preventing damage

[Tubjugger]

  Inserting a model into the bottle is perhaps the riskiest part of the process, at least in my experience. A complicated umbrella method model with a full suit of sails and dozens of control lines can be a real terror to send down the neck, and the sound of something crunching or cracking can break your heart, along with causing hours of extra work.

 

  A simple solution which has saved me lots of fear and trepidation is to cut a piece of metal out of an alumum can to about the length of the model, and of a width slightly greater than the inside circumference of the bottle's neck. The model is wrapped carefully in the metal piece, compressing it uniformy, and the whole thing inserted through the neck. Once inside the bottle, the aluminum will spring open, and may be easly extracted with a hooked piece of wire, and saved for use on the next model.

 

TJ

[Gwyl Blaser]

TJ,

 

That might be the idea of the year!  I agree with you, as every time I send the model down the neck of the bottle, I hold my breath and hope all will end up well. I have heard that crack before, and I wish to never hear it again.    I will certainly give that a try on my next model.  

 

Gwyl

[Tubjugger]

Glad you like the idea Gwyl, if it catches on it should be called the Ship Burrito.

 

TJ

[Chasseur]

TJ,

When I read your idea I immediately thought about the aluminum tubes Cuban cigars come packaged in.

Jeff

[Tubjugger]

Jeff, i bet a piece of clear plastic from a 2 liter soft drink bottle would also work, and profide the advantage of being able to observe the model as it was constricted within the wrapper.

 

TJ

Edited April 19, 2015 by Tubjugger

[DSiemens]

That is a good idea I may have to try it.  I've also seen wax paper placed in the bottle before the ship to prevent clay from attaching to the ship.  Nothing worse then a mast or spar with a blue tip you can't get off.  Once the ship is in and erected the wax paper can be removed and the ship positioned into place.  I tried this on my last model since the ship had to be erected and the turned as the bottle was vertical.  It kept the ship nice and clean through the turn and came out easily after.     

[Tubjugger]

That's an excellent tip DS, oil putty is really messy if you break the skin, a piece of wax paper would be just the ticket, as long as it didn't stick to the putty.

 

TJ

[Dave Fellingham]

 

  A simple solution which has saved me lots of fear and trepidation is to cut a piece of metal out of an alumum can to about the length of the model, and of a width slightly greater than the inside circumference of the bottle's neck. The model is wrapped carefully in the metal piece, compressing it uniformy, and the whole thing inserted through the neck. Once inside the bottle, the aluminum will spring open, and may be easly extracted with a hooked piece of wire, and saved for use on the next model.

 

TJ

 

I've used a similar technique with waxed paper to prevent damage to hull paint from rubbing on the inside of the neck. I've also used small pieces of waxed paper between collapsed masts and deck details that might poke holes in the sails and between masts to prevent, for example, getting a fore mast head from getting tangled in the main mast shrouds or other rigging.

 

Dave