Glen McGuire

Well, while I work on trying to empty the bottle of rotgut, I’ve decided to do this project in reverse order and build the display first.  Here we go!

I know the name of this forum is Model Ship World and not Model Sledge World but I figured I log some of the work building the sledge.  

The sledge build appears pretty straightforward except for the leading edge which requires a sharp u-turn (first pic).  The 2nd pic shows the shaping of the runners and the leading edge.  The runners are basswood strips and the leading edge is a bamboo skewer.  The bamboo seems to bend a little easier that a regular dowel rod.  
 

Looks great, Keith.  You should post a closeup pic of the last yard that you say is the best one.  That would help people like me who are still learning.  

@Beakerboy123 Thanks for the tip!  In my ongoing process of learning, I ran across that tool well after I was done with the Alabama.  But I have now added a couple to my toolbox for future builds.  I have not tried it yet so I also appreciate the warning about keeping the line straight and not bending the copper. 

Good catch, Grant.  Yes, the breadth should be 5/8".  Thank you!

The bottle opening is only 11/16”. which is smaller than my two previous SIBs.  There’s a lot going on with the smokestack, vent pipes, railing, and ship's boats, so this will definitely challenge my limited skills.  Here’s the basic concept I’ve got in mind.

Grant - Thanks for the generous offer.  You have to let me know when you start on your Amati Hannah build.  I looked in on your capstan project.  Your woodworking skills are quite impressive!  Wow.

Roger - I would hate to waste good whiskey like that!  But wait a minute, I paid less than $10 for that whole bottle so maybe the drain is the best place for it!  

One of the things I really like about SIB projects is the chance to get creative with the displays.  To me, they are almost important as the ship itself.  The small size, various bottle shapes, and even the history of the ship offer the opportunity to do lots of different things.  For the Aurora, I’m going to mount the finished bottle on a replica of one of the sledges that Mawson and his expedition team used to haul their gear over the ice.  I’ve found some fantastic museum pictures of one of his original sledges at https://collection.maas.museum/object/250732.  Now I just need someone to finish off this cheap bottle of whiskey so I can get started!

I’m kinda getting hooked on these ship-in-bottle projects.  Maybe because I’m impatient and can finish them in 2-3 months rather than a year (or years) like the full-size ship models.  I’ve thought about borrowing @mtaylor's signature line and changing it to “The wood is patient but this shipwright is not!”  So I think I’m going to do a few more SIBs before I pull my AL Constellation kit out of the closet.

The best thing about completing my first scratch build SIB is that now the next project is not limited to what kits are available.  But maybe that’s a problem too – figuring out what ship to do next!

So after a lengthy debate, I have decided on the SY Aurora as a SIB.  Most people know the Aurora as the “other” ship involved in the ill-fated Ernest Shackleton/Endurance attempt at a Trans-Antarctic expedition.  However, I first came across the Aurora in books I’ve read about Douglas Mawson.  He is a lesser-known Antarctic explorer, mainly because his goal was mapping and scientific exploration rather than trying to achieve a “first”, as in first to the South Pole or first to do a trans-continent trek, etc.  If you have an interest in Antarctic exploration and have never read about his story of survival on the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, I highly recommend a couple of books, Home of the Blizzard by Mawson himself and Mawson’s Will by Lennard Bickel.  Even the short Wikipedia writeup will leave you in awe of what a man can endure.  

The Aurora was a steam and sail barquentine with 1 funnel and 3 masts, with square sails only on the fore mast.  It was originally launched in 1876 and later purchased by Mawson for his expedition in 1910.  Hopefully I can do it justice with this build.  
 

Godspeed, Mark.  Look forward to your return and more updates!

Great lesson, Keith.   Thanks for the detailed instructions.

@Beakerboy123 Thanks!  Are you going to do a build log for your Alabama?  If so, I'd love to follow along and see what you are able to do with it.

1 hour ago, mtaylor said:

it's a mix of "fixing", "grumbling" and "multiple redo's.

If that's the definition of fettling, I've got a ton of experience as well!!  😃

I think your stern look very good, Mark.  And thanks for teaching me a new word - fettling!  Although when I google it, there are like a dozen different definitions of the word, so I'm still not sure what it means!  

Thank you, Ian!  You should definitely try one!

Thank you, GrandpaPhil!!

Thanks, Mark and Mike!  Appreciate all your support!

Looking great, Mark.  Prayers for you going into heart surgery.  

The Morgan in a bottle is done!  After surviving the broken fore mast disaster, I fixed the middle whale boat as best I could and added some whitecaps to the wave edges in the water.  

The base I used for the display sort of looks like a piece of driftwood (which is ok considering this is a ship), but it’s actually a weathered branch from a pinion pine tree I found last August in southern Colorado.  I was climbing the East Spanish Peak and saw this really cool piece of wood lying on the ground. I put it in my pack and brought it home knowing that I would eventually figure out something to do with it.  

About halfway thru my Morgan construction, it hit me that the bottle might look pretty cool sitting atop the piece of wood that I’d brought back from Colorado.  I found that the bottle fit a groove in the wood pretty well, so after some minor adjustments I got it lying in a place that I thinks works well.  Let me know what you think.

A HUGE thank you to everyone for your likes, comments, and most importantly your encouragement along the way.  The work I see on your build logs is an inspiration, showing me what skill, excellence, and perseverance really look like.   And your encouragement keeps me going.  You definitely make a difference! 
 

Thank you, Mark!  I think that's one advantage or working at such a small scale.  The flaws you see on these close up pics you can't see very well when looking at it for real.  Having old eyes help, too!  😃

Thank you, Mike!

Thank you, Ian!

After sitting overnight, the fix looks like it worked pretty well.  HUGE sigh of relief!  

However, I’ve still got a bit of minor repair work to do.  The forward davit on the middle whale boat came loose.  Also, one end of one of the lines from the dolphin striker popped off.

I will tidy those things up and get to working on the display base.  Home stretch!
 

All the good vibes from Landlubber Mike, Mark, Keith, and Ian really helped.  As awful as things looked, the repair was actually a snap!  Wait, poor choice of words there.  That word should be banned from MSW.  😃

For the fix, I was able snake a line of thread around the lower foremast (1st pic) to hold it in place.  Next, I used the bent end of a coat hanger to dab some 60 minute epoxy on the break point (2nd pic).  My aim was good as I managed to get the glue exactly where I needed instead of on the sails, rigging, etc.  

 
Finally, I turned the bottle upright to get gravity on my side and, holding my breath, used a bamboo skewer to carefully push the upper mast down against the lower mast.  Amazingly, it pretty much dropped into place.  Resisting the temptation to muck with it trying for perfection, I called it good and stopped for the night to let the epoxy set (3rd pic).  

Thanks for all the encouragement and positive energy!
 

Looking very good so far!

UGH!!!  Unfortunately that little pop I heard when I gave the ship a final nudge thru the narrowest part of the bottle’s neck was not something minor.  It was the sound of the foremast snapping.  The glue joint connecting the overlap of the upper foremast with the lower foremast gave out.  Now the mast looks like it took a wayward but lucky shot from a cannon ball.  

I was so sure the mainmast was the reason it was such a tight fit that I completely overlooked the foremast.  Dang!  Yet another lesson learned.  

On the bright side, at least it was the foremast and not the main or mizzen - easier to reach and attempt an inside-the-bottle repair.   

I think all the rigging will help hold the upper mast in place when I try and glue it back to the lower mast.  The biggest challenges I see are:

1 - getting some glue on the break point without getting it all over the sails and stays (the stays need to run cleanly thru the tiny holes in the masts). 

2 - the lower half of the mast is hinged and folds back at the slightest touch.  I need it to be secure when I apply glue and press the upper mast against it.

Time to roll up the sleeves and get after it.