I understand these to be the same thing generally speaking, but is there a more indepth difference?  

 

Comments

Tue, 10/09/2012 - 06:43

kerstinfroberg

Is filling a more industrial word?

Tue, 10/09/2012 - 09:45

ReedGuy

Filling seems to be a term used in sail cloth. I have been researching Dacron (polyester) sail cloth and this seems to be the term used.

Some day, I'm going to weave (attempt) some for a "Renegade" class  iceboat. Won't be this year though. Only need 69 square feet. Going to built it from the ground up, I have the plans for the boat and the descriptive details of the main sail. It sails on hard water. ;)

Tue, 10/09/2012 - 12:05

endorph

found anything - yet - that seems to be an indepth difference between the two terms. It may be more regional (?) than anything else.
Tue, 10/09/2012 - 14:04

sally orgren

Seems like a trip to the Weaving History Conference at the Handweaving Museum in Clayton, NY is in order for ReedGuy next May! Why? The Antique Boat Museum is ALSO located in Clayton (www.abm.org) so you'd get a two-fer for your time and money!

Great question! It seems like "woof" is typically found in old sources, "weft" is a more contemporary term. And I agree, I only seem to hear "filling" used in industrial references, or when someone doesn't know the terms "weft" and "woof".

Tue, 10/09/2012 - 14:47

ReedGuy

Yes, it's a "Lakes States" sport or hobby. I here iceboating may make some enroads in the 2014 Olympics. These ice boats have a strict set of rules and regulations in their designs and techniques. I think it was back in the 30's when the DN (Detroit News) class was designed and is the most popular iceboat world over. :) Polyester sail cloth is superior to nylon. Nylon breaks down from UV.

Tue, 10/23/2012 - 04:51

Slipstream (not verified)

Sail cloth has been an interesting evolution in the development of fabric. Sail cloth has an X and Y axis (warp and weft in weaving terms) but with the desire to obtain a more rigid and foil shape there has been a Z axis included. the Z axis in the colth is a diagonal thread that is woven in to control the stretch.  Lately one is beginning to see rigid foils as in the America's Cup cats but also we are seeing a rise in other types of sail materials in paticular solid materials such as mylar and some mylars that are reinforced with fibers.  With the advent of modern materials and the rise of the Marconi rig we have seen sail shape to be very important because sails are a lot more than just a ba to catch wind.  In the area of iceboats one experiences a phinomenon that pulls one through a tack because of the accelleration of the apparent wind that occurs as one rounds up.  Also since more modern sails act as a foil it is important to make sure that the transition frmo the sail cloth to the mast be as seamless as possible so that it does not break the laminar flow of the air along the sail.  I'd better stop here I suspect eyes are beginning to glaze over.  Suffice it to say that sail cloth is an extremely interesting engineering study. The book "Sail Power" by Wallace Ross is an excellent reference to anyone wishing to understand sails and to design their own sails.

Regards, Charles

Group Audience
Textile Terminology