Mercury by DSiemens - FINISHED - BOTTLE

[DSiemens]

Thank you Michael and Popeye for your compliments they mean a lot coming from such experienced builders.

 

Well the hull is done finally.  I guess I still have to drill holes in the chain plates but I'll do that when I start the rigging. For now I've go the masts up and the gaff and boom on for the spanker.  Just need a few spars and it's off to the rigging yard.  

 

 

 

 

[mtaylor]

So much impressiveness in such a tiny ship, Daniel.  Holes in the chainplates???    Are you going to make miniature deadeyes???

[augie]

Never ceases to amaze.  Terrific.

 

Oh, was up at the Weld County Fair yesterday picking up all my wife's ribbons for weaving and ran into a young man (about 10) who had won a youth crafts category with a ship-in-a-bottle.  We chatted for a bit.  Sorry I can't attend your class in August as I'll be away but I wish you all the success with it you deserve.  I hope it's well attended.

[DSiemens]

Augie - That's very interesting.  I'm aware of  only one other SIB builder in Colorado and only since I partially got that one interested in it.  It's good to here there's a few more out there.  I didn't think you were even contemplating attending my class since you are so far north but thank you for your thoughts and well wishes.  I'm sure it will be fun.  I need to post an update actually.  20 some odd hulls masts and bottles is a sight to see.  

 

Mark- Of coarse I'll have holes in the chain plates it's essential.  The back stays are one continuous line so that I can tighten at an equal slack.  I figured out I can fun a line down one hole in the chain plate and up another back and forth until the back stays are all in.  As far as dead eyes I have thought of including them in the same way I did with the Santa Maria.  At this scale the best method is to dab paint on the line until it creates a little ball that looks like a dead eye.  Some go as far as gluing extra tiny lines to that ball to look like the line going through the dead eye.  Not sure if I'll do that or not.    

[popeye the sailor]

whatever you do.........she's turning out to be a really cool build!   nice job on the masting.   for deadeyes.......how about tiny buttons?

[DSiemens]

Popeye - Thank's Popeye.   Yea If I could find buttons that small I'd use them.  Trouble is even seed beads are to big at this scale.  Better just to add a dab of paint and call it good.  Besides only people like us are going to take the time to notice the real tiny details.   

 

  I almost bit the bullet with this build but was able to avert disaster.  I'll have to post pictures later.  I did a test fit in the bottle I had planned on using and found she was much to tall for it.  I was contemplating cutting off a good chunk of the hull since she'll be in water any ways and decided to look through my bottle collection before I did.  I had chosen the original bottle for it's nice wide opening so I didn't have to worry about splitting the hull.  It's a little worry some when you look at all these bottles and there half inch openings thinking none of these are going to cut it.  I finally found one that's perfect.  Beyond perfect.  The glass is incredibly clear.  The opening is a little smaller then the original bottle but not to small.  She'll fit nicely and leave people wondering all the more on how she got in there.  

[DSiemens]

Well the rigging is coming together.  I got some Uni 0/8 fly tying thread.  Its great stuff.  Very little stretch in the line.  I do wonder though if my stay lines are to thin.  I'm open to suggestions on that.  Part of me thinks well it's probably close to scale but then it's also hard to see.  That may change once I get the rat lines on them though.

 

 

 

 

 

[mtaylor]

Daniel,

Are saying there's smaller line than that?  If not, you might want to make the shrouds a bit larger in diameter. Rigging looks great.

[DSiemens]

Mark there is a much smaller line then this.  The other line I have is a 0/19.  It's almost hard to see.  I plan on using that on my syren.  My plan is to use the same line on the rat lines as I've used for the stats.  I do have some thicker line I could use but it has a ton of stretch so it's hard to get the mast to fold back and come up correctly.  

[bhermann]

Daniel - FWIW, I like the thickness of the shrouds and stays just as they are.  They are visible in the photos even though the background is very dark.  I think you are right that when the rats are added they will show up more. 

 

Of course if you have the foremast shrouds in place in the above photo, I take it all back and you need to go with something thicker

 

I love the details you are able to show at such a small scale!

 

Bob

[popeye the sailor]

isn't being in the bottle going to refract the lines and make them thicker than they really are?   wonderful job!

[augie]

The lines look good to my eye.  Nice catch on the potential bottle neck problem. 

[DSiemens]

Rigging is coming together.  Heres a couple shots.  

 

 

[michael mott]

Amazing Daniel!!

 

Michael

[DSiemens]

Thanks!

[DSiemens]

Another small update.  I created a little something I thought I would share.  Once a month the Rocky Mountain Shipwrights hold a community build where we all get together and work on our various projects.  It's a great time to spread rumors, show off and occasionally bounce ideas off each other.  I have always had to be very careful getting my ships back and forth especially mid build.

 

Also I have been contemplating building a small version of a sea chest to put tools in just for the novelty of it.  The plan would be to take DonHubbard's stand idea put it in a chest and have tools around it.  While at Michaels gathering last minute supplies for the SIB library class tomorrow I stumbled across a small chest and decided to try my idea out.  I call this the rigging chest.  

 

 

 

Still need to work a few things out but so far so good.  

Edited August 10, 2013 by DSiemens

[augie]

Very nifty.  A boat-in-a-box !

 

Isn't today the ship-in-a-bottle class at the library?  Good luck ---- wish I were there.

[DSiemens]

Augie - It is I'll try and get some good pictures.  The Library handed out all 20 tickets for the class so we'll have a full house.  This will be very interesting.  

[Anja]

Hello Daniel,

 

Just sent you a PM about the missing sea chest pictures.

Will you please add them again?

 

Thank you.

 

Anja

[DSiemens]

Got it Anja.  Yea my computer was slow so I'm sure I hit submit one to many times.  

[Anja]

Thanks a million Daniel,

 

Two posts aren't a problem. Normally you can easy delete one.

But this time the pictures went missing as well.

 

I'm glad you re-posted it, because it looks great.

 

Anja

[DSiemens]

More updates.  The rigging is nearing completion and I've added a few sails.  I have plans to differ the rigging from the plans a little.  Mostly to help with getting the ship into the bottle but partially because it's what I would do if it were my ship.  I'll through it out there and see what every one thinks.

 

 The plans have the running lines to the spars running between the masts.  My thoughts is with four spars this makes for eight lines running back and forth.  Possible do able for a real ship but a ship in bottle that many lines in one spot becomes cumbersome.  My though it to take the lines from the foremast spars and run them to the bowsprit.  What this would do is give me access to the foremast spar lines outside the bottle which makes it easier to adjust the tack.  I believe I've seen this done on other ships and maybe a true method of running the rigging.  I'm just not as well versed with actual rigging styles.  Let me know what you think.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

FYI on the flag.  It was created as the flag for the Mercury crew a group of online pirate enthusiast.  This ship was created for the crew as well.  They have gone all out with ship drawings flags and a well documented story on how they acquired the ship.  Even the individual cannons on this ship have varying pound sizes and names.  

Edited August 17, 2013 by DSiemens

[popeye the sailor]

beautiful work Daniel......very pleasing to the eye! 

[augie]

Can't speak to the run of the rigging mate.  But I will say you've outdone yourself with this one.

 

Superb!

[mtaylor]

Lovely work, Daniel.   The finish line is in sight. That flag is something else...

[dafi]

Lovely work!!!

 

XXXDAn

[DSiemens]

Thanks every one. I did get a couple opinions at the ship club today.  It seems rigging should be done towards the stern which means I may redo a lot of it.  Which is fine since rigging towards stern will get into the bottle better.  

 

Popeye Thanks.

 

Augie I'm not sure how it happens but each time I outdo myself I end up having plans to give the ship away.  I need to stop doing that.

 

Mark the flag at the finish line or the flag on the ship?  JK It's regular printer paper folded in half.  Stiff enough to hold a wave.

 

Dafi aka other Dan Thanks. 

[michael mott]

Daniel it is so much fun watching your builds, you really should get a hobby and stop messin' about

 

Wonderful work on the chest too.

 

Michael

[DSiemens]

Your totally right Michael.  Maybe I should get into underwater bb stacking ...or maybe rubber baby buggy bumper collecting...better yet I could get a kit and join the light side building a regular scale ship model.     (Thats sure to rial up the natives.)

 

I'm glad you are enjoying my build log.  Thanks for the compliments.  

[augie]

"(Thats sure to rial up the natives.)"

 

Hey Fred, do you hear those drums too ?????