[:-party]
Using Sailcut and the advice I have received here I was able to put together my first paper “mockup” sails. It looks like I will be cutting material this weekend. This thread has been very helpful.
Thank you,
[:-propeller]
Tom
Seawind #80
mike
i usaul dont vougue for people
but peter R. is a good guy. (SOMETIMES) the person he gave the sails to was me. i dont have a lot of money and people were calling my design the b and b boat. broom stick and bed sheets. I had design the hull and it did work well. but was not able to come up to speed. peter gave me an old set of his sails. for my boat. Peter is a good guy,(secretive) untill the race is over, then he is full of it.
if you ask peter a question , he will give you a striaght in your face answer. sometimes . I dont even like the answer. but 90% of the time. he is right
cougar
[quote]Originally posted by ClimateModels
Lighten up buddy. Go sailing. Relax.[:-spin]
Peter R.
Yeah, well I suppose you are right. I guess this just comes from my frustration at trying to get basic information on how to make sails. I now own a jig, and have read all the OLD articles on sailmaking from the AMYA reprints and I’m still confused. Possibly I’m just dense I suppose.
Don’t mind me…
Mike~[:-banghead]
<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>Yeah, well I suppose you are right. I guess this just comes from my frustration at trying to get basic information on how to make sails. I now own a jig, and have read all the OLD articles on sailmaking from the AMYA reprints and I’m still confused. Possibly I’m just dense I suppose.
Don’t mind me…
Mike~[:-banghead]
<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
Post your confusion (questions). I’ve made about 5 or 6 sets of servicable sails so I can get you started. They won’t be the best by any stretch but they will work and each set might get better. Put your quetions on one at a time and maybe even the pro’s will answer. I hope they will answer if I give you bad advice. So- first question please.
Thanks
Don
Vancouver Island
Ok, here’s my question.
As I understand it each panel has to have some small curve to it where it meets the next panel. My main question is how is this curve produced? I have the Swede Johnson jig that is basically an airfoil with a 3 degree dropoff on each side. And per the instructions, you lay the sails on the airfoil when you tape them together.
So I guess my question is, do you put the curve in the panel before you lay it on the airfoil (and if so, how do you make that curve), or do you put panels with straight cuts onto the airfoil and due to the curve of the airfoil itself, the draft is already built in?
Hope my question isn’t too confusing. I will try to clarify if need be.
thanks,
Mike~[:-boggled]
I haven’t used a jig but I’ve read all I can and I would lay the material on the jig and using 1/4 " masking tape in place of the double sided tape determine where the panels will end and cut most of the excess of first. Then remove the masking tape and tape with your DS(double sided) tape. Go to Sailmaking 101 and look for ideas.
http://www.amya.org/club100/sailmkg1.htm
Thanks
Don
Vancouver Island
Mike,
Here is the best advice I can offer. I few links in addition to what Don has given you. Start here:
<font color=“blue”>http://www.myrc.org/</font id=“blue”>
Click on <font color=“blue”>“Library” </font id=“blue”>on the right hand side.
Click on <font color=“blue”>“Sail making”.</font id=“blue”>
Click on <font color=“blue”>“Broad Seaming”</font id=“blue”>
This should answer your question. Don’t stop there. Read all the articles. This a great starting resource for those of use wanting to build our own sails.
Tom
Seawind #80
Hey guys,
Thanks for the links, they are definitely helpful. I guess what I should do is just sit down and use the dang thing and figure this out. But what I would like to know is in the first picture on the broadseaming topic on www.myrc website:
OR
2 is it sort of an illusion of a straight cut laying on the curved surface of the block?
thanks,
Mike~[:-banghead]
Mike
2- but it’s not an illusion. Due to the shape of the block thats how a straight cut would appear.If you were to tape a piece of paper on your jig and make a cut across the center (high point?) of your jig and then take the paper off you will find it is cut in a slight convex curve. When you use a jig it cuts half the curve in each panel. I cut all the curve in the top of the bottom panel and leave the bottom of the top panel straight. I find it easier that way because I don’t use a jig. As an experiment cut a very slight curve(1/8" or so) on the edge of a piece of paper and then tape it edge to edge with a straight piece. This will give you an idea of how small a curve we are talking about.
Thanks
Don
Vancouver Island
Edit for spelling
Mike,
The picture shows a straight cut panel laying over the curved block. The miss alignment is due to the 3 deg drop off of the block not the curvature alone. For your first sails I would leave the panels flat cut and allow the miss aligned overlap. Look at the third diagram. This will get less noticable as you go up the sail. Good starting point.
Tom
Seawind #80
Thank you thank you thank you. That is the answer I was looking for! Now I just need to find some time to play. Maybe I’ll start out with a set for my Victoria.
Anyway, thanks again. I think I’m on the right track now.
Mike~[^]
Another suggestion Mike. Before you potentially ruin good sail material, find some house wrap(Tyvek or the like,I used a pair of disposable coveralls)and make a set or two. You gain experience and skills at very little cost. The coverall sails actually worked well and looked great although they only lasted a season. The tyvek ones are in their second year. The tyvek ones could be used by the visually impaired, they are very noisy.
Thanks
Don
Vancouver Island
lol
don now why would you say that. i have tyvek sails too, and they dont make THAT much noise? . but it make a good practise materials to work with. and it will take a permanemt market. You will need this, to keep you draft marks in line
cougar
Yahooooo…Here is a photo of my first set of sails. They are the bright ones…[8D]
Though a little rough in spots I’m sure over time I will get better. So now I have a few more questions regarding battens.
Is there a formula to determine placement and lenghts of sail battens? Other than adding stiffness to the roach of the sail is there another purpose for them? On my first set of sails, when under load, there is a small wrinkle that starts at the leading edge of lowest batten and carries down to the clew. Is the batten to short? What else may cause this?
Tom
Seawind #80
Tom
What material did you use? I like the colors which aren’t an option with Trispi. I beleive most classes restrict batten length and placement. Did you cut negative luff round in the jib?- it looks like there is a bit of wrinkle there. Does the boat behind have stock sails? Your’s look better than it, at least to my eyes. Maybe one of the pro’s could chime in with some constructive criticism. If I can find some decent shots of my home-builts I will post them.
Thanks
Don
Vancouver Island
Don,
The material is 1/2 oz. Polycarbonate Coated Ripstop Polyester. It is very light stuff. Almost too light. I wanted a very light set of sails for the lights winds we have here quite often. The jib has a positive luff. There are class rules that govern the battens,however they also restrict the sails to be kit sails. There are two types of racing we do with the SeaWinds here. SCOA sanctioned races and an open 1 meter sport races. The Seawind in the background has stock sails. The setup is not quite right. According to the wrinkles he has way to much luff tension on the jib. That’s not good with the flat stock sails.
Tom
Seawind #80
I think the things that sailmakers can’t tell you about is just that- they can’t tell you how to do certain things. Sailmaking is like a kind of art, and the ‘better sailmakers’ have LOTS of practice, and thus have developed a certain ‘touch’ to make things their way that works so good. The stuff they can tell you is out on the Internet or in a book or video, or go visit him, or his club to get a lesson.
So it’s this ‘touch’ that they can’t tell you about. A thing that you really can’t learn in a book or video. Like how to raise your kids, trading stocks, BOWLING, whatever. So you go make 1,000 sets of sails and you will have ‘the touch’. maybe.
but then again…making ones own sails…you get self-satisfaction! this you cant buy anywhere!
Wis
if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!
http://wismerhell.esmartdesign.com/index.htm
http://public.fotki.com/wismerhell/
Yeah… you will learn satisfaction or humility! LOL
nah only satisfaction…you did it yourself [;)]…humility will come when you try your sails [:)]
Wis
if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!
http://wismerhell.esmartdesign.com/index.htm
http://public.fotki.com/wismerhell/