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Plastic Sails


Narampa

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I am building the US Constitution and am at the point of deciding to build it with Sails or just the standing rigging.

Could somebody direct me to where I can find a Video or at least some information on installing the plastic sails.

There is nothing that I have found on this subject. 

Please I am interested in hearing from anybody who has used the Plastic sails supplied in the revelle kit 1/96 scale.

I am not interested in making my own as I am to old and have limited resources.

Thankyou 

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Me, I'd just leave them off. If the ship was in port they would all be furled anyway or even removed for storage if was going in for a refit. You can make new furled ones pretty easily with tissue paper, tea and white glue. The tea is for coloring them. Just my $.02.

 

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1 hour ago, Ron Bell said:

Me, I'd just leave them off. If the ship was in port they would all be furled anyway or even removed for storage if was going in for a refit. You can make new furled ones pretty easily with tissue paper, tea and white glue. The tea is for coloring them. Just my $.02.

 

Your 2 cents is valid and I agree unfortunately my wife wants to see Sails. Oh well I might have to surprise her!!

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Sorry to say this,  but I agree with your wife. The sails make for a more impressive model! 

Now for my two cent’s worth. Although I have not done a sailing ship in as large  a scale as 1/96, on any of my sailing ship projects, I use paper. It is available in several weights (thicknesses), can be stained and, I think, looks better than the plastic. One approach is to use each plastic sail in the kit as a male mould. Cut the paper to a slightly larger size than the plastic, wet it and drape it over the plastic sail. Let it dry. The paper will take on the shape of each for the “ billowed” effect. But it is lighter than the plastic and can easily be attached to each yard or length of rigging (for jibs) with white glue. I have even drawn in those ropes that run down each sail with a pencil before shaping. Give it a try. You won’t have to damage the plastic sails  to try it. Regards, Nick Filippone 

 

 

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49 minutes ago, Nick Filippone said:

Sorry to say this,  but I agree with your wife. The sails make for a more impressive model! 

Now for my two cent’s worth. Although I have not done a sailing ship in as large  a scale as 1/96, on any of my sailing ship projects, I use paper. It is available in several weights (thicknesses), can be stained and, I think, looks better than the plastic. One approach is to use each plastic sail in the kit as a male mould. Cut the paper to a slightly larger size than the plastic, wet it and drape it over the plastic sail. Let it dry. The paper will take on the shape of each for the “ billowed” effect. But it is lighter than the plastic and can easily be attached to each yard or length of rigging (for jibs) with white glue. I have even drawn in those ropes that run down each sail with a pencil before shaping. Give it a try. You won’t have to damage the plastic sails  to try it. Regards, Nick Filippone 

 

 

Thank you for your reply ! 
I have so much food for thought. I am going to experiment with different things, one thing seems for sure. The plastic sails are out.

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  • 1 month later...

I would do the paper sails, but leave the main and fore lower yards with sails furled.  This will allow you all your hard work on the deck, and makes it a touch easier to get to all the belay pins for the running rigging.  You might also try looking at HiS Models (www.hismodel.com).  Radimer has a FANTASTIC set of hand sewn sails that he sells. https://www.hismodel.com/articles-category-15

Bob

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sails or no sails? That is the question.         Really it comes down to personal preference. Put the sails on and all the running digging will have to be included. Without sails (harbour rig) much of the running rigging will have been stowed with the sails. I have seen many models without sails where the upper yards have not been lowered as would have been when sails are stowed. The late Professor John Tilley made his models with curled sails made from tissue strengthened with a mixture of dilute acrylic colour and a little PVA. They looked most effective on his builds and showed all the running and standing digging to great effect. The vacuum formed sails supplied with plastic ship kits look awful in my opinion no matter how well painted.

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In my last post, curled sails should read furled sails.

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