I've always wanted to know how do they manage to get those little ships?

Question

inside the glass bottles?! I've seen some pretty elaborate ones and I still don't know how they make them. Does anyone know?

Answer 1

The actual process is dependent on the builder's own particular techniques and how the model is designed and built. However, basically one either has to build the model so that it can be taken apart into separate pieces that are small enough to insert through the neck of the bottle, or one has to design and buiild the models so that the masts, spars and sails can be collapsed or folded down to make the model small enough to fit through the neck of the bottle. In actual practice, it takes a combination of these two methods for most sailing ship in bottle type models.

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Answer 2

The Big One

Probably "the" most often asked question of anyone who builds ship in bottle, or ship in light bulb, models is, "How do you get that model in the bottle?" The easy answer is "Very carefully!"

The actual process is dependent on the builder's own particular techniques and how the model is designed and built. However, basically one either has to build the model so that it can be taken apart into separate pieces that are small enough to insert through the neck of the bottle, or one has to design and buiild the models so that the masts, spars and sails can be collapsed or folded down to make the model small enough to fit through the neck of the bottle. In actual practice, it takes a combination of these two methods for most sailing ship in bottle type models.

Using either one, or a combination of both, techniques for inserting the model into the bottle requires that at least some reconstruction or raising of the collapsed masts, spars and sails be done inside the bottle itself, after the model parts are inserted. Sailing ships also require rigging of course, which is either made of separate, stiff materials that are glued in place after the model is assembled, or actually used like the rigging on the real ship to maneuver or raise the masts, spars and sails into proper position inside the bottle.

Using the rigging lines to maneuver the parts into position requires that the lines be made much longer than what is necessary to portray the model itself, in order to have sufficient length to pull the lines from outside the bottle. It also requires that holes be drilled in spars and the hull for the extensions of these lines to pass through. The lines are glued at the points that they exit or enter spar and hull openings once the model is completed, and the excess line is then cut off and removed from the bottle.

John much prefers to do as little actual work on the model inside the bottle as possible, and therefore uses the collapsing technique and the "working" rigging lines to accomplish this. Not all rigging lines need to be working, or what John refers to as "control" lines. Some of the lines, such as the backstays, can be permanently mounted or attached as in a real ship. The reason for this in the case of the backstays is that the lines simply collapse when the masts are folded backward to insert the model into the bottle.

John has made an animated .GIF file that shows in brief what happens when a fully rigged, completely finished model is "knocked down", the term for collapsing the masts, spars and sails, and then inserted into a bottle and finished. Click on the icon below to see the animation. The animation is designed to operate only a single time. Use the hotlink just below the animation, on it's page, to return to this page, and then click again on the icon below if you want to see the animation again.

Answer 3

The proper way is that each one of the ships is assembled so that the mast and sail could be raised by the strings that doubles as parts of the ship.

In olden times, ships are are often brought in for repairs in dry docks and domed structures smaller than the ships mast (the poles that contains the sails). So, ships were built with masts that could be lowered and sails that could be folded to be able to fit in the small repair docks.

It is the same principle. If a ship could be "folded' to fit in a dry dock and unfolded once repair is finished, the same could be done in miniature/model ships. Once the folded ship is inside the bottle, the strings (ropes in the real ship) is pulled outward the bottle pulling the mast upward, and causes the sails to "unfold".

The improper way of-course is to discreetly cut the bottle lengthwise and glue it back together.

Answer 4

i think they either blow the glass around them (i hav a penny in a tiny little glass bottle that wont allow anything else in it)
or, they build it so that the sails are able to be laid flat aginst the deck of the ship. and they hold it with a string as they slip the boat into the bottle, then they let go of the string and the sails pop up
ive seen examples where that doesnt work and im just amazed
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Answer 5

The ship is assembled inside the bottle with special skinny tools that can hold pieces of the ship, and pass them into the bottle to attach to each other. The masts are tricky: they are assembled laying down, and then pulled upright with little strings.

Answer 6

Mabyt they cut out the side of the bottle, build the ship, place it in the bottle, then put the side back on and like find some way to cover up the crack.

Answer 7

They build big ships, wash them in very hot water and put them in the dryer on high heat. Then they blow a glass bottle around the shrunken ship and you have a great ship in a bottle.

Answer 8

They take long pairs of twezzers and forecepts and build the models inside the bottle by hand. It's an a very very old hobby, to which they use specialized tools to do it with.

Answer 9

Here in California, there is agreat show called California's gold. The tiny ship is made flat, put through the bottle neck, and expanded with a hook and wire , but check PBS.org for California's gold with HUell Howser. Fascinating Stuff.,

Answer 10

The sails.masts have hinges at the bottom which allow them to be laid down flat before they're inserted into the bottle, then once they're in the bottle, they're pulled back into the upright position with a connected string.