IgorSky

Thanks Gwyl
These blocks are only an imitation. I have tied the threads in knot and added a tiny drop of glue.
I tried to make a block of wood 0.5x0.5 mm, but then I decided that this result is not worth the time.

Little progress in my model LENA

Six lifeboats have now been made and fitted, also some ventilators.     The samson posts have been cut to length, but have not yet had their tops fitted.
Bob

The someone who said that about being a good miniature first was me, I believe in Folk Art in Bottles. I'm flattered to be quoted and, as they say, if you don't blow your own horn from time to time someone else will use it as a spittoon.

Although this isn't a step-by-step construction as is usually done for a build log, I think it should be with them rather than in "The Bilge". As someone else said, a ship in a bottle should first be a good miniature, putting it in a bottle is merely a display choice. The miniature ship models by you and others are inspirational to many of us ship bottlers.
 
I'm curious about your painting, Bob, it's perfect. Do you use an airbrush? What paint?

This is how it all began:
Bob

Hi Igor, that would be very much appreciated, thank you.
Peter@norval.co.uk

Thank you PeterN67!
I can send to you the plans of this boat, if you need they.
I spoke in detail about this construction on my FB page - https://www.facebook.com/igor.brehuntcov/media_set?set=a.515911531894302.1073741849.100004263786475&type=3
and on the forum Nautical Research Guild's MSW - http://modelshipworld.com/index.php/topic/11150-koch-russian-polar-ship-by-igorsky-bottle-11000/
 
Best Regards!
Igor.
 

 

Boat is great but i really like the build box. any chance of some pics of the building box, maybe some plans please. Is really good. 

Yesterday this project was completed ))

RS 1

 

 
and boat Mediterranean Sea
 

 

My new project - Steam schooner "LENA" 1875
 
 

You can rig all the shrouds and backstays outside the bottle but you won't be able to set the masts into a hole or tube. You can use either hinges at the bottom of the masts or use one of two variations on what I call the "divot" method. For this just drill a very shallow hole - just up to the shoulder of the point of the bit the same diameter as the mast - leaving a shallow "divot" to locate the base of the mast. The base of the mast has a matching shallow cone to fit in the divot. Glue a length of thread into a small hole drilled in the center of the mast base and pass this thread through a small hole drilled through the hull at the center of the divot to draw the base of the mast into the divot. The thread can be omitted if you don't mind guiding the mast into place from outside the bottle. I've used both variations but prefer the thread when there are deck obstructions. It is possible to rig an entire vessel outside the bottle, pull the masts out of the divots which collapses the rigging like a pup tent. Inside the bottle, all that is required is to move the bases of the masts back into the divots. However, this method requires clear space forward of the mast locating divots to allow the mast bases to slide on the deck into position. Having some stays loose will allow moving the mast bases into the divots around or over obstacles.
 
Conventionally, all of the fore-and-aft stays (six on the foremast, four on the other four) will have to be routed out the bottle - 14 to 22 total, depending on how they're rigged. Here's three sketches of what happens to the fore-and-aft stays.
 

A brig with three yards on each mast, other spars (spanker boom and gaff) and all rigging but the fore-and-aft stays have been omitted. There are two variations on rigging these stays. First is to have the main topmast stay (middle one on the aft mast) route through the foremast (and becomes the forestay) and through the deck. Similarly with the main topgallant stay (the upper one) through the foremast (and becomes the fore topmast stay) and through the bowsprit. You won't be able to glue the fore topmast stay sail to the stay, it will have to slide on that stay. The alternative is to rig the main topmast and topgallant stays more realistically by passing the stays through eyes glued to the aft side of the foremast and down through holes in the deck and out the bottle. They can be routed through the same hole as the mainstay. Of course, all the forestays start on the foremast and go out through the hull and bowsprit in this variation.
 

Here we have the two variations on masts. The upper has the bases of the masts fixed in place by hinges. The stays are all the same length as those on the first sketch. Notice how much more line will be needed in order for the masts to fold down. If the stay continues through the foremast then the shortages are added together and it also shows why many staysails can't be glued to the stays when continuous stays are used.
The lower sketch has the mast bases loose. It seems possible to attach the stays at both ends to the mast and deck as shown but I would plan for the stays going through the bowsprit being control lines. On a five-master, the main mast stays going through the deck may need to be loose as well. This could cut the number of stays out your bottle down to six or eight, maybe ten. I've never tried the divot method (with none of the stays being control lines - just like erecting a tent using nothing but the tent poles) on more than two masts. I've learned that Murphy takes special interest in ship bottling and I prefer having options when - not if - something doesn't go as planned.
 
If you're intending to rig the shrouds and backstays loose and draw them with the pull of one string, it would depend on 150 tied and glued knots not failing. You would need to glue off all of those threads individually inside the bottle to make sure the standing rigging doesn't go slack if any of those knots fail with time.
 
Depending on how complete you intend to rig Preussen, I see eight or ten control lines in the fore-and-aft stays and two control lines for the spanker boom. Braces, yard halliards, topping lifts, clew lines, bunt lines, leech lines, reef tackles, etc. can be rigged outside the bottle and won't need adjustment inside the bottle, with a few exceptions such as tacks (and those are easy in the bottle but rarely done). I don't see any point in doing up-hauls, down-hauls and both the sheets on all the stay sails (and much of the listed running rigging) on a model of Preussen that isn't much longer than Bob's pen. You're going to have a problem keeping the diameter of the rigging to scale; simplifying the rigging somewhat will help balance over-size lines. Even the finest fly tie thread is grossly out of scale for stay sail lines and many other small lines.

I use the rounded and polished end of a 3/16" / 5 mm steel rode to tap little wavelets into the entire surface until they are all overlapping each other after sculpting the general form of the waves. Don't try to make waves like you see at the beach, those only happen at the beach in shallow water. Look at lots of photos of deep water ocean (not surf - ships and ship captains don't want to be anywhere near surf) and don't try to make your practice oceans too dramatic.

Bob you are right. The 150 is just the basic standing rigging for the 5 masts. The rest of the running rigging et al is a different kettle of fish. I'll fry that one up in a different post!
at you ... Jeff

There will need to be more than 150 lines.   As well as the standing rigging shown above, all the fore-and aft-stays with seventeen fore-and-aft sails (attached image), plus 30 square sails with 60 braces (one each side of each yard).       A daunting task.      Also looking forward to seeing how it is done.
Bob
 

I agree.  I am looking forward to seeing how this works too.  It looks and sounds like a great idea.
 
Gwyl

Sounds interesting. Curious to see how it works!

One of the things learned from reading Harold A. Underhill’s books is his methodology when it comes to naval design and thinking. For a while I was struggling with how to run all of the ratlines and backstays for the Preussen. The Lord works in mysterious ways and last night the answer came. I will devise a lever in which everything will attach to and the lever will be allowed to pivot downwards to apply tension.
 
The masts will be stepped into a piece of brass tubing in the decking and will be removable. Once everything is inside the bottle then the masts can be inserted into the tubing one by one from the rear mast forward. Then all I’ll have to do is pull one control line for each mast and all of the back-stays and ratlines will be tightened and secured.
 
Option 1 is to run each individual control line through a hawsehole or …option two is through a hole drilled in the front of the hull. I am leaning towards option two as I probably will run all of the running rigging through the hawse holes. 30 lines X 5 = 150 lines. God’s way is always perfect I’ll only need 5!
Jeff
 

Yesterday this project was completed ))

Bob,  You are right.  It was on the CD.  That is why the images looked familiar to me. 
 

 
Bob mentioned his web site in his post above.  It can be found here.  http://www.miniatureships.blogspot.com
 
Gwyl

No, the Svaerdstad build is not featured in the book at all.   It is an e-book download devoted to the history of the Svaerdstad, plus comprehensive plans and building details.      In the early 1950s, my grandfather gave me some old books called The Wide World Magazine, and the story of the wreck of the Svaerdstad was in one of them.      I thought it a fine yarn where the writer of the article, an able seaman, saved the life of Miss Christenson, the captain's daughter during the wreck of the Svaerdstad.     Many years later, I chanced upon the plans of the ship, and produced the document.     Initially, it was sold on a CD disk and posted, but later changed into an automatic download, details of which may be found on my website.     It has proved very popular over the years.
Bob
 

Deepwater Sail by Harold A. Underhill is another good book.   Quite thick and has loads of fold out plans of sailing ships in it.
Bob
PS
Here is Squirrel built from plan in Schooner Sunset.

I now have Schooner Sunset and am thoroughly enjoying it. It's an ILL so it's got to go back mid September. On another note I did a deal with Charlie B for Underhill's book Masting & Rigging the Clipper Ship and Ocean Carrier. I built a kit for Charlie to model a Pilot Cutter and sent it to him in the post. He reciprocated and sent me my second book that I now own by author and illustrator Harold A. Underhill. I am officially starting a collection of all of his books.
 

 

 
I hope to get into the Man Cave this Sunday after church and do some work on the Preussen .... Jeff
 
 

Still on the bench, but it's moved up onto the rigging stand.
 
TJ