen sails and some on the mainmast would draw. Also filled square sails set on exactly squared yards plus equally filled fore and aft sails set along the centerline seem a contradiction. And with sails fully filled, the ship would hardly lay on an even keel.

 

On the other hand if you think about some light winds you could set as many sails as you like. Just keep in mind that with fore and aft sails set the yards again most probably would be braced. All sails set and all yards braced square could only mean that you are taking advantage of the present calm to dry all your 'laundry'. Which then should hang limp.

 

 

For my sails I prefer a very, very light cotton with penciled on cloth's seams and glued hems, reef bands and linings. The bolt rope is glued into the hem and - in my opinion - looks even better than one attached  with almost unavoidable oversized stitching. I use a special textile glue. This method is the result of several articles found here on MSW.

 

Some silkspan sails do look terrific (e.g. those B.E. made) but others still seem a bit papery and I guess handling of that stuff isn't as easy as handling some good old-fashioned cotton.

 

 

But however the sails look like - I'm a great fan of any sails on a model ship. The simply perfect the picture.

 

 

Cheers

Peter

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am still building my first model OcCre's Polaris - 1:50, the sails are almost done and are ready to be installed. I've used a Pine and Walnut dye for weathering and diluted PVA to glue the boltrope, but still thinking about the shape.

I've read this wonderful topic and learnt some really nice techniques for sails making, but still cannot decide: "To fill the sails with wind or not? If yes, what would be the best method to use?". 

The sails I'm using are the ones provided with the kit and are made from cloth (probably cotton). I've read somewhere that the potato starch and the diluted PVA are 2 possible solutions, but I'm not familiar how to use them properly for this purpose.

 

Edited by ibozev

Regards,

Ilia

 

Finished build(s): Polaris - OcCre - 1:50

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