How To Put Sails On A Model Ship?

The standard process for creating realistic sails for wooden ship models involves building booms and gaffs, making sails based on plans, attaching sails to the booms and gaffs, installing and rigging the booms and gaffs, and adding additional rigging for each sail. A simple tutorial for creating sails using silkspan can be found on the Arizona Ship Modelers’ website.

To create sails for ship models, mix 30% carpenter’s glue with a half-full water glass and apply it with a brush and hair-drier to inflate the sail and dry the glue water. For a fore and aft sail, tie the robands around the stay or set up the mast with sail rings and tie the robands to them.

To create silkspan sails, stretch the tissue over the frame and apply the glue. The quickest way for a ship modeller to demonstrate a failure to understand rigging is to put bare yards or yards with furled sails on them in the raised sails. Lay the cloth sail over the plastic one, with plastic wrap in between, and then attach the sails.

In summary, creating realistic sails for wooden ship models requires a combination of building booms and gaffs, creating sails, and applying rigging.