Sail print plans

[Jim Rogers]

I am going to endeavor to make sails for one of my models. The plan was to use silkspan, paint it and run it through the printer. I am going to print them the same way Chuck does his flags as this works really well for flags. My only draw back is I haven’ t been able to locate a site with sail line drawings. Any one know of any, thanks.

[Bob Cleek]

While I'm sure there are sail drawings online, the odds of finding ones that match the sails you need for a particular model aren't good. Add to size and shape the the vagaries of period sailmaking and my guess is you'll spend more time looking than you would drawing the sails you need yourself and then copying your drawings onto your Silkspan as you contemplate. Of course, in that case, it would be easier still to draw the details you require directly onto the sails themselves. 

 

Tom Lauria has a fairly good Silkspan sailmaking tutorial on YouTube. Check it out if you haven't already.

 

 

 

 

 

[allanyed]

Jim

What vessel?   The size of the panels, seams, reinforcing pieces, and more are available depending on what vessel. 

Allan   

[michaelpsutton2]

Deciding on the arrangements of the cloths linings, reef bands, gussets, et al is a major head scratcher  on my drawings. I will oft as not, make a separate drawing for each sail before attempting to do it on the final piece. Unlike you model guys I cannot make a new piece. Very little is correctable. Prior planning can be a worthwhile investment of you time.

[Jim Rogers]

3 hours ago, allanyed said:

Jim

What vessel?   The size of the panels, seams, reinforcing pieces, and more are available depending on what vessel. 

Allan   

ModelExpo American Privateer.

 

[allanyed]

IF, and this is a big if, the sails are the same or at least close to those of British ships, the following should be very useful.  Lacking actual contemporary drawings of each of the sails, David Lees' book gives details on the sizes of sails.  For the "square" sails he describes how to determine the width of the head, width of the foot, depth at the leech as well as details on the reinforcing pieces and more.  He describes how to size all the various fore and aft sails as well.  He notes that the information he presents is based on David Steel's The Art of Sail Making as Practiced in the Royal Navy 1796.  Either book should serve you well.  Hopefully other members can make further recommendations.

 

Allan

[Roger Pellett]

Steel’s Mastmaking, Sailmaking, and Rigging available as a reprint includes detailed scale drawings of sails for a wide variety of sailing vessels.  One consideration, American sailing vessels were often outfitted with cotton sails considered to be superior to British flax ones. This is often mentioned as a factor in the Yacht America’s 1851 victory over her British competitors, but I don’t know how much earlier use of cotton was widespread.

 

Roger

[Gregory]

4 hours ago, Jim Rogers said:

ModelExpo American Privateer.

 

Which one?  Rattlesnake,  Fair American, Prince de Neufchatel , Armed Virginia Sloop ?