Gwyl Blaser Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 I have never really used any tools for measuring the inside height, width, and length of my bottles. It has always been by eye and guess-timation, and so far it has done pretty well for me. I am curious though, as to how others measure their bottles? Some of the ships I have seen, fill the bottle really well, and also come real close to the limits of the bottle. Gwyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Nelson Posted April 14, 2015 Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 I'm like you, I don't measure but early on when the hull is shaped and the highest mast is installed, I do a test fit. I guess the easiest way to measure is estimate the height then place a piece of wood in the bottle and stand it up with a tweezer. Gwyl Blaser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwyl Blaser Posted April 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 Lord Nelson, Glad to know others were guess-timators too! I know that once my skills increased and I would attempt to fill the bottle more completely, my estimates had to get better as well. Gwyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fellingham Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 (edited) I also guestimated and eyeball measured bottle inside diameters for several years until I had to extract a partially erected model that was a bit too tall for the bottle. I still remember the re-work that had to be done and my vow to "Never do that again." I use a strip of paper folded lengthwise taped to a rod, wire or dowel, trimmed until it just clears the bottle ID. Bottle ID gauge. The paper folds for insertion in the bottle. And opens out in use (sometimes with a bit of help). I then extract and measure the gauge and use that measurement for the rest of the layout of the model. I subtract the planned depth of my sea and the amount of clearance I want between the mastheads and the bottle and use that final dimension to size a beam-end photo or drawing of the vessel I want to build. After printing that image, it also goes into the bottle to verify that my visual image matches up with the reality, mostly to check for length in the bottle. Juan Sebastian Elcano standing in for her sister Esmeralda to check length and overall visual of the project. I've seen a number of devices to measure bottle IDs but I'm a big believer in the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle and haven't felt a need to make something more complex when I can make one of these in a few seconds. Also, my tools have a tendency to get sucked into a black hole to reappear some time later when no longer needed. Don't forget to measure the ID of the bottle's neck and not just at the mouth. I've had that one bite me more than once. Edited April 15, 2015 by Dave Fellingham Landlubber Mike and Gwyl Blaser 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chasseur Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 I take a vernier calliper and measure the thickness of the glass lip at the opening and times by two. Then I take and measure the O.D. Of the bottle and subtract the total measurement of the lip openings. This gives me a pretty accurate measurement of the I.D. of the bottle. I find most bottles wall thickness is the same as the lip opening or close to it. I made a tool to check how round the bottle is on the inside and to my surprise bottles are not perfectly round and their wavy as well unless you spend the big bucks and buy laboratory glass. I also do what everyone else does and photocopy the exact size of the drawing and hold it up to the side and guesstimate just to see how it's going to look like in relationship to the bottle etc. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwyl Blaser Posted April 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 Dave, I like your techneque of using the paper on the end of a pole and trimming to fit. I also like what you guys mentioned about using a photo copy inside the bottle to get a good visual on how it will fit and look. Gwyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSiemens Posted April 15, 2015 Report Share Posted April 15, 2015 I've started using Dave's method with a small variation. Instead of a stick I cut out the plans I've copied for the ship at the intended size and leaving a long strip of paper that runs out of the bottle. I then push the plans in the bottle and look at the size. When I want to pull them back out I pull the strip of paper coming out the bottle neck. So far it's worked very well. Gwyl Blaser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut163 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 this is how i mesure my bottles. its a wire clothes hanger. a home made calper. Gwyl Blaser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwyl Blaser Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 That is a good technique. It looks like the top part of the caliper is shorter than the bottom. Is that so you can ease it out of the bottle keeping the spread of the calipers consistent? Gwyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnut163 Posted April 20, 2015 Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 yes but its not nessesery. i have three of them small, medium, large. some times, depending on the bottle the ends will be bent wider than the part you hold. thismeans you need to close the inside ends carefull as not to change the messurement. Gwyl Blaser 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwyl Blaser Posted April 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2015 Thanks Skip. Makes perfect sense. Another tool for my tool box. These are all great ideas! Gwyl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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