The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-26
HOW THEY MAKE SAILS.
TALK WITH a NAN WHO KNOWS
ALL ABOUT THE BUSINESS.

steam iias Alnlo4t f>""eN'" 49,
makers-How a Graft Is Fitted Out with
Complement Of sails-The Measuring
Sewing and Fitting.
'Steam, although it hasn't quite
knocked out sailmaking, has pretty near
ly given the quietus to q once important
and money making business" said a well
known Bay Ridge sailmaker. "As long
as men use ships and boats so long will
there be sails made, suppose; but still,
for all that. the trade isn't nearly what
it used to be, when Atlantic packets and
East Indiamen and Pacific coast ships
used wind instead Of that and the
speaker pointed to a huge ocean steamer
which was crawling down the bay, emit
ting huge black cloud from her double
tunnels.
TINES HAVE CHANGED
"Th0se were the times, he continued.
"a suit Of sails for a ship made big
hole in $1,000 or $1,000. No voyages
were made without the sailmaker being
called into requisition, and wages were
high and profits large. But by degrees,
rs the steamship became the rule and the
sailing ship the exception, trade grew
less and less until at last it is practically
confined to small crafts. yachts and sail
/ ing boats. OF course there are some full
rugged ships and barks left, but the sails
for these are usually made by local max
ers at the places where the crafts are
built. And as there is little or no big
ship building in New York, why conse-
quently there is no use for the sailmaker,
at least to any extent
GLOW do you manage to measure a
craft for her sails:'
1--WE take the measurements Of the
stays or ropes which form the outside
edges Of the sails in some cases. and in
others we measure the spars upon which
they are bent or fastened. With this
data and a knowledge of the required
swell or belly Of the sail we calculate
the dimensions. I'm the case Of a main
sail or spanker, for example, we meas
IRE the gaff, boom and mast. Canvas
comes in bolts or rolls. each containing
about forty yards 1t is an easy matter
from the figures alluded 10 10 ascertain
how much canvas will be required for
the complete sail. The canvas is made
of hemp, and is wonderfully strong. 1t
varies In quality from the heaviest and
toughest used for the big sails Of the
largest ships down to the expensive white
duck for yachts, Of so fine a texture
that it can be used by the yachtsmen for
trousers"
GLOW do you manage to sew such ma
terial:'
There have been sail sewing ma
chimes in use, but l cannot say that they |
are a success altogether. And so hand |
sewing is the general rule. We use for
this purpose, as you see, stout Irvine, |
which is soaked in tar to prevent its rot |
ting. hard steel needles Of a triangular
shape and two to three inches in length, |
and a palm This last is a piece Of /
of leather. or rather several pieces of /
leather, which covers the palm of the |
hand and the lower part Of the thumb. |
10 has in it, near the ball Of the thumb,
piece of steel about the size Of a quar-
ter with toughened surface. In sew
ing the base of needle rests on this steel,
and it is then pushed through the can
vas In fact, it acts as a thimble for the
sailmaker.
1.-The Irvine, which is made Of soft
hemp, comes in 1OO-yard skeins. and is,
after tarring, wound into big balls. One
of the first duties Of a sailmaker's APP
prentice is to tar and wind. "
THE STITCHES PULLED "HOME."
1T must be pretty hard work sewings~
eyes, it is. You see, every stitch has
TO be pulled 'home / run my needle
through the canvas so, take a turn Of
the loose twine round the palm, and
then with jerk pull the stitch taut and
well into the tough material. When sew
ing on the bolt ropes-that is, the ropes
which form the outer edges Of the many
sails-the work is much harder. Then
we sew with Irvine four times doubled.
and each stitch is hauled home with
'hd'-a kind Of wooden marlinspike.
When sewing on these ropes each stitch
takes up a small portion of the canvas.
and the result is that when we reached
the end of the sail, on the measur-
ing rule being applied, it is always
found that the bolt rope is some inches
too short We then Delay the edge Of
the sail between two stout posts, haul it
mp taut and set a couple of boys dane
ing on the rope they maintain their
balance on il by catching hold Of ropes
from the beams overhead. In
a few minutes they stretch the rope, and
with it the sail to the desired length.
and especially in cold wealth
ar, this shrinkage will amount to a foot
Or more. Then all hands are set to work
dancing and it may be a matter Of
half an hour before the rope is stretched
TO the length required"
GLOW do YOU manage toget those iron :
rings at the corners of that iib into the
oop of rope which holds them so snug
81" &
"Those are what we call ear rings.
We fix them so. The rope is opened by ?
means Of a heavy 'iid and is beaten
Town to point Of the fd corresponding Il
n size to the diameter Of the ear ring.
When the fld is reversed the loop is
struck off, and before it has time to >
shrink up the ear ring is thrust inside Of
t. In second or 50 the loop contracts
lightly round the ear ring-so tightly
hat there is little danger of its ever
'oming out again. These small rings
iere are called grummets. They are
made by twisting rope yarn and are =
lsed for sewing on 10 the holes through
which the reef points go on a sail. -
Brooklyn Times.