That depends on how you want them rigged and how you want the model to appear.
Some choices are:
1) fully set and bellied, full of wind, as if the ship was underway
2) fully set, but not bellied, as if there is little or no wind, sails just handing from the yards
3) furled (actually farthelled for a square sail)
4) partially gathered up to the yard, sail hung for drying
I can help you with option 1), and show you one method of how to stretch and starch sails fully bellied such that they maintain their shape. Read my build log in the link below, starting at message #405 and see how to use a wooden frame jig, some bags filled water, and sails soaked in fabric starch to form sails.
La Couronne - Forming Sails
Some choices are:
1) fully set and bellied, full of wind, as if the ship was underway
2) fully set, but not bellied, as if there is little or no wind, sails just handing from the yards
3) furled (actually farthelled for a square sail)
4) partially gathered up to the yard, sail hung for drying
I can help you with option 1), and show you one method of how to stretch and starch sails fully bellied such that they maintain their shape. Read my build log in the link below, starting at message #405 and see how to use a wooden frame jig, some bags filled water, and sails soaked in fabric starch to form sails.
La Couronne - Forming Sails
I reviewed your build log, your skills are amazing. I get the idea for building a jig/frame.. I’ve read some people paint on diluted white glue to stiffen the cloth. What are your thoughts on this? Thanks
Paul
White glue can work, but starch is surprisingly invisible, leaving no indication it is there in the cloth. White glue might yellow with time. I cannot be sure white glue will not do the same. When you start making sails, you should cut and extra sail and designate it a test sail. That's the sail that gets the sewing, stretching, staining and starching tests so you can see what will happen as you try each step in sail making. This saves mistakes and bad results from happening to your good sails. I still have my test sail from La Couronne, finished two years ago. It was a fore topgallant test sail and was too cool to throw away. The only change I would make on the sails on my first model would be to stain them a shade darker, and stitch the fore and main sail bonnets and drabblers (sail extensions) differently to make the stitches more subtle. The learning continues. . .
I've used fabric stiffener from a craft shop, spray the sail, put the sail over something with the diameter needed 'till it sets..
Watch Olga's sail making video.
I did a full sail set on my Billings kit Bounty in the early 80s. The kit included a sail set that required sewing seam lines and details, etc. Another detail was sewing on a rope around the edges of the sail. Anyway, what I ended up with after all the sewing was a stiffened sail that was easily shaped to look like they received a light breeze. The running rigging for mounting the sails helped keep the slightly bellowed shape of the sail. All of this to say that adding the sewn details allowed the sails to be shaped nicely and the running rigging for mounting the sails held the shape in place. Another option to consider…