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Potter solutions, the one stop model yacht shop.

Sails, rigs, boat stands, accessories and fittings, including the new range of DF65 and DF95 complete packages.

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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 controlled model yacht classes.

David has competed in this thrilling sport for over Thirty years at both national and international events and is fully aware of the need for products that can deliver in the field at a competitive price.

Whatever your requirements, including information and advice, David is always available for a chat.

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Complete DF95 Package

Complete DF65 Package

DF95 Alloy Boat Stand

Pierre Gonnet Mast 11.1mm

Everything in one place.

30 Years of experience in radio sailing means we know what’s required to produce competitive and reliable parts .

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Most products can be shipped same day. Some products like sails * are made to order unless they are from our standard range. Products that can be dispatched same day will be indicated on the product description.

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Excellent customer service is one of the key areas where we can truly make a difference, which is why we work hard to keep our customers happy and make it easy to do business with us. A quick response matters and we aim to reply promptly and professionally.

some of our reviews

A history of trust and service.

“Fast shipping and exactly the parts I needed to complete my new IOM. Highly recommended”

“Bought a boat stand for my Marblehead. Arrived in a couple of days and very happy with the quality.”

“Bought some new sails for my DF95. Potter’s service is excellent. The sails are top quality.”

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COTTON SAILS - 92 years NYLET. The Oldest Established International Master Sailmakers. Fine Products ~ Quality First. 92 years. Finest Heritage 'vintage' style cotton sails explored in detail. 1932 ~ 92 years of sailmaking (including full size sails until 1966) ~ 2 generations and 107 years of experience ~ Quality First. Innovation alongside Tradition. We strive for perfection. The Very Finest Cotton Sails made by special Commission for Private Collectors and Museums. Makers of Model Sails to the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Long established World-wide Mail Order Service.

The oldest established professional model sailmakers in the world ~ the only professional makers of the very finest cotton sails replicating our "1930's" style ~ perfect cut and finish ~ "Quality First." Full size sailmakers and model sailmakers since 1932. This year Frank Parsons celebrates 58 years of model sailmaking. Comprehensive sailmaking service, world-wide.

Using technological advances in materials coupled with innovation, expertise, and tradition, over 400 years to bring you the very finest model sails.

Some photos of Nylet 'vintage' style cotton sails, and see photos, click on link 'Sail Gallery', also 'Moonbeam'.

Place your order or enquire . . .

See photos of a moonbeam rigged with nylet vintage style cotton sails, sewn fully seamed, tabled & detailed., some 118 years of combined experience - 2 generations. nylet 'vintage' model sails created in quality cotton cloth for exhibition/static & museum models & private collectors, working yachts, fishing vessels, cutters, schooners, yawls and barges, class racing yachts, and for classic pond yachts (star, alexander, bassett lowke, etc). all our cotton sails are hand cut and beautifully sewn and finished as required to customers order. specialists in museum quality sails with all detail replicated (as required) which found on 18th & 19th century full size royal navy sails. at nylet we don't just 'make' sails, we create sails, we breathe life into the sailcloth in order that they might be shaped by the wind. working with fine cloths & allied materials since 1772. makers of model sails to the national maritime museum cornwall..

The finest model sails created individually to the customers specific requirements, with expertise handed down over eight generations, and our selection of 80 year old threads and specialist line used for hand stitching work, all combine to bring our customers a unique experience when they purchase our hand cut Heritage & Vintage cotton sails. Having been Master Sailmakers making traditional full size sails in cotton cloths since 1932 we have that knowledge of how sails were made for working boats and yachts as well as Ocean Racers 90 plus years ago and make model sails in cotton material employing correct methods/techniques of making that full size sails also demand. We use tablings or false tablings (cut on the warp) when making you can be sure that your model sails will not only be correct down to the smallest detail but importantly behave in right manner. Everything is custom made as you require. For guide prices please see section F8 & F9 of our price list . Speials can cost more. Often our customers will send a photo of their yacht, this is helpful but photos need to be accompanied by sail dimensions (fleshed out with any specific detail required). Without providing us with sail sizes/plan we are obviously unable to quote you. Also useful to know if the sails are for display only. How to make paper templates for making (often required), click on 'help' on top toolbar. Having manufactured full size sails in cotton (and jute) for barges and working vessels as well as pleasure yachts and ocean racers from 1932 until 1965, we appreciate how sails were actually cut and finished and can replicate this on model sails to give them an authenticity peculiar to Nylet; importantly full size sailmaking practise is employed in the construction of our model sails. Each racing 'class' suit of cotton sails now carry our makers mark, an authentic 'facsimile' of my late father's makers stamp (from the 1940's and 50's). Sails made for display models and other sails carry a discreet mark sewn inside the mains'l foot tabling. Our 'Vintage' sails can be made in natural finish cotton, or dyed cotton, with or without bolt ropes applied to the edges, all as requested by the customer. We can add more detail where the parallel seams are picked out (a line of stitching being run down) to indicate where the separate pieces of canvas were stitched together along the selvedges. We can sew these "seams" in a choice of coloured thread, or in white, as you may wish. In days past cotton and jute sailcloth was marked in the weave by a blue thread an inch from the selvedge edge (I sewed thousands of yards of the cloth before the 1980's), the cloth being loomed 18 inches and 2 foot wide as well as a yard width at various times. Vintage style cotton sails have been made by us for many years, indeed, my father started making full size sails and model sails in cotton, in the 1930's, long before synthetic materials were even thought of. We employ techniques and sewing methods that we have used since the 1930's to give our sails a period feel and hopefully a finish that will compliment your model. We also employ correct sailmaking techniques as used on full size sails, i.e. luffs receive false tablings in exactly the same way as large sails must to enable the sail to set correctly. All work on sails are carried out sewn port side uppermost as are full size sails and have been thus for probably 800 years and more. Detail such as reefing points can be sewn/added. We work with care to create finely finished sails that you may be proud of. We have undertaken model sail work for museums, such as The National Maritime Museum Cornwall, and many private collectors in the UK and overseas. If the model is solely for display then please tell us. Prices. Please see sections F8 and F9 in our price list for both specific named yacht sails and also some guide prices (priced from). Generally prices of small suits of sails start at around one hundred and thirty GBp. We will be very pleased to quote you on submission of a sail plan or dimensioned drawing; see the file labelled templates how to.

A note on the weave of cloth. The threads used to make any cloth are termed the weft and the warp. If you look up warp in the dictionary it gives threads stretched lengthwise in loom to be crossed by the weft. Look up more sailmaking terms, click on useful terms via the drop down list. Making your own sails? Then perhaps our B20 'how to' Sailmaking booklet will help you, as a pdf file its in full colour, see section A in the price list. Hopefully the foregoing will give you an insight into the care and attention we give our work, and the service and finishes we offer. Should you require advice or further assistance or information then please ask. On a personal note, a milestone - in 2024 I celebrate 58 years of model sailmaking, and am pleased to say that I take great pleasure in my work, every sail I make is given equal attention to detail. That is also over one hundred years of sailmaking experience when taken together with my late father, who taught me most of what I know. It might actually be over 111 years if I reckon his early years working for his father and making sails for his own dinghy (which he built) in the mid 1920's before he made sails commercially. We often refer to older sailmaking books and in particular a book of my fathers by Terence North (dated 1938) has particularly useful information and also having notes on the back page written in by my late Father; as these may be interest I append those in a small file (go to top links, see Info pages/help/photos) and click on sailmaking terms. Another book by Robert Kipping (1898) is handy to refer to, it has more technical notes on weights of sailcloth use for certain sizes of sails, hardly applicable to model sails but interesting all the same.

A brief note on our early cotton model sails made in the 1930's . My father's Brighton firm manufactured model sails in cotton material, as well as full size sails, from the early 1930's onward. Some of the first model sails to be manufacturered (before the War) were sewn by my mother who was a skilled sewing machinist in her own right. Richard Howard's boat & yacht musuem in Pangbourne has some of our sails rigged on models on display and dating from the war years and up to the mid 1970's; sadly Richard has passed away and his collection has now been dispersed. My grandfather sailed and raced his yachts off Brighton beach (Sussex) one hundred and twenty plus years ago; his favourite yacht was "WISP" a 33 foot Isle of Wight built lugger (she carried 385 sq feet of sail). In the 1920's my father built his own dinghy naming her WISP (after his father's yacht) and making the sails for her. Another of his hobbies was making marine models. In the 1980's I produced a Nylet plan for a chine built 36 inch yacht, also naming her WISP.

We use the finest materials, equipment, and tools to bring you the best quality sails. We use sewing machines that are renowned for their durability and fine running. Our newest acquisition (in 2019) to our bank of specialist tools is a fine pair of Heritage scissors, replicating the type of shears that my 4th great grandfather would doubtless have used in his work as a Silk Mercer from his shop firstly in Bond Street and then in High Holborn, London in the last quarter of the 1700s and being manufactured by the same makers. The makers state - "Wilkinsons classic iteration of the EXO, made of 100% surgical-grade stainless steel with a striking matte finish, state-of-the-art investment-cast handles, industrial grade precision ground blades and a CNC machined screw, or bolt, all assembled by their master scissors craftsmen in Sheffield, using techniques and skills developed over 257 years". They are simply beautiful to use, have an edge as sharp as a sword, and are a delight to the eye. Manufactured by Whiteley's and who were founded in 1760 and incorporating the firm of Thomas Wilkinson & Son in 1875. Now the last industrial scissor-makers left in the UK and the oldest scissorsmiths in the western world, Whiteley's is a leading producer of industrial and professional scissors and shears.

In my family we can draw on expertise handed down over eight generations, and our selection of 80 year old threads and line used for hand stitching and detail work all combine to bring our customers a unique experience when they purchase our hand cut Heritage & Vintage cotton sails.

Frank Parsons.

This is just one of some 35 pages on our website.

Some customer comments regarding our cotton sails - Just received my glorious suit! Magnificent! The tablings..... marvellous!!!... the stitching lines, the overall shape, every detail, all very beautiful indeed! I can't tell you how delighted I am. You must understand, the wind has always held a magical place in my heart and the thin membrane with which we apply our feeble human attempts to have it do our way over an equally mysterious sea..... alchemy indeed. I hold this suit in my hands and it all comes alive again. It occurred to me as I relished your suit the day later that one of the things I really appreciated, was that in your masterly execution, despite many years of hard learned science, though perhaps exactly because of them, you approached the design not with a mindless machine but more the inquiring instrument. You took onboard where I'd too easily lined the impossible and wasn't having any of it, discovering a way to play your sound, practical requirements for the well-made, proper sail whilst accommodating the draw perfectly. The narrow tablings, the nicely snug but slidable foot sleeves, even seeing to better sized eyelets where they would best serve tacks and clews. Thank you for your brilliant work, I raise a glass to you Sir. Roger, USA. Sails just arrived, WOW. Mike, West Country. Here is a photograph of my newly rigged Star yacht, ready for its first voyage in nearly 60 years. Many thanks for the beautiful new sails, I'm delighted with them. Philip, Bristol. Sails have arrived safely. But what a superb job, my old girl will be the best dressed yacht at any of our VMYG meetings. Wonderful work of the very highest standard as always from you, I cannot thank you enough. With all good wishes. Richard Howard, Norfolk. . . . to say thank you for the beautiful suit of Heritage cotton sails which you made for Wren. She was re-launched on the boating pond on Saturday and sailed beautifully even in the light winds. The locals proclaimed, At last, a proper yacht!. This was her shakedown and the sails take a beautiful shape. Nick, Norfolk. The (cotton) sails arrived safely, they're beautiful. Bob, Surrey. Hello Frank, the cotton sails arrived yesterday without any damages. They are much better than I even expected, really extraordinary, perfect!!! Again (as your last sails) you made me happy. I will send you pictures from the maiden voyage. Klaus, Germany The sails arrived as promised and I am over the moon with the end result, they are fantastic. Michael, Buckinghamshire. Hi Frank, sails just arrived, they are stunning! Thanks. Ron, Nottinghamshire. Good afternoon Frank, the sails arrived this morning. They are excellent! Nick, Lincolnshire. Absolutely magnificent (cotton) sails! Everyone seeing Columbia and her sails are very impressed with the quality of your workmanship and I cannot thank you enough; the boat sails far better than expected. Bernard, Suffolk. The sails are brilliant. Thanks very much for a great personal service. I will be recommending you to others. Yorkshire. The suit of sails arrived today in fine order, showing the touch of a professional hand in their cut and sewing. I am delighted to have these made by you, my sincere thanks. Co Meath. Ireland. Looking forwards to receiving the (Mascotte) sails, your workmanship always gives me pleasure. Bill from Plymouth. Your workmanship and accuracy are superb and one could not wish for better at this small scale. The bolt rope stitching is particularly impressive, as is the accuracy of the parallel stitching. All in all, simply excellent; although I have said this before, it has been a great pleasure to do business with you and to have had the opportunity to work with you to acheive the desired result. I have the greatest respect for your workmanship. I will not hesitate to use your services again and would recommend your company to anyone. Frank from York. Sails arrived this morning, as promised; they are a work of art - the real thing! Whatever else people say about the barge, they will say "who made her sails?" Mike. Cambridgeshire. Many thanks for the sails, they fitted perfectly and really improved the look of the yacht. Thanks for a great job and all the help. Chris, Wiltshire. Thank you for the sails, they are a lovely suit, your craftsmanship really shows. I have hung them up for the present, I have a few more little jobs on the lugger before I lift them on the masts. Nigel, Bromsgrove. The sails arrived safely and I spent yesterday afternoon fitting them to the Bassett Lowke yacht. The sails are superb and the yacht looks fabulous; thank you very much. Mike from Hertfordshire. Sails received with thanks. You are a true craftsman. John, Glasgow. Thank you very much for the beautiful set of (cotton) sails, they are marvellous. Richard, Norfolk. Thank you, I am very pleased with the quality, fit, and your thoughtfulness. Plymouth. Yesterday I opened a tube with wonderful new sails for my Colin Archer; great job, better than I could expect, you do great work! Bernt. Norway. Thanks again for the super 6M sails which now complete the yacht. Mike, Somerset. Your sails looked great, the guys were mighty pleased. Chris, Hampshire. The sails for my Moonbeam are great! Peter, Dorset. My Moonbeam sails arrived safely this morning. They are superb and well worth the wait - thank you so much. Andy. Benfleet, Essex. Moonbeam sails received in good order. They look beautiful, many thanks. Malcolm, Cheshire. Sails received, super job. Many thanks. Nick, Cornwall. Sails safely arrived. Thank you so much, they look great. Tim, Northampton. Hello Frank. Just to let you know my sails arrived today, I am thrilled with them is an understatement, the stitching is superb & the patience required must have been enormous. Thank you again for your wonderful friendly service + your skills. Paul, Devon. The sails arrived and are wonderful - many thanks for all your help! Alex, London. I received the sails yesterday and am very pleased with them, rest assured the workmanship has not gone unnoticed by me, I have got the main and staysail up and it really looks the part. Michael, Mddx. The cotton sails you made for my Moonbeam are a work of art! I am delighted, thank you. Elwin, Lincs. The sails safely arrived and look just great. Very professional service from Nylet. George, Hampshire. Hi Frank, thanks for your email AND the BEAUTIFUL SAILS which arrived today. What fantastic work. Amazing. Well worth the wait! I'm so grateful to you, and I'll be coming back for more! I've fitted the sails to the spars. Fantastic. My goodness you are a skilled and talented man. I saw the shape you'd made before fitting and understood why you did so, but only when rigged did it all make sense. Amazing. And those tiny brass eyelets... I took the yacht back round to my sister this morning. What a thing of beauty, was the unanimous cry. Forgot to get a picture for you in all the excitement... watch this space. Jasper. Buckinghamshire. Hi Frank, (cotton) sails have arrived, they are perfect, you did a lovely job, will send you a pic when on the boat. Julian, Scotland. Some few years ago I had a phone call from the wife of a customer. All her working life she had been a seamstress and dressmaker. She told me that on seeing my (cotton) sails she told her husband, do you know what you are looking at here? You will never, ever, see anything like this again, not as long as you live. Her husband brought me back down to earth saying, "Your workmanship hasn't gone unnoticed by me." A Yorkshireman, he was sparing with his praise! Sails (for Katie) arrived today - they look great, much appreciated. Andy, Lancs. Dear Frank, The sails arrived safely on time, as promised, superb quality and workmanship, as ever, Noel. (Louis Heloise sail suit) Every letter, email and phone call from our customers is very much appreciated; we can't possibly post every single one on our website but I thank everyone for their kindness in writing to us and for their appeciative comments. Frank Parsons.

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 .

Sail Cloth for Period Ships

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Product description.

Amati Sail Cloth for Period Ships, measuring 460x900mm, crafted to the highest standards for creating authentic period ship sails. Crafted from high-quality materials, this sail cloth is designed to replicate the look and feel of sails used in period ships. With dimensions of 460x900mm, it provides ample material for creating sails that match the scale and style of your model ship accurately. Specifications: Size: 460x900mm Ideal for crafting sails for period ship models

Our current dispatch time is 5 working days We offer the following shipping services: Free UK Mainland Shipping for orders over £150.00 Standard Delivery 4-5 Working days RM48 2-3 Working days RM24 1-2 Working Days UPS Next Day 1-2 Working days You agree that proof of delivery supplied by our delivery company is sufficient evidence to establish that goods have been received For overseas delivery we offer the following: Airmail Tracked UPS Please note: The shipping charge only covers the postage is does not include any duty, taxes, import charges or processing fees that may be charged If payment of additional fees are refused at the time of delivery and the order is returned to us we will issue a refund but this will not include the shipping cost. If you order has not been delivered please contact your local customs office to see if they are holding your delivery.

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Woven Dacron Sail Cloth

This can be broken down into 4 basic categories:

Standard Production Woven Dacron

This is woven to a price and can be found as standard equipment on most production yachts. It is used for the lower priced budget sails. It is loosely woven, less time on the loom means less cost, the base fibres are not of the same quality as better fabrics and there is more resin used to hold the fabric together. Normally this style will start to lose its designed sail shape after a season or two. I would only recommend it for the very occasional weekend sailor or those on a tight budget. We at Jeckells will not make our sails out of this type of fabric.

Premium Woven Dacron

These are more closely woven and more technologically designed. With various different constructions and base yarns used for a variety of different sails, e.g.: Some are woven with more and stronger threads in the warp (along the length of the material) direction; these are suitable for radial sails.

Some are woven with more and stronger threads on the weft (fill) direction, which are more suitable for high aspect sails and some are woven with a similar construction in both the warp and weft which are called balanced fabrics.

These Dacron’s are more closely woven and use stronger yarns, most notably High Modulus yarns and have only a small amount of resin impregnated into the fabric which also means they are easier to handle.

For racing sails the resin content tends to be higher to give better stability but the sails need to be well looked after and stored carefully.

Marblehead Woven Dacron

This is the closest woven Dacron available today. It is virtually resin free and is made using only the highest quality polyethylene terepthalate yarns. It is woven on the most modern shuttleless looms which have been specially rebuilt and reinforced to pack in the highest possible number of yarns.

Because of its tight construction there is not the usual crimp problem so this material is ideal for the most discerning yachtsman be it for round the cans racing where a long lasting good performance sail is required or for a Round the World yachtsman who wants, expects and demands the best and most manageable sails.

Laminate Sail Cloth

Laminates are a completely different type of sailcloth, made from a combination of film and fabric, such as taffeta. The film restricts stretch in all directions, whereas the taffeta fabric protects the film from puncturing and chafe. A laminate cloth makes for a faster and more lightweight sail than the Dacron equivalent, making it an excellent racing sail, both for club racing or more serious campaigns.

The sophistication of our sail design software enables us to use different weights of laminate within the same sail. This reduces weight aloft which improves performance in light winds and improves furling – particularly useful where space is a premium, such as in mast reefing mainsails. These distinct advantages of laminates must be balanced against the downsides – particularly that once the film has stretched, it is impossible to recover it.

Laminates come in two basic styles, Racing and Cruising. A cruising laminate is designed to provide a combination of the benefits of both laminates and of woven material and resist stretch, to a point. However, as it is still a form of laminate, when it stretches, it stays stretched and cannot be easily rectified.

Racing laminates use a combination of film and low-stretch fibre. The specification and production costs of these laminates make them among the most expensive type of sailcloth, but arguably the fastest. Those who are willing to pay extra to ensure seconds’ advantage on the water usually buy racing laminates.

It must be understood that as with all materials they will hold together but the long-term aerodynamic shape that provides the performance element to your yacht is proportional to the quality of the sailcloth you chose. The better the cloth the longer it will last.

Although performance may not be at the forefront of your mind a cheap sail, a sail made from the wrong fabric or an old sail will not allow the yacht to perform to its full potential.

Hopefully the information above will make you aware that just because a sail is bright white or only a few seasons old it does not necessarily mean it is a good sail!!

Please note that as the material stretches, the fullness increases and tends to get blown aft, this makes the yacht heel more, the performance deteriorates and it upsets the balance of the yacht so requiring either easing the sheets or more helm to keep the boat going straight. (Don’t forget the rudder is a huge break as well.)

We will recommend the most suitable option for you having discussed your particular requirements, type of sailing and sail expectations. Remember, we have been manufacturing sails for over 177 Years

Contacting Us

Tel: 01603 782223 Address: Jeckells of Wroxham Ltd., Station Road, Wroxham, Norfolk, England, NR12 8UT

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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....

tasmanian and LFrankCPA

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

bhermann , tasmanian , thibaultron 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.

Landlubber Mike , MrBlueJacket and Canute

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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