HMS VICTORY in a bottle

VICTORY ship in a bottle (with Video)

Once again, having completed the 1:98 scale model of the VICTORY, I decided to make a model of it in a bottle.

After my first attempt at a SIB (Sail training ship DANMARK) and the problems I encountered, I decided that my next SIB would have folding masts and as few pull-up threads as possible.

I have now finished a 1:98 scale model of HMS Victory and with the above in mind, I finally figured out that due to the location of the masts and the shape of HMS Victory, I could get away with using one pull-up thread if the masts folded forward towards the bow.

We are limited to the choice of wine/spirit bottles here in South Africa so I decided to use the same type of bottle as I did with the Danmark.

I wanted to make the SIB to the largest scale possible that would fit in the bottle and so I eventually scaled it so that the height from keel mounting to top of Main mast was about 5mm less than the internal diameter of the bottle at it’s widest point.

This resulted in a scale of approximately 1:550.

Because of the standard size bottle neck, the hull had to be constructed in 4 pieces.

These were pegged together and carved to shape. 2 strips of edging veneer were used vertically between the blocks to form the keel and bow shape and a strip of veneer was used horizontally between the blocks to provide a moulded line between the “copper” hull plating and the black painted hull above.

The deck was made separately from edging veneer and scrap.

Holes were drilled for the gunports. The guns were made from brass square tubing and rod.

Guns painted.

The masts and sockets were made from brass square tubing and brass pins.

The jib was made from brass rod and inserted into a brass tube on the bow.

It was rigged to the foremast and then when the masts were folded forward, removed from the tube while the deck was inserted in the bottle. When the deck was fixed in place, it was  then replaced.

A base was glued inside the bottle.

A long thread was fed through the plastic tube in one of the bottom sections. The 2 bottom sections of the hull were inserted in the bottle and then glued to each other using 24hour epoxy.

When dry, this sub-assembly was glued to the stand.

The 2 top sections of the hull were then inserted into the bottle and then glued together.

The long pull-up thread attached to the stern jib of the Mizzen mast on the deck assembly which was still outside the bottle was fed through the top hull section, and tied to the thread going into the tube in the bottom section. This thread was then pulled whilst the top hull section was located and glued to the bottom section.

Outside the bottle, The masts were then folded forward, the jib removed from the bow socket and the deck assembly inserted into the bottle. The slack was taken up on the pull-up thread and the deck was then glued to the hull.

When dry, the bow jib was re-inserted into it’s socket and the masts were pulled up by the Mizzen jib thread and then and glued in place.

Here is a video of the ship going into the bottle:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8rLxR8Tk68

Click bottom right to watch it in full screen mode.