Vasa - 1:65 DeAgostini [COMPLETED BUILD]

SPLENDID work Paul! If you haven't learned yet that you can teach yourself how to do the sails right the first time from reading and practice, this is the proof you were looking for. So many people never achieve great things because of the fear of falling short of the mark, when in fact it's the trying and improving that make great things. Your Wasa is truly a great model. :D Thumbs-Up

Baby Kraken Approves!
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Hubac’s Historian said:
The loose furl looks pretty good to me, Paul. If I were to do anything with it, I might tweek the center fold so that it was more covex than concave. This is just nitpicking, on my part though, according to my personal whims and fancies.
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Thanks Marc! As I get to some of the sails that will be fully open (topsails) I'll see how much wind I'm going to provide for and adjust this current sail accordingly. Good eye.
 
Dear Paul. I am very happy to see you working on the Vasa again. The rigging is truly magnificent and is a model of accuracy. Sails - whether it's case of furled or not or no sails, will always come down to personal preference. What I have learnt from this wonderful pastime of ours, is that once you have added the first detail of something that will have a major effect on the overall appearance of the model, you inevitably focus on that item and the importance is magnified until you start adding the other detail as well. I think when viewed in its proper context, it will look remarkably well. I do though agree with Marc about making the "loose" fold in the center more convex.
 
dockattner said:
I gather you're voting NO on the sails ROTF.
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I told you a long time back, that you raised the bar many of us can hardly achieve in our first build (frankly even in the second and third). I like your methodical, meticulous approach to the subject. Although I am very well versed in artillery (specifically navy), to my shame I do not verse in sails at all. But...I do love the way sails showed in your model! ;)
 
Paul, I do agree that the centre fold could do with a little tweak.I take it the sail is full size, if so that is extremely convincing as it is common to make the sail smaller in height to get authentic furling as you can't "scale" folded material and invariably they can look too bulky.

Aside from that, simply outstanding :cool:

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
Jimsky said:
I told you a long time back, that you raised the bar many of us can hardly achieve in our first build (frankly even in the second and third). I like your methodical, meticulous approach to the subject. Although I am very well versed in artillery (specifically navy), to my shame I do not verse in sails at all. But...I do love the way sails showed in your model! ;)
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frankly even in the second and third)
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....in my case ever.;) It is incredible what Paul creates.
 
dockattner said:
Hello Friends,

As this build quietly enters its third year (Speechless) you would think I would have learned enough to avoid making the following observation: EVERYTHING takes SO LONG to do on these model ships! Alas...I am once again surprised by how everything takes so long to do on these model ships.

This third year welcomes a major shift. Standing rigging is largely complete - and the preliminaries for the running rigging are largely complete. That means it's time to install yardarms (and thus the running part of the running rigging). I chose to begin at the pointy end with the yard for the sprit course sail (is that what it's called?).

Let's begin with a view from above:

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Looks simple, right? Wait for it...

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And now a view from the side...

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As I have mentioned in the past, it was my original plan to rig this first ship without sails. But while visiting the Rijksmuseum my bride made a passing comment that she liked the ship models with sails more than the ships without them. To that end I have endeavored to add sails - knowing in my heart that if I could not do sails convincingly, I would abandon the effort without regret (well, maybe a modicum of regret, but nonetheless).

My goal for the spirt course sail was a loose furl. I'll let you judge how convincing this is:

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I'm inclined to keep it but am curious what you think - especially if you have suggestions for improving what I have thus far.

And here are a few random details:

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And one final view. Convinced? Or not so much?

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As always, I am humbled that you would stop by.
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Good morning Paul. Wow ! ! I am humbled by what you have built- absolutely outstanding.
If some asks “How do you build a wooden ship model? “ my answer is - Slowly.;).Happy 3rd birthday to your Vasa. Cheers Grant
 
NMBROOK said:
Paul, I do agree that the centre fold could do with a little tweak.I take it the sail is full size, if so that is extremely convincing as it is common to make the sail smaller in height to get authentic furling as you can't "scale" folded material and invariably they can look too bulky.

Aside from that, simply outstanding :cool:

Kind Regards

Nigel
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Hi Nigel. This sail is about 2/3rds the normal height. The fabric used (a UK product by the way) is quite light but not ideal. If I ever do sails again (unlikely) I will give silkspan a go.
 
And now I have run into a problem. After posting yesterday I still had a few hours left to me, so I tried to furl the sprit topsail. Utter failure. What worked fairly well on the spritsail (2/3rds normal height) was WAY too much fabric for a tiny sail. Looks like I'm back under the sewing machine again. One step forward, two steps back.

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No good, right?
 
Dear Paul. If I may be so bold as to make an observation. You have built a perfect VASA up to now - by perfect I mean it is executed to perfection without one hair out of place. If you want to keep your furled sails in line with the character of the rest of your build, they also have to be executed "super-neatly". A furl that is too "informal" and shows too many creases and crinkles will not work. Have a look at @pietsan Piet Sanders's furling on the WB. yes, I know it is two completely different ships, but that's not the point - I just wanted to show you the TYPE of furling which I believe will be right at home on your VASA.

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Really do agree with Heinrich on this one Paul. The standard of the rest of your model has set the bar so incredibly high for a first build, time to take a deep breath and persevere.

May I suggest you remake one of the smaller sails (least work) one third of the normal height and try that.

Just a thought

Kind Regards

Nigel
 
dockattner said:
And now I have run into a problem. After posting yesterday I still had a few hours left to me, so I tried to furl the sprit topsail. Utter failure. What worked fairly well on the spritsail (2/3rds normal height) was WAY too much fabric for a tiny sail. Looks like I'm back under the sewing machine again. One step forward, two steps back.

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No good, right?
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One of the drawbacks to using cloth at this scale is its inability to make fine, scale folds. It wants to spring back out flat when folded. Reducing the sail size to about 1/3 eliminates the oversized appearance of a furled sail, but to me that's just the first step.

Come up with a method to make finer folds and pleats. Perhaps using long thin sewing pins, and temporarily binding the cloth with loops of thread where it is going to be bunched together under the lashings. Wet the sail with fabric starch and dry it with a hair dryer, then lashed the sail to the yard. Once lashed to the yard, snip and remove the temporary binding threads, leaving the lashing to hold the bunched fabric tight.

Play around with some scrap fabric. Have fun with it. Your sails will improve dramatically, and in the end, you will be happy with them.
 
Heinrich said:
Dear Paul. If I may be so bold as to make an observation. You have built a perfect VASA up to now - by perfect I mean it is executed to perfection without one hair out of place. If you want to keep your furled sails in line with the character of the rest of your build, they also have to be executed "super-neatly". A furl that is too "informal" and shows too many creases and crinkles will not work. Have a look at @pietsan Piet Sanders's furling on the WB. yes, I know it is two completely different ships, but that's not the point - I just wanted to show you the TYPE of furling which I believe will be right at home on your VASA.

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How do you make furls like that? Is the balance of the fabric pleated behind the flat fabric as it appears from the front?
 
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