making model yacht sails

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Making Sails for Model Ships

December 3, 2017

On my Model Shipways Bluenose build , I debated whether or not to make the sails. Many (most?) ship models do not include full sails. The Model Shipways kit was designed with sails, and includes the sail cloth as part of the kit. The inclusion of sails was actually one of the factors that led me to select this kit for my second build.

With the booms and gaffs rigged and installed, I would basically be finished with the build if I omit the sails. The remaining rigging is all attached to sails, so I’d leave it off if I didn’t include sails. However, the sails really do add something to the model, especially for a schooner like this.

So, I decided to make sails. I’ve never made sails before, so this will be a learning experience. Here’s how I ended up doing it…

Choosing How Sails are Displayed

An important decision to make before you start is how you’ll be displaying sails. There are three different ways you can go:

For Display

(I made those last two names up).

Furled sails are sails that are lowered. Many modelers choose to do furled sails on their ships. The advantage is that the sails don’t cover everything up and make a model look like a bunch of cloth. When doing furled sails, you typically don’t make the full sail, instead making smaller version. The sail is put in place, but is bunched up and tied to the appropriate boom or gaff.

Realistic sails try to show the sails rigged and set as they would be while the ship is actually at sea. Ships adjusted their sails depending on the situation. In most cases, some sails would be raised while others would be lowered. Some sails might be set off to one side. Realistic sails would try to show the ship in some kind of ‘real’ sailing state.

Making sails simply ‘for display’ is what I’m doing. I’m making all the sails, and installing them all in their raised state. I’m not going to set any sails off to the sides – everything is just going to be installed straight and even. You’d probably never see a ship at sea actually set like this, but I think it works well for a model.

When to Make Sails

From what I can tell, the general practice is to make the sails before rigging and installing the booms and gaffs. Several of the sails need to be laced onto the booms and gaffs, and that is nearly impossible to do directly on the ship.

The standard process seems to be:

Build the booms and gaffs.
Make the sails based on the plans.
Attach sails to the booms and gaffs as appropriate.
Install and rig the booms and gaffs.
Add the additional rigging for each sail.

I’m not confident that all my booms and gaffs are 100% accurately sized, and I suspect that the dimensions of my sails might need to be adjusted to fit my particular ship. So, I intentionally put off making sails until I had installed all the booms and gaffs.

Once I had everything installed on the ship, I could make templates for the sails that take into account both the plans and the size/shape of my actual build.

Of course, this means that I had a bunch of rigging for the booms and gaffs that would need to be un-done so the booms and gaffs could be removed. That was fine with me, because I had avoided the use of glue when securing the rigging. Everything was either tied off (easy to un-tie), or attached with a hook or shackle (easy to remove).

So, my process is:

Build the booms and gaffs .
Install and rig the booms and gaffs .
Make the sails based on the actual layout of my ship.
De-rig the booms and gaffs, and remove them from the ship.
Re-install the booms and gaffs, and their rigging.

For me, this approach (while more work) has several advantages:

Initially, I’m able to focus on getting the booms and gaffs properly installed and rigged, without the sails getting in the way.
I can start with sail templates based on the plans, and adjust as necessary to fit the exact size/shape of my ship.
Once sails are ready to install, I can quickly get them rigged without spending any time on the other rigging for the booms and gaffs, since those runs are already done and just need to be re-tied/attached.

Paper Templates

Making the actual sails starts with making paper templates. Some of the sails were too big to use normal paper, so I picked up a roll of white craft paper.

For each sail, I took a piece of paper and laid it over the plans. I marked the corners of the sail, then used a ruler to draw lines between the marks, giving me the outline of the sail. Some sails have curves that I had to hand-draw.

Once the shape was laid out on the paper, I cut the paper to shape.

A paper template for the jib sail.

Next I positioned the paper template on the actual ship in the correct spot. I took note of anything that didn’t fit just right, and adjusted the template as necessary. Some sails needed to be made slightly smaller, while some had to be made slightly larger.

To help me visualize the sail, I also marked where the hems on the edges will go, along with any other key elements of the sail. For the edge hems, I’ll be folding the fabric over and sewing it. I’ll be shooting for a 1/16″ hem, so I used that size for the markings on the template.

The actual sails on the ship were made from strips of cloth, not one big piece. To simulate this, I’ll just be sewing lines onto the cloth. For some of the sails, I went ahead and marked these lines on the template since they need to be oriented correctly according to the plans.

The main and fore sails also have reef bands , which run horizontally along the lower portion of the sail. These were marked as well.

Preparing the Sail Cloth

Once I was satisfied with the template, I got out the sail cloth. Model Shipways includes sail cloth with the kit. This cloth is a medium weight cotton cloth in an off-white color. The kit includes enough to make all the sails, assuming you get everything right on the first try. I knew that wasn’t going to work, so I ordered two more packages of sail cloth from them. It was relatively inexpensive – about $7 for each package of cloth.

Sails on a ship were rarely bright white. I’ve seen that many modelers will dye their sail cloth to get a desired shade. There are many tricks for this, like dipping the material in coffee. I felt that the off-white color of the Model Shipways cloth was fine, so I didn’t dye my cloth.

If you’re wanting to use other sail cloth, look for something lightweight. Almost all fabric is going to be too thick and out of scale, so just do the best you can. I actually used some fabric from a local hobby store for a few ‘test runs’, and learned a few things. Look for fabric with a tight knit, so the fabric doesn’t start to come apart as you cut it. Also look for something without too much stretch, as stretchy fabric can distort the shape of the sails as you sew them.

Ideally, you want to wash, dry, and iron the sail cloth before you start. Most fabric will shrink a little during this process, so you want this out of the way before you start cutting things to size. Doing this will also release any wrinkles in the fabric. (I was too excited to get started, and didn’t do this.)

Once you’ve got your fabric ready and your template sized, you’re ready to cut some fabric.

I used a fabric marker to do all the markings on the fabric. I picked this up at a local hobby store in the sewing section for a couple dollars. This marker uses special ink that disappears as it evaporates. This means I can draw all over the fabric, and within a few hours the ink is gone. I found this to give much better results than using a pencil and trying to erase markings.

The paper template is used to mark up the fabric being used for the sail.

A note on marking fabric…since I’m going to be folding over the edges of the sail to create hems, one side of the sail is going to look better than the other. Often, you pick a ‘display side’ of the ship, and put ugly stuff (like the worse sail side) so it isn’t visible from the display side. I found that with the way I was marking, folding, and sewing the cloth, I wanted the markings on the display side. Making sure I marked the display side ensured that I as I worked I ended up with all the ugly stuff on the back.

First the outline of the sail is marked on the fabric. Be sure to leave extra space on all sides outside of the sail.

A second outline is made 1/16″ outside of the first outline. This is the hem that I want to end up with on the finished sail.

A third outline is made 1/2″ outside of the second outline. This one doesn’t have to be perfect…this is just a guide for cutting the fabric.

You can also mark the reef lines and strips at this point if desired. I typically didn’t mark the strips, since I was able to position those accurately using my sewing machine.

The fabric is trimmed, leaving excess material around the edges.

Once everything is marked, I cut the fabric along the outer-most outline. I used a rotary cutter (like a pizza cutter), which gave much better results than scissors.

To make sails you have to do a lot of sewing. I have no experience sewing. Doing all this by hand with a needle and thread was not practical, so I bought a cheap little ‘hobby’ sewing machine. That machine was junk, and broke within the first 20 minutes. Since I’m hoping to keep this hobby going for a few decades, I decided to go ahead and invest in a real sewing machine.

At my local hobby store, the staff helped me select a good quality machine. I got it for under $200. The advantages of a real machine include:

It won’t jam.
Variable speeds.
Selectable stitch length and width (critical for trying to get the stitching remotely close to ‘scale’).
Many different computer-controlled stitch types, so you can do more than just a simple straight stitch. This would end up making the reef bands much better.

It took me a few hours to get the hang of using the machine, but my skill level increased quickly. While I certainly couldn’t sew a shirt or a pair of pants, by the second or third sail I was flying along like a pro.

Since you’ll be sewing, you’ll need thread. There are three main considerations with the thread.

First is the color. This is a matter of personal preference. I’ve seen some models where the stitching on the sails was very high-contrast (dark brown thread on white cloth). I’ve also seen some where the thread was the same color as the cloth. I felt like the stitching shouldn’t stand out too much , and I wanted to rely on the texture of the thread to define the lines rather than the color. So, I went with a ‘natural’ color thread that ended up being really close to the color of the cloth.

The second consideration is the thread material. A hobby store will likely have hundreds of different kinds of thread. There are synthetic materials and natural materials. I went with a cotton thread. Why? No really good reason except that all my rigging lines are cotton and the sail cloth is cotton, so it seemed like a good idea.

The final consideration is quantity. I have no idea how to predict the amount of thread that will be needed (there may be some ‘trick’ to it that the pros know). Initially I bought one spool of the thread. That only made two sails. When I went back to by more, they were out of that exact thread, so I had to order more online. That caused a week delay in making sails. Obviously you wan the thread to be the same on all the sails, so buy a lot of the same thread up front. Thread is cheap, and it is better to have some leftover than to run out.

Sewing the Edges

On to sewing.

The first step is to sew the hems on the edges. I start with the longest edge first, then do the opposite edge, continuing on until all edges are sewn. The cloth is folded over at the first outline (the line that defines the actual edge of the sail) and pinned into place. The 1/16″ line that indicates the edge of the hem should be inside the sail. Since the cloth was cut 1/2″ past that line (on that third outline), there is some extra material here that makes pinning easier. I’ll cut that off later.

The edges are folded over to create a hem and pinned in place.

The hem is sewn on the edge.

The cloth then goes into the machine and gets stitched up. I used the machine’s reverse feature to double-stitch the first couple stitches to secure the thread, then just ran a straight stitch down the edge, staying between the edge of the sail and the 1/16″ hem marking. I used a small stitch length so things weren’t too out of scale.

My machine lets me set the position of the needle, allowing me to get really close to the edge.

Once the stitch was complete, the extra thread was clipped off. I used a pair of sharp scissors to carefully cut off the extra cloth along the 1/16″ hem line.

A completed edge hem, about 1/16″ wide.

This was repeated for each edge.

Two edges meet in a corner.

Adding ‘Strips’

To simulate the strips of material, some modelers simply draw lines on the cloth. I decided to run a stitch for each strip instead. It is more work, but it goes pretty fast

The ‘strips’ of sail sail cloth are simulated with stitches. Each sail has a unique strip layout shown on the plans.

The width of the strips is indicated on the plans, as well as the layout of the strips. It turned out that the width of the strips matched with space between the needle on my sewing machine and the edge of the ‘foot’. So I didn’t need to mark the strips on the fabric – I just positioned the fabric under the foot and ran the material through the machine.

Reef Bands and Points

The large lower sails (main sail and fore sail) have reef bands . These are horizontal bands across the sails. My sewing machine has a setting that creates a stitch that looks like a ladder (or railroad tracks?). I adjusted the stitch length and width to get the desired size, then ran this stitch across the sail to create the reef bands.

I ran this right over the strip lines. This is easier than doing the reef bands first and trying to start/stop the strip lines at the bands, and you can’t really tell the difference.

Reef bands were sewn in using a different stitch pattern on my machine.

At each point where a strip line crosses the reef band, there is a short rope that goes through the sail. These ropes were used to secure the sail when it was lowered and bundled up. I cut a bunch of 1″ long pieces of 0.008″ tan rigging line and punched them through at the appropriate spots. I used a small bit of fabric glue on each side to keep these ropes flat against the sail instead of sticking out.

Corner Attachment Points

The sails typically have rigging lines attached to the corners of the sails. This means you need something in each corner to attach a rigging line to. From my research, it looks like most sails had a rope that ran around the outside edge of the sail, and that rope would form an eye at the sail corners to create the attachment points.

I decided not to add this rope. I wasn’t confident I could make it look good, and I thought the tan line would stand out too much.

So, I simply sewed brass rings (made from wire) into each corner. This was done manually with a needle and thread.

Anchor points in the corners were made from brass wire and sewn in.

Finishing Up

Once everything is sewn and I’m happy with the results, there are a few final steps.

I do a final pass to trim anything that looks bad (edges of hems, loose threads, etc.).

After all my disappearing fabric markings have evaporated and disappeared, I iron the sail to flatten it out and remove any remaining wrinkles.

Finally, I use some fabric glue along any exposed fabric edges (like the hems) to keep them from fraying. I also use a little fabric glue on the ends of stitches to ensure they don’t come loose.

Then the sail is ready to install!

A few completed sails on the ship.

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I have rearranged the information into separate web pages. The one page was getting too large was slow to load and difficult then to navigate. Hopefully by dividing the information into separate areas navigation will be easier.

There are many resources which offer all sorts of assistance to the beginner model sail maker. I have used as many as I could find including the following and would like to share some of my findings. I'm sure some will find fault with my ideas and I am only too happy to receive feedback. E-mail me on [email protected]

Lester Gilbert's one metre site

Larry Robinson's book on 'How To' make sails advertised in Radio Yacht Supplies Australia ; Radio Sailing Shop

While not specifically for models this program the ' SailCut CAD ' program allows plotting of panels etc for sails. Its discussions and examples are very useful. This is a free download but does require some computer knowledge to set up

An excellent article by Paul Bogataj on " How do sails work " - essential reading!

In all of this literature there appears to be two common themes

1. To achieve a truly efficient sail it must be constructed with separate panels with built in shape or curvature.

2. Some means has to be used to hold the edges of the panels to the correct shape while joining them.

page, I publish Larry Robinson's "Making Model Yacht Sails" (part 1) booklet through SAILSetc, who can be contacted at "sales" at "sailsetc.com".

Larry wrote a second booklet, "part 2", and has kindly agreed to providing it as a free download: click or right-click and save it to your hard drive.

Bob Wells notes:

While the "string" part of the booklet is of somewhat limited interest, other sections of "Part 2" are more generally useful. Larry describes a "crease removal tool" in an appendix, for example, and also provides some FAQs on model yacht sails which have application beyond the confines of the EC-12 class.

Thanks Larry!

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	You could also do a google search on "broadseaming" or "sailmakers block". They'll probably return some links to here



	compilation of sites: photos of a sail design board:
	.



	), downloadable and written with the sailmaking noob in mind. These notes helped me a lot, making my first (and second and...) set of sails ! Regards, Jan.



	Part of this, now, 37 page thread describes a neat device, "Claudio's gadget". There are several devices available to help you place the camber into your sail without inducing bad wrinkles into the seam (eg. sail board, sail blocks, the gadget). The gadget looks to me to be the simplest to construct. There are many pages discussing the gadget, but I think these are the relevant pages for a quick overview: Photo series of gadget in use, page 33. Written instructions, page 37. Right and wrong way to use gadget, page 12. Much of the discussion seems to be about calibrating the gadget to get exactly the draft you want. As a beginner, I am not as concerned about achieving that level of precision as a full out racing sailor. It looks to me as if you could get a decent sail w/o worrying about these concerns, important though they might be to an expert. I plan to make the gadget and try it out with florist's wrap and with tyvek. ----------- Update: Claudio's gadget works like a charm! Very easy to make and to use. All I did was rip a 1/4" strip off a piece of lath (previously planed smooth by John). I screwed the ripped piece back onto the remaining lathe with one small screw in the middle. For wedges I used pieces of pine wedges sold in a packet for leveling tables, window sashes, etc. Add 2 clamps and the gadget is finished :-). Two tests with Tyvek showed that the gadget works great with one modification. Tyvek is "fused felt", with no weave. My Tyvek will not let me remove tape; the tape pulls the felt apart (there is no mechanical structure, ie warp and woof, holding the fibers together). Since the sail is taped to the gadget, then peeled off when done, this would be a problem. The problem would not arise with smooth mylar or with cloth, each of which will allow removal of tape w/o damage. The simple solution I used was to pre-tape the first Tyvek sail panel with generic brand "magic" tape along the edge that would be stuck down to the gadget. By leaving a tail of magic tape extending past the Tyvek, I had a nice handle to peel the sail from the gadget. Magic tape is thinner than regular cellophane tape. This extra tape might make the seam stiffer than normal, I'll have to actually sail with the Tyvek sail and see if it poses a problem. Tyvek itself is stiffer than the tape, so perhaps nothing will happen. The Sailsetc document (Sailmaking Notes, Tech TI 20) says to use "3-6mm arc per 1 meter of seam". This seemed pretty small on my tests. I tried using about 12mm and the seam looked flawless. The big advantage of the gadget, for me, is that it is easy to get a perfect seam on the first laydown of the 2nd panel onto the 1st panel. Since I can't pull up and reposition w/o damage, the gadget is the way to go for Tyvek, I'd say.
	.




	.

Part of this, now, 37 page thread describes a neat device, "Claudio's gadget". There are several devices available to help you place the camber into your sail without inducing bad wrinkles into the seam (eg. sail board, sail blocks, the gadget). The gadget looks to me to be the simplest to construct. There are many pages discussing the gadget, but I think these are the relevant pages for a quick overview:

Photo series of gadget in use, page 33.
Written instructions, page 37.
Right and wrong way to use gadget, page 12.

Much of the discussion seems to be about calibrating the gadget to get exactly the draft you want. As a beginner, I am not as concerned about achieving that level of precision as a full out racing sailor. It looks to me as if you could get a decent sail w/o worrying about these concerns, important though they might be to an expert.

I plan to make the gadget and try it out with florist's wrap and with tyvek.
-----------
Update: Claudio's gadget works like a charm! Very easy to make and to use. All I did was rip a 1/4" strip off a piece of lath (previously planed smooth by John). I screwed the ripped piece back onto the remaining lathe with one small screw in the middle. For wedges I used pieces of pine wedges sold in a packet for leveling tables, window sashes, etc. Add 2 clamps and the gadget is finished :-).

Two tests with Tyvek showed that the gadget works great with one modification. Tyvek is "fused felt", with no weave. My Tyvek will not let me remove tape; the tape pulls the felt apart (there is no mechanical structure, ie warp and woof, holding the fibers together). Since the sail is taped to the gadget, then peeled off when done, this would be a problem. The problem would not arise with smooth mylar or with cloth, each of which will allow removal of tape w/o damage.

The simple solution I used was to pre-tape the first Tyvek sail panel with generic brand "magic" tape along the edge that would be stuck down to the gadget. By leaving a tail of magic tape extending past the Tyvek, I had a nice handle to peel the sail from the gadget. Magic tape is thinner than regular cellophane tape. This extra tape might make the seam stiffer than normal, I'll have to actually sail with the Tyvek sail and see if it poses a problem. Tyvek itself is stiffer than the tape, so perhaps nothing will happen.

The Sailsetc document (Sailmaking Notes, Tech TI 20) says to use "3-6mm arc per 1 meter of seam". This seemed pretty small on my tests. I tried using about 12mm and the seam looked flawless. The big advantage of the gadget, for me, is that it is easy to get a perfect seam on the first laydown of the 2nd panel onto the 1st panel. Since I can't pull up and reposition w/o damage, the gadget is the way to go for Tyvek, I'd say.



	The gadget, poster tape, clamps, wedges and shims. Closeup of the wedge in place. You can mark lines on the wedge indicating the wedge's thickness at various points, allowing you to get symetrical placement.
	.

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Masting, rigging and sails

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Your best sail cloth and technique

By steven sturgis March 11, 2015 in Masting, rigging and sails

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Click on the Nautical Research Guild Home Page straight up to the top of the page, then, click on Ship Modeling Resources, then, click on Ship Modeling Database of Articles, Then click Rigging and Sails, then click the pdf "Making and forming sails for your model."

I could have pasted the direct link, but thought it better for you to see everything that was available here on MSW.

You can go to a Joanne's or any yard goods store and buy Egyptian cotton, almost silk like. Coffee and/or tea make good stains, very controllable.

I'm certain there will be other suggestions to follow....

LFrankCPA and tasmanian

Thank you twintrow. I did look at that but some one needs to go back and up date the links. About 80% don't work any more. I was going for full rigged full sails. Can you do that in paper? 1/8 scale

Im sure this is old hat to the expert modelers but passing on that knowledge is needed by the next generation of builders

JerseyCity Frankie

I make sails for models in scale 1:75 with seams of the cloths sewing marked with single thread ( courtesy of Admiral ). For models in scale 1:100 I use computer printing of cloths lines and reef bands on thermal transferring paper for ironing on to sails fabric . Sails leech, head and foot ropes are fixed in its place with use of textile adhesive .

Material for sails I prefer is old bed linen many, many times washed .

Work step by step

1.Make paper stencil for each sail and check it’s dimensions on your model.

2.With soft pencil transfer all lines in to fabric – add stripe 5-7 mm around

sail edges.

3.Make all necessary lines on fabric using sewing machine and thin thread with light brown or beige color.

For sails with thermal transferring of line any sewing is not necessary.

Cut of sail shape.

4. Fold the edges stripe to reverse side of sail and apply textile adhesive

5. Put sail on flat surface protected against glue adhesion ( wax paper )

and fix it with pins and nails for forming clews.

Using textile adhesive attach thread around sail and form clews and cringles as necessary.

After adhesive excess removal from sail surface and final ironing your sail is ready.

Foto 1-10 Sail making Step by Step

Foto 11 HMS Speedy - printed sails

Foto 12 HMS Warrior - printed sails

Foto 13 Patern for printing sails for S/S Savannah

Mirabell61 , CaptainSteve , Landlubber Mike and 9 others

I wouldn't use paper. If you don't want to use cloth, use silkspan from a hobby shop that deals with the RC guys/gals. It comes in various weights and you'd probably need to acquire small amounts of several sizes to find which one works best for you.

Canute and Elia

Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build: Past Builds: La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD Tri ton Cross-Section

NRG Hallf Hull Planking Kit HMS Sphinx 1775 - Vanguard Models - 1:64

Non-Ship Model: On hold, maybe forever:

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)

Good stuff.

I have seen some members using silkspan and modelspan. Any thought on this material. I'm not familiar with thermal transferring paper. can you elaborate. How do you use textile adhesive with out making a mess? Is it diluted in any way?

The adhesive is not diluted , unwanted stains of adhesive on sails can be easily removed by scraping .

Thanks for outlining the step by step process you use. In my opinion, the thermal transfer is brilliant. I have been hesitating to start my sails for quite a while because I don't want to sew the seam lines (I think they would look too bulky) and I don't trust myself to be able to draw them evenly using pencil. You have certainly given me something to think about! I imagine transfer will be more durable than pencil - another plus for the technique.

Current build -- MS Bluenose

Future build - MS Flying Fish

"A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for." - William G. T. Shedd

Guest Tim I.

Good stuff. I have seen some members using silkspan and modelspan. Any thought on this material. I'm not familiar with thermal transferring paper. can you elaborate. How do you use textile adhesive with out making a mess? Is it diluted in any way?

Silk span is easy to work with. PVA glue works well and any glue that moves outside what you are trying to glue will dry clear. Also Rubber Cement works well, if applied sparingly. Here are some sails I have done using silk span. Nothing to write home about, but my first attempts at sail making.

I use strips of silk span to simulate seams and sail detail and work them up in layers. You can also add bolt ropes and reef points to add more detail. I did not go into a lot of detail with these, rather kept them simple to work on my technique. Also if you use PVA a good idea is to press the sails between some parchment paper and heavy books while drying to prevent buckling or bubbling of the thin strips of silk span.

I hope this helps.

I like the look of the silkspan and the layering of the cloth details. What weight silkspan do you use?

Not quite sure on the weight. I just bought what my local hobby store has. This Silk Span in my pictures is the "SGM White".

Hope this helps,

A question about silkspan. Can it achieve the draped and folded look of clewed up sails? Or will it be too stiff? I want to show my ship in the process of reducing to battle sail.

Laissez le bon temps rouler !

Current Build: Le Soleil Royal

Completed Build : Amerigo Vespucci

Just saw this while looking for a source for Sig Silkspan, source of quote is the Stuntbarn an RC Forum:

"Title: Silk Span Covering

Post by: ericrule on October 22, 2012, 12:10:29 PM I just got off the telephone with Sig Mfg where they informed me that they will no longer have silk span available. At the present time they have only OO (Light) in stock and when that is gone they will no longer be able to obtain it.

According to the person I spoke to the company that supplied the silk span is out of business and they can not find any other supplier. Mike is searching for a new source but it does not look like he is having any luck."

So not sure if real or not....? But if true silkspan may not be around loong??

Just saw this while looking for a source for Sig Silkspan, source of quote is the Stuntbarn an RC Forum: "Title: Silk Span Covering Post by: ericrule on October 22, 2012, 12:10:29 PM I just got off the telephone with Sig Mfg where they informed me that they will no longer have silk span available. At the present time they have only OO (Light) in stock and when that is gone they will no longer be able to obtain it. According to the person I spoke to the company that supplied the silk span is out of business and they can not find any other supplier. Mike is searching for a new source but it does not look like he is having any luck." So not sure if real or not....? But if true silkspan may not be around loong?? Tom

That is what my local hobby store told me as well. That is why I bought out everything they had, for stock.

Oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!! Say it ain't so.

Thank you all this is good stuff. I hope I can still get silk span I would like to try it out.

Landlubber Mike

Is there a difference between silk span and model span? I have a roll of model span, but haven't tried using it yet.

Current Wooden builds: Amati/Victory Pegasus MS Charles W. Morgan Euromodel La Renommèe

Plastic builds: SB2U-1 Vindicator 1/48 Five Star Yaeyama 1/700 Pit Road Asashio and Akashi 1/700 diorama Walrus 1/48 and Albatross 1/700 Special Hobby Buffalo 1/32 Eduard Sikorsky JRS-1 1/72 IJN Notoro 1/700 Akitsu Maru 1/700

Completed builds : Caldercraft Brig Badger Amati Hannah - Ship in Bottle Pit Road Hatsuzakura 1/700 Hasegawa Shimakaze 1:350

F4B-4 and P-6E 1/72 Accurate Miniatures F3F-1/F3F-2 1/48 Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat built as FM-1 1/48 Special Hobby Buffalo 1/48

Citroen 2CV 1/24 - Airfix and Tamiya Entex Morgan 3-wheeler 1/16

Terminated build: HMS Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn)

On the shelf: Euromodel Friedrich Wilhelm zu Pferde; Caldercraft Victory; too many plastic ship, plane and car kits

Future potential scratch builds: HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

I believe its just a different brand butt lets let the experts handle that question.

For what it's worth I got a big roll of model span last year from CornwallModelBoats.

Steven, if you're interested in furled sails, I shared my techniques that I used on my Badger in a separate thread:

http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3944-landlubber-mikes-technique-for-furled-sails/

2 months later...

jablackwell

Those looking for SilkSpan can still find it at the Guillow model airplane homepage. It can be found under the spare parts section. Each model plane has a spare parts assortment, and the wing covering is an option for most.

U.S. Brig Syren - 1803 - Model Shipways - First PoB Build

Sopwith Camel F.1 - 1916 - Model Airways - Not a Ship! , Completed

Kate Cory - 1856 - Model Shipways - Second Build, completed

Sultana - 1767 - Model Shipways - First shipbuild, completed

There's more on using SilkSpan for sails in a new booklet by SeaWatchBooks, or as a new chapter in a new edition of Swan IV.

EricWilliamMarshall

Be sure to sign up for an epic Nelson/Trafalgar project if you would like to see it made into a TV series http://trafalgar.tv

1 month later...

Jolley Roger

For what it's worth I got a big roll of model span last year from CornwallModelBoats. Steven, if you're interested in furled sails, I shared my techniques that I used on my Badger in a separate thread: http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/3944-landlubber-mikes-technique-for-furled-sails/

Can you recall under what product name CMB was selling the model span?

I've been unable to find it on their site.

Samuel Pepys notes in his diary on 19 July 1667: "the Dutch fleets being in so many places, that Sir W. Batten at table cried, By God , says he, I think the Devil shits Dutchmen."

I can't find it on the website either. I'm fairly certain it was under building materials or something and listed as Modelspan. I looked at the packaging, and it had the Mantua name/emblem on it, but I don't see it under the Mantua fittings. Maybe email them and ask?

Thanks Mike, i'll send them a mail.

I am a passionate advocate of including sails on models so I am pleased you are making the decision to include them on your model.

I had a look at your Victory build log, those sails looks fantastic!

I think I will follow your method when I get to that part on my build.

Richard Griffith

Bluejacket Shipcrafters ran out of silkspan recently but they substituted model span which to me is the same material. I used it to added furled sails to Le Superbe. I am a very happy customer of BJ, not an employee.

Canute , MrBlueJacket and Landlubber Mike

I'm just using old worn bed sheets for my 1/100 scale HMS Victory. Check out my build log which is really not much at all about building the kit and mostly focussing on how I am making the sails. I bet if you searched through all my comments on MSW you would find 1/2 of all my posts are having to do with sails or rigging. I am a passionate advocate of including sails on models so I am pleased you are making the decision to include them on your model. I don't think the thickness of the material is that big a deal as long as the texture of the weave is fine enough not to draw attention to itself. Many very convincing ship model sails have actually been carved out of wood. My build log goes into a lot of detail on these points but I will just set them out here again: Don't use pure white sails, this will look too stark and in fact actual sails were cream colored or very light grey.(staining with coffee is super easy and very effective) Don't sew the boltropes on, no matter how fine a thread you use, it will look out of scale. Just glue them on. Do include sail construction details like reef bands and reinforcing patches, these give a good texture and are realistic. Look at all the photos you can find of reproduction ships that resemble your ship and try to duplicate that look.

JCFrankie, thanks so much for your detailed log on your sail techniques. I went with furled sails on my Badger, but was planning on doing a mixture of furled and unfurled on my Pegasus and future builds. Your results are fantastic, and I will certainly bookmark your log for when I get to that point! I experimented with tissue and a few other materials as well, but ended up with cloth as well.

Once again, a big thank you!

3 years later...

Hi I am making sails for a large pond yacht which will of course become very wet , if I chose a material that becomes too wet and heavy that will cause problems,

what is the best material to use

for a large expanse of sail.

My pond yacht is 5ft long not inc

bow sprit.

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Larry Robinson - Making Model Yacht Sails - how to build in their shape, a master class in sail making for modern rc model yachts. Around 700 copies sold by mid 2015 and still going strong.

If you want to know how to make well shaped rc model yacht sails, and make them efficiently and consistently, this contains all you need to know. The method used by the top sail makers for putting the 3D shape into the sails, as well as the luff shaping, is described in some detail. The design and construction of the all important moulds themselves is also dealt with at some length. Packed with other hints and tips and very well illustrated. A thorough master class in sail making for modern model yachts.

"Even those sail makers who have advanced to higher levels of their craft will find thought provoking ideas. Anyone thinking of testing the waters should be greatly helped and inspired by what they find here. In short it’s a master class in high precision sail making for R/C yachts."

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Sail Making for Model Yachts

by Thomas Darling

This article by Thomas Darling appeared in Yachting magazine for February of 1925, and was later reprinted in his book Miniature Racing Yachts.

All the cloth materials described here are extinct; the best approximation today is “down cambric,” used for down pillows and comforters; look for “long staple” cotton of 150 threads per inch or more.

The making of sails is an art whether they are to be used on large vessels or on a miniature. A great many novices have an idea that any piece of cloth cut to fit spars is a sail. We shall see, as we proceed, that this is not true, as several very important factors must be taken into consideration before an efficient, good looking product can be had.

One of the most important things to consider is the material out of which we are to make the sails. There are several kinds of cloth which will serve, such as Union silk. Balloon cloth, Lonsdale cambric, and the linen obtained by washing out tracing cloth. The first named material is a mixture of silk and cotton and is used by the English model makers extensively. Balloon cloth is a good material provided 1t can be obtained as it comes from the loom, as it will then be nearly impervious to moisture. This condition is said to be due to the peculiar qualities of the raw material which it is woven and to the sizing used in its manufacture. It can be obtained at model supply stores. Lonsdale cambric can be bought at any department store; only the best grades should be used. When washing out the tracing cloth use warm water. This will leave just enough sizing to allow creases for tablings or hems to be rubbed easily. It can be washed again when hemmed if too stiff, or when tinting for color.

Let us refer to Fig. 1 and get acquainted with the names of the edges and corners of the sails in a Marconi or jibheaded rig. The for- ward edge of the mainsail that fits the mast is the luff. The opposite or after edge is the leech. The edge which runs along the boom is the foot. The corners marked A , B and C are the clew, head and tack respectively. The parts of the jib or staysail are named in the same manner, the luff running along the headstay. Referring to Fig. 2, we note that the edge of the mainsail which runs between the peak, B , and the throat, C , is called the head; the other edges being named as in the jib-headed rig. The topsail has a leech, a to b , a luff, b to c , and a foot, c to a .

The edges of sails must be so shaped that when set the canvas will not hang as a plane surface, but will be concave when filled by the wind. In other words, the cloth takes the shape of a parabolic curve from luff to leech. This is the shape of a bird’s wing. The shaded portions of the sails in Figs. 1 and 2 show where the greatest bag or draft should come in sails of this type. Broken lines in Fig. 1 show proper curve when looking from top of sail toward foot, the draft being near the luff and fading out into a flat leech.

I advise making a template for each sail for a model yacht. This enables the maker to check himself when laying out another suit. If the first does not fit as desired, the template can be changed accordingly. Templates can be made of heavy wrapping paper or bristol board. As the jib-headed rig is the most popular, let us consider its layout first, taking our measurements from Fig. 1. These dimensions are for a 40 in (overall length) craft.

Draw the chord of the leech arc 49 in long. The ends of this line will give the location of the head and clew. As some allowance must be made for stretching, allow 3/8 in on foot, and 1/2 in on luff. Draw chords or straight lines between the head, tack and clew. The curve that is to be laid out on each edge is called a roach, and these roaches are what give the sail the desired shape. It is assumed that the spars are straight. If the mast, boom, or club has a buckle, you must allow an extra curve for it.

Measure up one-third way along luff, and lay off 3/32 in from straight line. Measure out one-third way along foot and lay off 1/16 in from chord. Divide leech chord into halves and measure out 2 in for roach. Sweep a fair curve from clew to head, giving slightly more curve at top half of leech. Now sweep luff curve in, and repeat the operation for the foot roach. Use a spline or batten for this purpose. Lay out batten pockets. These should be 1/4 in wide, and three times the distance of the roach from the leech chord.

When laying out the template for the jib make the luff straight, allow the slightest roach along foot, and shape the leech as shown in Fig. 1, 3/16 in being allowed for stretch on foot.

Spread the sail cloth on an even floor or table top so that the weave lies naturally without creases or wrinkles, securing so that it cannot shift. Place and secure template for mainsail, with leech chord parallel to the selvage, but far enough away to allow 3/8 in for hem or tabling. Ordinary straight steel pins are best for this job as they make a very small hole in the sail cloth. Outline the template, using a very sharp-pointed soft lead pencil. Mark the place for the batten pockets, at leech and the inboard end. Now measure out beyond template for the hem allowances, 1/2 in on luff and foot, and 3/8 in on the leech. Remove the template and cut to these marks, using a sharp pair of scissors. When turning the “tablings,” as the sailmaker terms the hems, it will be best to do it the way he would go about it. Turn the leech tabling over roughly, for its full length. Place the point of the scissors at the head mark using the right hand, and with the left bring the crease on the leech mark. Now hold this much of the tabling by spreading the thumb and index finger along sail as shown and rub tabling with scissors, creasing to the leech pencil line. The scissors are held in the right hand and the fingers spread as in Fig. 3. After you get started in this manner drive a pin in where the index finger would be and take a slight strain with the left hand, rubbing the crease with the scissors held in the right hand. This method will insure against distorting the natural shape of the edges, or stretching. Rub the tabling, singly, completely around the sail, and then place the raw edge in the crease which will give a double tabling when rubbed down. The tablings will now be 1/4 in wide on the luff, and foot, and 3/16″ on the leech. Tack the batten pockets in place. Do likewise with any reinforcing or corner pieces that may be thought necessary for more realistic appearance.

The stitching down of the tablings is very important. Watch the tension of the thread, both top and bottom, so that drawing or puckering of the edges will not take place. Try it out first on a waste piece of sail cloth folded as is the tabling on the sail. Run a row of stitching around the edge of tabling, as shown at “ a ,” Fig. 4. Fold the corners at clew, tack and head so that no raw edges will show when sewing is finished. Starting 3″ above clew on edge of leech run another row of stitching around the sail as at “ b ” and “ c ,” Fig. 4; ending 2 in below head on leech. One row on leech is enough, as it must be free and smooth for a proper set. More stitching would tend to draw or harden it. Sew batten pockets and corner pieces carefully, leaving a proper amount of slack in pockets so that they will not pucker the leech. Proceed the same way when cutting

Proceed the same way when cutting out the jib. Have the leech chord parallel to the selvage, allowing 1/4 in for tabling on the leech. Cut 1/2 in outside of template for tablings on the luff and foot. Rub them up as on the mainsail. The stitching should be laid out as in the mainsail, two rows on luff and foot and one on leech. Let the edge row run around head and clew for 2 in as on leech of main. Battens are not needed on this sail.

If the instructions are followed carefully, a well setting sail with good draft and strong edges can be made. There are other methods of reinforcing edges. One is to bind the edges of the sail with a tape which has been creased double. This is done on larger sails. One must be careful when laying the sail edge in the tape that a proper relation between the tension of the sail itself and the tape is maintained. The tape should be shorter in length than the foot of the sail. In other words, slack sail is allowed. When the sail is stretched out along the spars this slackness will work out and the sail will be smooth. Another way, and one that makes for strength and snappy appearance, is to place a fishing line inside the tablings. Work the line out to the edge crease and run a row of stitching as close as possible to the line.

Bleached or white materials can be tinted by dipping them into coffee or tea. They will then resemble Sea Island cotton. Should you tint your sails and they become partly wet when sailing, wet them all over before drying. This will insure against unsightly stains and uneven fading, and the sails will hold their shape longer.

If you are planning to lay out a sail plan similar to the one shown in Fig. 2, proceed as described for the jibheaded rig. Be careful to lay out the proper lengths for the two diagonals, 1 and 2, as these dimensions control the angle at which the boom and gaff swing. Make the head of the mainsail straight unless the gaff buckles, in which case you must allow for this condition. The luff of the topsail can have the slightest roach, but this sail should set rather flat.

There are several methods of bending or securing sails to spars. The most common is to fasten each corner and roll a lacing or thread about the boom and gaff, having hoops or rings on the mast. The principle of this arrangement is wrong, as the sail should not be in a fixed position on the spars. It should be allowed to come and go as occasion requires.

Fig. 5 shows a simple device which will allow the sail to be stretched out gradually and it can be completely slacked up when the boat is housed. The very smallest crochet rings are sewed to sail edges, as at R. Very small screweyes or staples are driven into spars, as at S. A thin wire is passed through these, being secured at gooseneck, and made taut at masthead and outer end of boom. Staples can be made by bending pins or using galvanized wire. A hole is bored in the end of the boom and an outhaul rigged with a bowser on under side of boom.

Figs. 6 and 7 show an arrangement that is neat and efficient. A small aluminum tube, with an inside bore large enough to allow the passage of a bead, is cut lengthwise and spread. (Refer to Fig. 7, view A and C .) This makes a passage for the thread with which the beads are sewed to the sail edges, as shown in view B. The tubes are screw-fastened to the mast, boom, and jib- club. As the gauge of the tubing can be very light the weight will be negligible. Figs 8 and 9 show the jib and masthead rigging, using this device. The halyards, marked H in both figures, can be run down to the deck if desired.

Bend your sail, hauling it out toward the ends of your spars gradually. Do not try to make it go out to the limit at first, for if you do, a poorly set leech will result. Pull out, exerting a fair strain each time the boat is sailed, and eventually it will be completely stretched. When through sailing slack your outhauls and halyards.

Supplier of Hunter Mylar Polyester Sail Film

Inspect our site for your sail making needs, hunter mylar, 36 - 50 - 75 micron in 400mm and 600mm wide bonus 1 meter with every 10 meters ordered .

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Catsails are specialist manufacturers of sails and accessories for performance radio controlled model yachts.

Proprietor Nigel Brown has been sailmaking since 1980 and has worked in some of the top sail lofts across the World including building sails for 4 America’s Cup programmes.

Years of sailmaking experience at the highest level combined with the best materials, high standards of workmanship and attention to detail have resulted in truly top quality products that are well proven on racecourses around the world. All mainsails and jibs are shaped using carefully milled moulds which ensures accurate repetition and consistency of shapes from one sail to the next.

Nigel has been building sails for the International One Metre since 2005 with sail shapes and construction techniques being continually refined ever since. IOM sails are well proven on the race circuits having won races and regattas in Spain, Italy and Malta as well as in the UK.

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When the DragonForce 65 was launched in 2013 and the DragonFlite 95 in 2016 Catsails soon became one of the leading suppliers of after market sails for these popular boats and they are now shipped all around the world and have powered boats to national titles in a number of different countries.

Catsails additionally make high performance sails for the RG65 class to fit both swing and conventional rigs.

Catsails also make custom accessories that are designed to protect boats, rigs and foils whilst the boats are out of the water.

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Precision Sails thrives on communication. At each step from design to delivery, we encourage you to collaborate one-on-one with our expert sail consultants in finding the perfect sail to suit your needs. Don’t just hear it from us. Check out some reviews posted on third-party review sites by our sailors!

“ Thank you for getting the order for my mainsail and stack pack done in time for my summer trip to the San Juans! Really appreciate the effort to get this done. The mainsail fits perfectly, the stack pack works great, so I am an all-around happy customer and will be in touch whenever I need to replace my headsail and Genoa! Calling out Jeremy Roszmann, Trevor Parks, Marc Pettigrew, and Gary Boylan for great customer service. -Andy Koller

“ The new sails look and work great! No issues with the install and went from being last place in the club races to 2nd place (and probably would have snagged first if I hadn’t gotten confused about the order of the marks in the race !) -Eric Van Hensbergen

“ I have had two sails made by Precision Sails in the last 12 months. Both have exceeded my expectations. The fit to the boat and the performance of the sails are exceptional. The sail designer worked with me to make sure the resulting sail fit my objectives. Precision Sails has excellent documentation and videos to assure that your measurements are accurate. The sails are first rate and the price was very competitive. I am a very happy repeat customer. -Terry Noreault (Facebook)

“ I am very happy with the new mainsail you made for my Corsair F24 MK1. I have just returned from a week-long trip with a group of sailors and the performance of my new Dacron main is much better than my old Mylar race sail. -Brent Nielsen

“ I just received my asymmetrical spinnaker, with sock and turtle bag, along with a new 135 Genoa. The entire process was simple and both sales and the design team were in regular contact if there were any questions. The customer portal was easy to use and lets you keep track of where in the process your sails are. Great sails, great service -Graham Edwards (Facebook)

“ Very responsive, excellent quality, very fair prices. When they were not happy with the graphic on the first sail Ron called to let me know and they sent me a second sail at no charge. Highly recommended! -Gerry Beltgens (facebook)

“ We love the design, quality, construction, and performance of our new 95% furling jib from Precision Sails. The sail works well with our staysail and performs better than expected on all points of sail including poled out dead down wind. The new 95% jib does not get as overpowered as our old 135% Genoa and it is easier to tack with the staysail deployed. The design team made the process of getting accurate dimensions easy, took the time to understand our requirements, and was a pleasure to deal with. I will definitely do business with Precision again! -Charles Clark (Google)

“ Quality throughout the whole process… starting with quotation, options and cloth alternatives. Quick delivery time and the product is very good quality. I am very pleased to carry my Precision sails on my boat. I recommend them 100%! -Marcos D.

“ I just received the 2nd custom-made sail I’ve ordered through Precision Sails. The process for providing measurement information and custom images is very clearly laid out in the forms on their website, in addition to several instructional YouTube videos. The results turned out beautifully, just as I had pictured it for both sails! -Michael Shafer (Google)

“ Just received my new mainsail from Precision Sail Loft and am over the moon about it. Darryl walked me through all my options and gave great advice. The measurement form is foolproof. They keep you updated with the status of your order every step of the way. I can recommend them highly enough. -Henry Gomez (Google)

“ I was introduced to Precision Sails through Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose on You Tube. I decided to try the online experience myself. I provided the measurements and had good conversations with the sales team and with the sail designer. The new Genoa arrived in great condition and was a perfect fit! Couldn’t be happier!! -Brad Hamrlik (Google)

Sailor Resources

The Precision Sails’ team has a wealth of knowledge on all things sailing. Tap into our range of useful resources and browse all topics ranging from the best cloth types to sail maintenance tips. Check out our Ask Precision Sails series where we answer questions provided by sailors like you!

How to Measure for a New Mainsail

If you can read a tape measure you can measure your boat for a new Mainsail.

Purchasing a new Mainsail for your sailboat is one of those investments that every sailor will be faced with eventually. Sails don’t last for ever, even if you treat them like gold. Once you have decided to invest in new sails you may get that feeling of being over whelmed by the choices and the details involved. When deciding on a loft to work with make sure you choose a loft that will offer a good consultation on the cloth and sail feature choices as well as a design consultation if you want one.

Jibs vs. Genoas

Get to know the difference!

Jibs and Genoas are triangular sails which are affixed to a stay in front of the mast. Typically they run from the head of the foremast to the bowsprit. Jibs and genoa’s are used in tandem with a mainsail to stabilize the vessel and are usually measured by their Luff Perpendicular percentage, that is, how much area within the fore-triangle they use.

Taking Headsail Measurements with the Mast Down

Measuring your Headsail with your mast down is still possible.

Step by Step How To Instructions and Videos on how to collect your boats measurements for a your new headsail. Watch Jeremy Roszmann, sail designer, walk us through how to collecte great measurements to build a headsail with.

How To Measure for a New Spinnaker

Learn how to measure your boat and rig for a new spinnaker with our simple form.

Measuring your rig for a new spinnaker is easy. We need to know the location of your halyard, what your maximum hoist is, where the location you sheet to is located and what style. We also need to know if you have a bowsprit, plan to use a spinnaker sock, or other kind of furling system. Last but not least, you get to pick your colors!

Mainsails: Loose Foot VS Fixed Foot

If you currently have a fixed footed mainsail read about the new modern design of a loose footed mainsail.

Sail design has come a long way in the past several decades. A loose footed mainsail is becoming the norm for most sailors. It allows for creating a better shaped sail. This increasings sail performance, efficency, and power. Having a loose-footed sail means having a much more versatile sail as far as trimming is concerned.

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Thanks for telling us a bit about yourself and your boat. Our team will send you a preliminary quote based on information we have gathered from sailors similar to you.

We will give you a call in order to narrow down the options on your quote and improve the accuracy. If you want us to call you at a specific time, feel free to schedule a time on our calendar!

Thanks for telling us a bit about yourself and your boat. Our team will reach out to offer some suggestions and get started on finding you the perfect sail!

IMAGES

Making Ship Model Sails
Making Sails for Model Ships
Sail Making For Model Yachts
Making Sails for Ship Models from Silkspan, Parts 1 & 2
The Design of Model Yacht Sails
Making Model Ship Sails

COMMENTS

RCSails
The more experienced the sail maker gets the better the sails work. This guide is intended to help newbies to cut heir own sails and build their own rigs. Sailmaking Tips: A piece of thin melamine board about 50x200cm is very helpful to loft the outline of the sails. Use packing paper to sketch the outlines according the class rules or a ...
PDF Sailmaking Notes
The book 'Making Model Yacht Sails' by Larry Robinson is recommended reading for anyone wanting to learn how to make competitive rc yacht sails - it describes the mould method of shaping sails used by the top sailmakers and is a contemporary masterclass in its own right. It is stocked by SAILSetc,
Making Model Yacht Sails
Larry Robinson - Making Model Yacht Sails - how to build in their shape, a master class in sail making for modern rc model yachts. Around 700 copies sold by mid 2015 and still going strong. If you want to know how to make well shaped rc model yacht sails, and make them efficiently and consistently, this contains all you need to know. ...
Making Sails for Ship Models from Silkspan, Parts 1 & 2
Make sure to read the whole description. There's some useful stuff further down!Here's my method for creating sails for ship models using silkspan. Parts 1...
Making Sails for Model Ships
Install and rig the booms and gaffs. Make the sails based on the actual layout of my ship. De-rig the booms and gaffs, and remove them from the ship. Attach sails to the booms and gaffs as appropriate. Re-install the booms and gaffs, and their rigging. Add the additional rigging for each sail.
Sail Making for RC Racing Yachts
SAIL MAKING FOR MODEL YACHTS by Ben Morris (last edited 28/05/2024) Shape in Sails: Building Board: Making Seams: Set the Seam Curvature: Making a Sail: Sail Material: Diagonal Seams etc: Back to Intro page: Setting the Sails: The Claudio Tool: Measuring Procedures:
Technology of making sails for my models
In this issue, I show my technology of making sails for scale sailboat models:I like three-dimensional (wind-filled) sails...With wrinkles in the corners of ...
Sail Making Articles
Sail Making Articles. We have several articles related to sails and sailmaking. The first is a short discussion of theory: The Design of Model Yacht Sails by A.M.Ballantyne. We then move on to the most complete set of instructions on how to sew a set of sails from cotton: "Sails" by Walter K. Moss from The Modelmaker, 1940. The next article discusses the one thing that is possible on a ...
Sail making part 2
Making Model Yacht Sails - Part 1 is a series of articles that cover the aspects of sailmaking that govern the shape of your sail. The subject of load bearing fibers is discussed in Making Model Yacht Sails - Part 2, which tells you how to make 'string sails'; sails that are reinforced with small threads in a load path distribution. ...
The Amya
The AMYA was established in 1970 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting racing, designing, building, and preservation of all model sailing yachts, and membership is open to all who are interested in these activities. Our quarterly magazine is the only publication devoted 100% to model yachting. It is a great benefit of AMYA ...
Any good websites explaining how to make sails?
Camber Distribution. Controlling Camber when making model yacht sails. Shaping sail blocks precisely. Sail making choices. Boradseaming revisited. Cutting the luff. Taking and analyzing sail photographs. Comparing camber distribution. Phone Bob Wells evenings or weekends at 206-232-9036, Mercer Island, WA, USA.
How to make your own sail
"Making Model Yacht Sails" There's a 41 page book by Larry Robinson, Ragged Symmetry Publications. Robinson was the technical advisor to Bob Wells, who wrote the EC12 publications, which are now sold through the AMYA store.
Your best sail cloth and technique
Work step by step. 1.Make paper stencil for each sail and check it's dimensions on your model. 2.With soft pencil transfer all lines in to fabric - add stripe 5-7 mm around. sail edges. 3.Make all necessary lines on fabric using sewing machine and thin thread with light brown or beige color.
Carr Sails
When e-mailing Carr Sails, put "Model Yacht Sails" in your subject line to avoid getting caught in our spam filters. CARR SAILS, 3011 - 177th Ave. NE, Redmond, WA 98052 (425) 881-2846 rodcarr @ carrsails.com. HOME CATALOG & PRICE LIST SAIL LOCKER HOW TO ORDER GALLERY FAQ ...
Potter Solutions Ltd
the history of the future. At the age of fifteen David Potter started sailing model boats at the world famous Birkenhead Model Yacht Club. In 2012 he decided to turn his passionate hobby into a business and launched Potter Solutions. As a qualified engineer, with a good eye for detail, he produces a range of equipment for the majority of radio ...
Making Model Yacht Sails
Larry Robinson - Making Model Yacht Sails - how to build in their shape, a master class in sail making for modern rc model yachts. Around 700 copies sold by mid 2015 and still going strong. If you want to know how to make well shaped rc model yacht sails, and make them efficiently and consistently, this contains all you need to know. ...
Model Yacht Sail Catalog and Price List
2023 CATALOG AND PRICE LIST. 1) Select color for corner reinforcements: (red, yellow, blue, green, day-glo orange, day-glo pink, black or white.) 2) Select mainsail to mast attachment: Mast loops, jackwire, bolt-rope. 4) If Class Insignia and racing numbers required, select color: (red, blue, green or black), (add $15.)
Making Soft Sails
A method of making Soft sails for a Footy Model yacht using 3mm carbon tube & plastic bags
Sail Making for Model Yachts
Measure up one-third way along luff, and lay off 3/32 in from straight line. Measure out one-third way along foot and lay off 1/16 in from chord. Divide leech chord into halves and measure out 2 in for roach. Sweep a fair curve from clew to head, giving slightly more curve at top half of leech.
RC Sail Supplies
Hobby Model Yacht Sails And Supplies. Sail Making RC Mylar Sails. Sail Makers Block Wing. Mylar Film Insignia Tape Kikusui Tapes Eyelets. Supplier of Hunter Mylar Polyester Sail Film. Inspect our site for your sail making needs. Hunter Mylar. 36 - 50 - 75 Micron in 400mm and 600mm wide ...
Catsails
Catsails are specialist manufacturers of sails and accessories for performance radio controlled model yachts. Proprietor Nigel Brown has been sailmaking since 1980 and has worked in some of the top sail lofts across the World including building sails for 4 America's Cup programmes. Years of sailmaking experience at the highest level combined ...
New Sails Custom Designed for Your Sailboat
We make it easy to get new sails custom designed for your sailboat or sailing yacht, at the best prices online. Replacement sails for Catalina, Hunter, Beneteau, Pearson, C&C, and 15,000 more! Get a free quote within 24 hours or less. Headsails, Mainsails, Spinnakers, and Turtle Bags too!
Sailmaking Materials
Batten Material - Medium. $8.38. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "White". $7.75. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "Red". $7.75. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "Blue". $7.75. Sail Reinforcement and Deck Patch Material 685 mm x 375 mm "Black".