Mainsail fastening

by **Ed Gelina** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 8:28 pm

I currently have used "beads" with a jack line to secure the luff of the main to the mast. Now I want to switch to aluminum tubing with tape around the tube and stuck to each side of the main luff. My question is if there is a standard tube length that should be used. I would like to use half-inch but I also see that one-quarter inch length tubes have been used. comments?

Ed Gelina

by **Doug Wotring** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 10:20 pm

i have 1/4" tube.

have seen people use the tube from wd-40 type arisol can

by **kahle67** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 1:48 am

3/8" but only because that is how wide the tape is. About 6" spacing.

RK

by **yachtie** » Sun Oct 19, 2003 10:27 pm

I use about 6mm long slides cut from rail modellers plastic tube which is about 2mm in diameter - probaly size of WD40 nozzle tube -and cut sticky back sail tape to suit.
[:o)]

Chris
NZL1 Longtack

by **gcobley** » Wed Oct 29, 2003 12:52 am

This sounds like the method Windjammer sails use. It was a nice surprise to find them already installed on the luff when I pulled them out of the packing tube!

6mm by 2mm tube attached with sail tape does the job very nicely.

Gerry

by **philair** » Tue Nov 11, 2003 3:18 pm

I've also been using the beads to secure the luff and am intrigued with the 'tube & tape' approach.

I'm assuming you wrap the tube and have the tape go through the slot and on to the main.

How far out on the main do you extend the tape?

by **Rick West** » Sun Nov 16, 2003 2:37 am

The tube and tape sail hanks are shown on the Building site in the Sails section under sail preparation. The photos show the set up and it is not difficult to do. The tape shown is sail seam tape that your sailmaker could provide. [8D]

by **Pink66** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 7:06 pm

Gerry - Just a quick note regarding the luff tabs that were already installed on your WJ main for all to know. This is not standard practice with our sails. Generally the customer installes their own tabs. Your main was special because Scott brought that main to the Nats as a spare and decided to give it away as a door prize after the event.

Mark

by **Skip Quinn** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:16 pm

This is standard on Black Magick sails. My set came ready to slide in the slot. Skip

Skip

by **geeks2you** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 7:36 pm

kinda hate to dredge up such an old topic, but it is a current events topic for me.

What luff tape is the most pliable to use for making the tabs and tubes? I have found a few places to buy the 3/8" tape, but not really sure about how soft and flexible it is. Anyone care to share suppliers of tape that they know is good?

Eric Olson
Atlanta Model Yacht Club
AtlMYC.org

by **yachtie** » Mon Jun 08, 2009 10:02 pm

If you can get hold of a sail loft the sticky back for sail repair is good and comes in a huge colour range as well. Most lofts have ascraps bin that is the best price - free [:D]

http://www.thesailloft.com/

The Sail Loft
3292 McEver Road, #102
Buford, Georgia 30518

By Lake Sidney Lanier NE of Atlanta

Chris
NZL1 Longtack
NZL110 Swept Away NZL128 Ketch me if U Can

by **kahle67** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:54 pm

Eric,

I have found this stuff (super tack)to be good for just about everything from luff tabs, repair strips when applied to whatever sail material you use as a backing, or even sticking panels together on homemade sails.

http://www.duckworksbbs.com/sailmaking/tape/index.htm

edit: I should mention that this double sided sticky tape works great when applied to Tri-spi 40 (or your favorite sail material) and cut to whatever length suits your need.

Reichard Kahle
Charleston, SC

by **geeks2you** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 7:04 am

so you are saying that you use super tack + sail material to make the mainsail tabs to wrap around the tubes to slide in the mast? I am pretty sure that is not what I have seen on the WindJammin' and JohnB sails that I have examined, and those 2 sails seem to have the most flexible luff tabs I have found so far.
I should be headed to the Sail Loft this weekend since they are only a few miles away from me to check out what they may have.

Eric Olson
Atlanta Model Yacht Club
AtlMYC.org

by **s vernon** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 9:48 am

Eric,

What you think Reichard said is not exactly what he said. My reading is that he said put something like TriSpi on one side of the double-sided tape to make your tabs. Clear micafilm would do it as well and I know you have some of that "hanging around". The combined strength of the tape and micaflilm should be strong enough.

Loops and beads are so much easier - no alignment effort for tube - very easy to get every bead the same distance from the luff. Very flexible if you use the correct Spectra line. But I know you don't care about that.

You should read Pink66 / Mark Rinehart's post. Apparently whatever tabs you have seen on W mains are user provided and installed.

Scott

by **Rick West** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:12 am

This is an old page but has been seen by many.
http://www.ec12.info/Sail%20Preparation.htm

...94 [8D]

Mainsail fastening

Mainsail fastening

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