Albatros by Dr PR - Mantua - Scale 1:48 - Revenue Cutter kitbash about 1815

[georgeband]

I have used teabag paper to make a sail for a 1/64 boat. The paper was reclaimed from a used teabag and therefore has sound environmental credentials, but the size is limited. The photo shows a tea-stained sail glued to a wire mast; the seams are drawn on with pencil. 

A quick search on the web for 'tea bag paper' shows several suppliers who offer sheets or rolls at low cost. My intention with Whiting is to use this paper for the sails, and even to try printing the seams on it. At my rate of building this is probably a year away...

 

George

[Dr PR]

I have finally caught up on taxes, financial dealings for the nonprofit I am Treasurer for, my own savings accounts, and preparing a lecture - it has been a hectic couple of weeks - and can now get back to important things! I have a little bit of progress to report on the ship model.

 

I left off with the preparation of a sail, the main spar gaff topsail. The next step was adding the boltropes. These are on the port side of fore-and-aft sails where the linings were placed (on square sails the bolt ropes are on the aft side of the sail).

 

I made a few changes to my work area.

 

 

I stapled a sheet of parchment paper to the cardboard work surface (the other side serves as a cutting board). I also have a piece of parchment paper to place over the glued areas for heating them with an iron. The parchment paper seems to work better than the waxed paper.

 

The little Mini Iron II (Clover No. 9100) is a quilting iron for seams. I saw it mentioned in another post on the Forum as a plank bending tool. But it is also perfect for ironing the tablings, linings and bolt ropes after they have been glued. It is less cumbersome than a large iron and the  small tip gets into tight spaces. But I also used it to iron the entire sail after everything was finished. And now I have a plank bender too!

 

It is basically a 40 Watt/120 Volt soldering iron with specialized ironing tips. It has three heat levels, low (200F/105C), medium (390F/200C) and high(580F/295C). They recommend the low setting for silk.

 

I also mixed up some diluted white glue 50:50 with water. I like the white glue because it dries without a trace and you can loosen it if you need to with water or the diluted glue. The small clamps are essential to prevent the sail from moving while you are attaching the ropes!

 

This sail has a larger boltrope across the head (1/2 diameter of the main topmast stay) and smaller ropes on the leech, foot and luff (1/4 the diameter of the topmast stay). I used 0.012" (0.30 mm) rope on the head and 0.008" (0.20 mm) on the other sides.

 

Note that the rope is glued to the port side of the sail (opposite the tablings) and not to the edge of the sail. This is the way the books say to do it and it gives a larger surface area for the glue to attach to. I do not plan to lace the bolt ropes to the sail edges as is done with real sails, because the lacing material would be microscopic.

 

At the corners I created a small loop "cringle."

 

This method requires a bit of patience. Of course the rope has a mind of its own and wants to be anywhere but exactly along the sail edge. So you have to do a little bit at a time and wait for the glue to dry before continuing. The little iron does speed things up a bit. There were a few places where I had to go back and reposition the rope so it was nice that the white glue can be softened after it dried.

 

 

After the glue set up I seized the cringles with small stuff and white glue. This should place all the strain on the bolt ropes. As you can see in the photos there are a few small spots that can be reworked to get the rope exactly along the sail edge.

 

After the glue dried the small stuff was trimmed.

 

 

 

The ends of the larger rope across head of the sail were turned into a loop for a cringle and a short bit of rope was glued down along the top of the leech and luff. Small stuff was tied around the cringle for seizing. Here I did sew some small stuff through the sail material and around both ropes.

 

The head of the sail will be laced to the spar. For this I will sew the lacing through the sail material just inside the bolt rope.

 

Here is the finished (I hope) sail. Eight more to go (if I install the fore course).

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

I have been sidetracked for a few weeks but am now back at work on the sails.

 

I had to redesign a few of the sails. After reading about how sails are made I had to rethink the designs to make them as a sail maker would, using full 24 inch cloth widths where possible.

 

 

I changed the flying jib and jib to have a whole number of cloths along the foot of the sail, as well as adding the roach (curved foot).

 

 

 

 

For the fore sail and main sail the design was changed to have a whole number of cloths across the head and foot - and the roach was added. The  reef bands were changed to 6 inches wide (1/4 cloth width) and two reef bands were used instead of just one (Lees, page 154-155).

 

I plan to install the foresail and mainsail first, along with their gaffs and boom. They are lower on the masts and will be "inside" all the other rigging for the topsails. They will have to be tied to the mast hoops, so I want to get them in place before adding all the additional rigging that might get in the way.

 

Edited May 23 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

I have just plunged down the rabbit hole again, trying to learn how sails were put together. After reading through eighteen books describing sail making, I have concluded that whatever one author says another will disagree with it!

 

All agree that since the middle ages sails have been constructed with parallel cloth strips (cloths) that are sewn together. How they were sewn together and how wide the overlap of the cloths was is not always agreed upon. But most authors agree that for the last several centuries in Europe and America in most cases the cloth width was 24 inches.

 

Everyone says the edges of sails were lined with a bolt rope for added strength, and amazingly every author says the bolt ropes were attached to the port side of fore-and-aft sails and the aft side of square sails. This was the only thing they all agreed on!

 

The outer edges of the sail cloths (head, foot, leech and luff) were folded over and seamed (hemmed) for added strength. This was called tabling. Most agree on this, but which side of the sail was the tabling folded to? Almost none of the books say which side! The few authors that dare to venture a guess seem to agree that the tabling was on the after side of square sails. Some say the tabling was on the port side of fore-and-aft sails, but one author says it was on the starboard side (mainly on modern British racing yachts).

 

Some parts of sails were strengthened with extra cloth pieces called linings (although a few authors also call tablings linings). Most agree that linings were on the face of square sails (the opposite side from the tablings). Some say linings were on the port side of fore-and-aft sails (along with the tablings and bolt rope).

 

The reef bands were sewn to the forward side of square sails and to the starboard side of fore-and-aft sails. But one author claims reef bands were sewn on both sides of the sail. Another says reef bands were sewn under the leech linings. But if the reef bands are on the starboard side of a sail that means the linings must also be on the starboard side, and not on the port!

 

You have to love it when one author says white is black, and another says black is white. And which end of the egg do you crack first anyway?

 

*****

 

And now there is Phil's way!

 

On square sails the tablings are on the aft side and the linings and reef bands are on the forward side. On larger ships bunt cloths and additional reinforcing bands are on the fore side. The top lining (to prevent chafing against the mast tops) is on the aft side along the foot of the sail.

 

For fore-and-aft sails the tablings and linings are on opposite sides like the square sails. Tablings are on the port side, Linings and reef bands are on the starboard.

 

Now I can get on with making the sails for the model!

Edited May 26 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

I have sails at last!

 

 

A few have the tablings and linings but there still are a lot of details to add.

 

The model is 1:48 scale, where 1 foot scales to 1/4 inch. The sail cloths were two feet (48 inches) wide, and that comes out to 1/2 inch scale. I have a metal ruler that is 1/2 inch wide and that really helped me to draw the lines for the cloths and seams. It was also very useful for cutting the sails from the larger sheets of material.

 

I mentioned earlier that this sail material is pretty tough (when dry). I am able to erase any errors when drawing the pencil lines for the seams. However, although most of the pencil marks are removed it isn't easy to get the last bit, leaving a faint pencil line where it isn't wanted. I found a simple way to fix that - I just paint over the lines with the original buff colored paint I used to color the sail cloth.

[Dr PR]

I discovered a problem with my belaying plan for the lines from the main gaff topsail. I had routed these to the port and starboard bulwark pin rails.  But this had the tack and sheet pulling to opposite sides where they might interfere with the swing of the gaff. And the halliard had no tackle, but just ran straight to a belaying pin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The topsail spar was fairly long and heavy; the sail and other rigging added to this. It would be difficult to lift it with just the one block at the top of the mast and no mechanical advantage. I added a ringbolt on the deck just aft of the port bulwark pin rail where the single block of a luff tackle will be hooked. The fall from the tackle will belay on the aft most belaying pin on that pin rail.

 

In the drawing the sail, sheet and tack are light blue. The topsail halliard is green, as are the main boom topping lift and the main gaff peak and throat halliards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the revised belaying plan.

 

 

 

The topsail halliard luff tackle belays to ring bolt 5 port and the tackle fall to aft pin rail pin 6.

 

The main boom topping lift tackles belay to ring bolt 6 port and starboard, and the fall belays to pin 5 port and starboard. The topping lift runs up inboard of the topsail halliard.

 

The main gaff topsail sheet, tack and brail (if any) belay to cleats on the main boom. This way the lines swing with the boom, gaff and sail.

 

 

 

I wouldn't bet that this is the last change I will have to make to the belaying plan!

[georgeband]

I am sure that similar problems occurred in reality while a new lieutenant was desperately leafing through his copy of Lever's 'Young officers sheet anchor' to find the right page. 

 

George

[Dr PR]

Especially if he is on a schooner. Lever doesn't say much about schooner rigging. Been there, done that!

Edited June 17 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

Thought I would post a note saying I am still alive and well. Work on the model has slowed as other summer activities are taking priority.

[Dr PR]

Still here. I have been working out the supplies needed for my next model, the USS Cape MSI-2, and that has taken a bit of time. It is summer, and time for outdoor activities. Now I must do the taxes for a non-profit (I am the Treasurer). Then I hope to get back to the Albatros and finish the sails and start the rigging.

[Dr PR]

I have been ordering supplies for my next build, the USS Cape MSI-2, and planning my next moves on the Albatros.

 

Before continuing with the rigging I need to clean up some loose ends (literally) on the deck. I have belayed a few lines but I need to add the rope loops. While fiddling with some of these I broke a hook on the static lines positioning the pivot gun. I just bumped the cannon barrel and pop! one of the hooks broke. I have broken a couple other hooks while assembling the model, and this has made me rethink what I want to use for the rest of the rigging.

 

I have been using the Syren plastic hooks (left in the photo). These are the 4mm hooks, and I am also using a few 3mm and 5mm hooks. They look good and are a uniform size. But I don't want to have to be replacing broken hooks after I have a lot of the lines already in place.

 

I decided to make some hooks from brass wire (right in the photo). I used 0.024 inch (0.6 mm) wire and formed it around drill bits that were the same diameter as the openings in the Syren hooks. The loops were soldered closed and then they were blackened with Brass Black. I was trying to make 4mm hooks, but as you can see my hooks are not as uniform as the Syren parts. Some look more like 5mm hooks.

 

I will use the metal parts as insurance against broken hooks. The model won't have a lot of hooks side by side in any place, so slight size differences won't matter.

Edited September 21 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

I have some progress to report. When I find time I have been adding the bolt ropes to the sails. Here is a photo of the sail loft with work underway on the fore course and a finished fore staysail.

 

 

It is monotonous work. The rope tends to wander off from where I want it so I can glue only fairly short lengths to the sail edge at one time. I use a tool to hold down the loose end and "paint" diluted (1:1 with water) white glue along the sail edge, While the glue is still damp I use the brush to push the rope into place along the sail edge. The glue doesn't stick to the parchment paper on the work surface.

 

Here are the completed triangular sails laid out on the sail loft (kitchen) floor.

 

 

Now I am working on the larger sails (course, topsail, fore sail and main sail). They should be finished in a week or two. Then I have to put on all the reef points.

 

So far I have found no reference that says what diameter/circumference line was used for reef points. One source does say they were flat braided straps that came to a point. Well, I am not going to try to do anything like that. I think I will just use the smallest thread I have.

 

While adding the bolt rope I had a sudden "oh, no!" moment. The triangular sails used a lot of the 0.008" tan rope, and I realized that when I did the calculations to determine how much of each rope size I need I didn't include the bolt ropes! I went back to my spreadsheet and added up the lengths of bolt rope. Fortunately, I have a lot of extra rope on hand. I should have about nine feet (3 meters) of the 0.008" left after the model is finished.

 

[Dr PR]

The bolt ropes are done. Taxes aren't!

[Dr PR]

Free at last, free at last! Taxes are done (I hope). Now I can get back to important things.

 

Next I need to add the reef points to the larger sails. But how long should they be, and what size rope?

 

As for the length, Steel (The Art of Rigging, 1796) says:

"POINTS, short pieces of braided cordage, plaited together as gaskets are; beginning at the middle with nine foxes, and tapering to five at the ends, and from one fathom and a half to one fathom in length."

 

A fathom is 6.0 feet (1.828804 meters) , so the points would be 6-9 feet (1.8 to 2.74 meters) long. At 1:48 that comes out to 1.5 to 2.25 inches (38 to 57 mm).

 

Falconer (Universal Dictionary of the Marine, 1769) says:

"... the top-sails are always, and the courses generally, reefed with points, which are flat braided pieces of cordage, whose lengths are nearly double the circumference of the yard. These being inserted in the eyelet-holes, are fixed in the sail by means of two knots in the middle, one of which is before, and the other behind the reef-band."

 

The circumference of the course yard on my model is 0.6 inches (15 mm) and the main boom is 0.66 inches (16.8 mm). That would make the course points 1.2 inches (30 mm) and the boom points 1.32 inches (33.6 mm).

 

Falconer's point length is a bit shorter than Steel's, but close enough for speculation. Half the length of the point lines will be hanging down each side of the sail, and at 1:48 that will be somewhere between 0.6 and 0.75 inches (15 to 19 mm) on each side of the sail, minimum. They could be half again as long using Steel's rule, or 0.9 to 1.125 inches (23 to 28 mm).

 

On my model the reef bands on the main (gaff) sail are spaced 1.5 inches (38 mm) apart. Looking at historical drawings and paintings I see the reef points from an upper band may extend from half to two-thirds the distance between reef bands. So I can use reef points from 0.75 to 1.0 inches (15 to 25 mm) on each side of the sail. I think I will use 1 inch (25 mm) on each side, so the reef point lines will be 2 inches (50 mm) long, with a bit of allowance (to be determined) for the overhand knots on each side of the sail.

 

Note: On square sails with multiple reef bands near the top the reef points are successively longer by a bit on reef bands from top to bottom. This allows for more sail material being gathered together by the lower reef points.

 

This leaves the question of what the reef points should be made of. I am not going to try to make 1:48 flat braided and pointed pieces. And I didn't include reef points in my calculations for the amount of rope I would need for the model.

 

I have a spool with 75 yards of tan cotton covered polyester thread (J & P Coates Dual Duty Plus) that is smaller than the smallest rope I am using (0.008 inch, 0.2 mm) and larger than the small stuff I use for seizing (about 0.003 inches or 0.07 mm). It is supposed to be for buttons and carpets, but now it will be used for reefing sails!

Edited October 14 by Dr PR

[Dr PR]

Up to this point I have thought the most tedious part of this build was rigging the cannons. I certainly do not want to build a model with several dozen cannons on deck that need to be fully rigged!

 

But today I found something even more tedious than rigging cannons.

 

 

What you are looking at is 80 reef points (or just called "points"). 13 for the topsail, 25 for the fore sail, and 36 for the main sail - plus 6 extras. The fore course would have 17 more, but I plan to rig that sail furled to the spar and I don't want the extra bulk in the sail. It took several boring hours to tie all of these!

 

The points will be 1 inch (25.4 mm) long on each side of the sail. I experimented and found that the overhand knots will consume 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) of the point thread each. I cut 80 pieces 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) long. Then I tied an overhand knot in each, positioned 1 inch from one end. I placed a crop of white glue (diluted 1:1 with water) on the knots so they won't come untied. After that I dipped the long end of the thread in the white glue to stiffen it. This end will have to pass through a hole in the sail in the reef band.

 

After passing the long end through the hole in the sail I will need to tie another overhand knot in each point, snugging it up as close to the sail material as possible. Then the long ends will be trimmed to 1 inch long. I suspect this will be even more boring and tedious that creating the 80 individual points.

 

I am also working on my MSI model, and have it built to the point of planking the hull. That will be a slow process, installing one plank at a time and waiting for the glue to set. While waiting for that I will be doing work on the schooner model to finish rigging the sails.

[Dr PR]

Here are the sails with reef points installed.

 

Fore topsail.

 

 

Fore sail (fore gaff sail).

 

 

Main sail (main gaff sail).

 

 

The ends of the reef points are fastened to the sail with drops of white glue. Some will need repositioning to make them "hang" more realistically.

 

Now I need to add blocks for the sheets and clewlines to the topsail and ties to attach the gaff sails to the mast hoops. The topsail will be tied to the topsail yard and the gaff sails will be laced to the gaffs. Then I should be ready to start rigging the sails to the masts.

Edited November 14 by Dr PR

[John Ruy]

Nicely done Phil… Your work with the Silk Span is incredible. BRAVO 👏 

[Dr PR]

John,

 

Thanks!

 

I will need to iron the sails again before installing them. The wrinkles iron out nicely.

 

I have built only one model previously with sails - a 1969 model kit (Billings?) of the Santa Maria with paper sails. Only three sails with none of the details.

 

For this model I wanted to see how much detail would be needed. The sails and their rigging are almost as much work as the rest of the ship. I still have a long way to go before it is finished!

 

If I ever build another model with sails I think I will cut the silkspan into 2 scale foot strips and glue them together instead of drawing in the seams with pencil. When doubled like that the seams look more realistic when backlighted than the parallel pencil marks.

Edited Friday at 02:24 AM by Dr PR

[Dowmer]

Well done Phil

[John Ruy]

9 hours ago, Dr PR said:

If I ever build another model with sails I think I will cut the silkspan into 2 scale foot strips and glue them together instead of drawing in the seams with pencil. When doubled like that the seams look more realistic when backlighted than the parallel pencil marks.

That’s a great idea Phil… Of course you would add extra detail. 👍

[Dr PR]

Dowmer and John, thanks!

 

A nice thing about the diluted white glue (Elmer's Glue All) is it dries clear and is invisible. So it is perfect for gluing down the ends of the points. Even better, it is totally transparent when the sail is back lighted - although the glue is there it is not visible but the shadow of the points on the back side is. The combination of silkspan and white glue is very good for sails.

 

In an earlier post I said if I couldn't erase all of an errant pencil mark I could just paint over it with the same paint I used to color the sails and the mark wouldn't be visible. While this is true, the additional paint shows up as a dark splotch when the sail is back lighted! Not perfect! But most models are viewed with light from the viewer's direction so it really isn't noticeable. But is is better to not have errant pencil marks!

 

Another thing I have noticed is that some modelers use multiple layers of silkspan on each sail. I am not sure why they do this. One reason for using silkspan is that it is very thin, close to scale thickness for sail material. Perhaps for larger scales (1:35 or 1:25) a thicker material would be better, but there are several thicknesses of silkspan, I used the thinnest for this 1:48 scale model, and it is about 0.001 inch (0.0254 mm) thick, or about 0.05 inch (1.27 mm) at 1:1 scale.

 

Light weight modern cotton sail cloths are 0.012 to 0.025 inch (0.3 to 0.65 mm) thick (1:1 scale). So the thinnest silkspan is about a medium weight scale sail cloth at 1:48.

Edited Friday at 05:20 PM by Dr PR