The pictures that were supposed to be in my post of a couple of days ago, about three posts back, are now there.
Mike
This is my latest 3R jib, the amount of draft, is almost exactly what I?m looking for. The only change I would make would be to use a block that yields slightly less draft on the upper most seam. Before I do that though, I?m going to dial in a new main.
ok done
i have just finsihed my first jib. and i can know tell you. there is an art to making them. I dont know what i did wrong. but i did everything i thought was correct. but i got wrinkles in the luff. the panels went together easy. but the simple things like laying down of fibreglass tape. was a challenge. posted here are some pictures. anybody else even tried to make their own? there is some good information here in this thread. post some pictures
cougar
I’ve been reading about Claudio’s gadget/tool (here), but the information & procedure isn’t too well documented/explained. Is there a web site/page or a document I can find someplace?
thx
Cougar,
Avoid the fiberglass reinforced tape. You will have better luck using something like sticky back Dacron. The Dacron is a woven material that will ?shift? a little. This gives you a little more room for error when applying it to the luff.
Cougar,try not to stretch the tapes when applying them.I think this may be the cause of the puckers,Well it was on some of mine:)
I am not an expert on this by any means so take this with a grain of salt.
Stretch the luff of your sail out tight on your flat surface.Tape it in place at the top and bottom
Then apply the tape taking care not to stretch the tape at all.
I agree with Dan,try Dacron tapes.
Having noticed that some complains about missing data, I represents here the informations regarding the sail making Tool alias (Claudio Gadget)
Next photos on following messages
Claudio
Here the following 4 pictures
Claudio
Here the last 2 pictures.
Claudio
From page 8 - 12 and 16 you will find others interesting pictures.
Above (see quote) was written by Marino explaining a second manner on how to remove the first scotch layer.
Hope that all this may help.
Sorry for the cancellation of some data presented in Minicoque actually removed being in disagrement with .
Claudio
With regard to removing the assembled panels from the Gadget. I can’t remember whether I mentioned this before (I should go back and check - I know), but…
For the first layer of double sided tape placed on the aluminum strip of the Claudio Gadget, I’m just using common old Scotch double sided tape. It is proving to be sufficiently strong enough to hold the first panel securely after the wedges are removed and the aluminum straightened, and yet after the second panel is joined (with the 3M double sided tape refered to elsewhere) the assembled panels pull off the Scotch Tape easily and cleanly - leaving the DS tape attached to the aluminum.
My second mainsail built using the Claudio Gadget, and using SailCut to set the curve of the aluminum (as described in my earlier post), hit the water on Saturday. The sail looks good and initial results are very encouraging - it is largely (though not entirely) free of the building mistakes I made with the first.
Two lessons learned: 1. For this sail I used mylar tinting film which you can buy cheaply from any automotive store. Despite being too heavy for the Victoria (which I knew anyway), the film has a laminate of very thin cellophane which, when applying the film to a car window, is removed to reveal the lightly - adhesive side of the film. When building the sail, I left this laminate in place, but after fixing the first panel to the aluminum strip, and then straightening the strip - the laminate separated slightly, and the cellophane bubbled. So this material is not ideal - but then these are still “experiments” and I’ll save my “proper” materials until I think I’ve got my sail design and build technique “right”.
- Off the roll, this stuff holds its “roll” strongly. Despite building the sail with each panel “rolling” the opposite way to the panels on either side, the bottom panel (being the largest, and with nothing beneath it) has its shape a little distorted by the “roll” in the film. So next time, I’ll lay the film out a couple of days in advance and “press” it under something suitable to remove it’s tendancy to roll up.
My middle and top battens seem a little too stiff - but they are easily modified.
I tried to get a photo of the sail for Accumeasure purposes, but the highly reflective material used is producing nasty results. I will need to experiment with some secondary lighting to get a decent picture.
Cougar - I had a problem with wrinkles in the luff of my first version - caused by trying to do the whole job single handed. This time I got an extra pair of hands, and it made all the difference. I agree with the other comments - use sticky-back dacron and no tension.
Good on ya Cougar for having a crack at it. I getting a huge buzz from this - actually seeing you own sails on the water, and learning from it, is great. Did you use a block, or did you try the “Claudio Gadget”?
muzza
i did use a sailblock. i used the ideas i got from this thread. my wife and I are making the main , from instruction from marine modeler. basic step by step, and with pictures. right now the idea that came from this forum. have my jib made. and the main still has to be trimmed. and reinforced. SO you see. a forum like this does help. and guys,
What MUZZA just said is sooooo true. i look at the jib i just did. and i like it. even though it is screwed up. i think it look goods, and for a first attempt. i think i did a good job. it is not that hard, and the materails are cheap. i know people here. who have tricks, they just dont tell use. like where they get material? I got all my stuff from gbmy. but i know some poeple got to kite stores. and why not? they might use dacron.
muzza when i get the main done, i wil post a picture of my boat in the water totaly powered by cougar sails:-):party:
it may not be moving lol:spin: but i know I DID IT.
cougar
Muzza -
stiff upper battens aren’t too bad - because as wind picks up, the sail stays flatter, and has ability to twist off dumping wind. Soft battens will make your sail more powerful up top, (full) and will induce heeling quicker. Now in waves or chop, a fuller rig would be helpful, but I would think in either light or heavy stuff and flat water, a flatter main would be desireable.
Just a thought
ok people
they is done. and sheiit. they look like crap. i dont know what went wrong. but I thought i done a decent job. it looks like wis was correct. if you want good sails you buy them.
here are mine. go ahead and laugh. piont snicker, whatever. i still plan on making better ones. i will get this down. i just dont know what i did wrong
cougar
You sure they’re hung right? The jib luff could be smoother. Maybe one or two of the the main luff loops might be too tight, or the tack too loose. Try pulling at the corners to see what happens.
Hmmm… Could you do a photo with the boat (ie the bent sails) laid horizontally and the camera somewhere above the mast head so we could see what gravity was doing to the shape? It looks to me that some (perhaps considerable!) tension in the luff of both jib and main is needed, and some careful tuning of the mast bend to match the main luff curve.
“it looks like wis was correct. if you want good sails you buy them.”
Cougar - well done with your sails. Go sailing - you might be pleasantly surprised.
I’d say - if you want good sails, you have to make several sets and learn more each time. Or as my mother drummed into me ad nauseum as a child “If at first you don’t suceed, try, try, try again”.
lester
here you go
i tried to get the pictures i think you wanted
cougar
Hi Lloyd
Looks to me like you have in fact broadseamed some very nice shape into your sails. A big crease towards the foot of the main, of course, but as a first effort I’d say you are on the right track. What happens when you tension the luff vigorously? Ease the tie loops just a touch? (When it’s time for another photo and some measuring, it’d be useful to pop on a draft stripe at each seam, and then to take the shot from the head with a little offset to weather, maybe 6" or so, and just ahead of the mast so the jib comes into the picture as well…)
Cougar,
You’ve got a bit of the same glare problem in the picture that I’ve encountered - but mine was worse - with the flash reflecting like the sun in the sail. I’ll try again with some better lighting tonight.
Just looking at your luff ties, the third and fourth up from the tack appear to be loose compared with the 5th and 6th. Maybe that’s just a side-effect of the sail being held to the centreline of the mast at the head and at the tack. If not - do you use a guide when tying your luff ties, so that you get even tension all the way?
Looking at the crease below the bottom seam, and the smaller crease above the second seem - both appear to terminate at features on the luff. The lower crease terminates at a an eye in the luff, and the upper crease appears to terminate at a join or overlap in your luff tape. Is that the case? If so - I’d say you have nothing to worry about - these are just building errors that you will not make second time around. I made exactly the same mistake on the first mainsail I made per my post and photo above (somewhere higher in this thread).
As Lester says, the broadseaming appears to be coming along nicely. For the second set of photos, and in addition to Lester’s suggestions, you may want to take on a little vang tension to remove some of the twist, and set the outhaul so that the draft at the foot is about what you had planned in for the top seam.
Thanks for sharing this with us.