Fixing sails to yardarms

[mal]

Hi everyone i am from Australia and new to ship modeling . Please when is the best time to put the sails on the yardarms Before the yardarms are attached to the masts or after they are attached . Any advise would be appreciated 

[Louie da fly]

Hi Mal, and welcome to MSW.

 

I find it's easier to add the sails to the yards first - it gets complicated otherwise trying to avoid breaking things or getting things tangled up. If you're new to ship modelling, there are a few things it would be good to know before you do so. Check out what robands are (they're the ropes that attach the sail to the yard, but there's technique that would be good for you to know of how they work.) See https://modelshipworld.com/topic/13736-robands-help/

 

BTW, the whole spar is called a yard. The bit at the end is the yard-arm. As Michael Caine would say "Not many people know dat".

 

Nice to have another fellow Aussie on the forum. Where do you live?

 

Steven

Edited January 15 by Louie da fly

[Baker]

Before.
This way you can do this easily and comfortably while sitting (And also much better for your back ...)

[allanyed]

6 hours ago, mal said:

Please when is the best time to put the sails on the yardarms

Mal

A different take on this,  hope you don't mind.  Most, not all, contemporary models do not have sails.  I have done models with sails if requested but more often than not do not include them as they block much of the details of the rigging lines.  Look at photos of rigged models on the RMG Collections site to see what you like best, then go for it.   If you do go with sails keep in mind there is no cloth in existence that is to scale.   Most kit sails look more like burlap and take away from the look, IMHO.  For example, if the heaviest canvas is used for a sail it has a thread count (TC) of about 50.   At 1:48 scale that is a TC of 2400. At 1:64 it would be about 3200, neither of which I have ever been able to find.  Silkspan is a great alternative and there is an excellent booklet for $5 at SeaWatch Books on sail making.  Volume 4 of TFFM is loaded with information on rigging a model that you may also find helpful.

Allan

Edited January 15 by allanyed

[mal]

Thanks for your help every one  Also i live in Brisbane

 

[Louie da fly]

Yes, as allanyed points out you can choose to have the model completely without sails - or you could have some of the sails set and others furled. That is in fact a very common state of affairs with sailing ships, as per the photo below - somehow the background seems familiar)

and I'm told silkspan is a very good medium to approximate the thickness of tails to scale - I can't speak from my own experience- I've never tried it. It is used to cover the wings etc on (flying) model aeroplanes. I've looked it up in the past on-line, but it seems a bit hard to get hold of in Oz.

 

I've been to Brizzy a few times - last time about a year ago (we have relatives there). Nice place. I love the rain-operated fountainy thing in the centre of town - I once saw it operating in heavy rain - spectacular. A bit warmer than Ballarat, though.

 

Steven

[Srodbro]

I like the look of silkspan sails. 

I fabricate them using fine brass wire for the bolt ropes, which then allows forming the sail as “ billowing” as you like. 
I also prefer to mount them off-model, since my ham-fisted hands have difficulty accessing the yards if on the ship. 
I also found that, if modeling furled sails, to use about one-third less material, as even with silkspan the furled sail seems too bulky otherwise. 

But, to each his own. My models are not “ museum quality”, just good enough for my shelf. 
Have fun. 

[JerryTodd]

Even a large model at 1:36 scale, and with no permanent rigging up yet, it would be near impossible for me to bend sails to yards without something going terribly wrong.

Mine are lashed at every grommet on the head of each sail to a jack-stay on the yards, which I do with a needle and polyester sail-thread, and a very slight touch of CA to set it.

Doing this before putting the yard on the boat is SOOOO much easier than trying to do it with the yards already on the boat.

Fortunately, there's only 17 sails to deal with.   

Edited January 17 by JerryTodd

[wefalck]

On the 'attaching' itself, you would need to specify the period you are looking at, as the method and fittings for 'bending' sails developed quite a bit over the centuries ... it can also depend on the region for vernacular craft.

 

Otherwise, yes, it is probably best to attach the sails to their respective yards, gaffs, booms etc. before these go onto the model.