Shipwreck Hourglass

[Bilgemunky]

So I found myself in want of some navigation tools for an upcoming quasi-educational engagement, but didn't want to fork out the dough to buy the real things. Thus I adopted the common question of "What would a pirate do?", which I often ask myself when my pirate garb doesn't fit right, or some other obstacle comes my way. In this case, when in need of navigation tools, but not having real ones available, what would a pirate do? Short answer, drink some rum. Long answer, take a couple of rum bottles (once emptied) and craft a 28 second hourglass from them. And BAM!, you're well on your way to being able to gage your ship speed (once you craft a chip log, which should certainly be easier than an hourglass.) Although certainly unconventional, the event I'll be working is something of a "shipwrecked pirate crew" thing, so making my tools from flotsam is a perfect fit.

My result:

2 pyrat rum bottles with a leather "flange" between them with a hole in it to pace out the sand. They're joined at the throats with some dried rawhide and hemp twine, which do a remarkable job of holding the two halves together even without the wooden end peices lashed on.

[Ransom]

Very impressive! But, as if anyone here needed another excuse to drink more rum! LOL Would that be called early pyrate recycling?

BTW, Bilgemunkey, did you find a nice place to display the key you bought at Nor Cal?

[LadyBrower]

I LOVE IT!!!! It's the perfect excuse to drink more of that particular rum. I happened to have two bottles already, though they are usually in use for beverage... How did you narrow the passage, exactly? What is a "flange"? and what did you use for the wooden pieces, are those pre-cut or did you do that yourself?

Again, fantastic work. I love it.

[Bilgemunky]

Consider the flange to be a disc of thick leather with a hole in it. The hole is almost exactly the size needed to throttle the sand to about 28 seconds. The disc itself is of a size that perfectly sandwiches between the two bottles so that they're not actually touching. Does that sort of make sense?

The wooden pieces are actually blank clock faces from Michaels. They had predrilled holes in the centers, which is why I opted to place a rope handle for hanging on both ends of the hourglass (didn't want a hole there for no reason.) I drilled six more holes around the perimeters to thread the twine through.

[Capt. Sterling]

So I found myself in want of some navigation tools for an upcoming quasi-educational engagement, but didn't want to fork out the dough to buy the real things. Thus I adopted the common question of "What would a pirate do?",

Geeze Bilge, he would go out and steal one! Still very impressive!

[Jamaica Rose]

Very nice, and very clever. But need to change the title of this topic. It is NOT an HOURglass, but a 28second-glass. LOL.

--Jamaica Rose

[William Brand]

I'll take one.

[Coastie04]

Very impressive! Now, how did you get the hole just the right size? Was it trial and error, or did you just adjust the amount of sand in the bottles?

Coastie

[CaptainSatan]

Some people enjoy a dry rhum

[pyrateleather]

Very creative indeed! Great work Bilge!

[Bilgemunky]

Very impressive! Now, how did you get the hole just the right size? Was it trial and error, or did you just adjust the amount of sand in the bottles?

First I started with a small hole, and held the flange over the opening and dumped sand from one of the bottles into a bowl. A small hole clogs up with this system - so making a full 'hour' glass would need some serious experimentation. So I made the hole bigger and bigger until it was smooth flowing and approaching the 28 second mark, at which point I refilled the bottle with sand yet again, set a timer, and started dumping. When the timer hit 28 seconds I stopped, set aside whatever sand remained in the bottle, put the 28 seconds worth back in and voila - commenced the rest of construction.

[michaelsbagley]

That really is freaking awesome... Very clever use of materials. I am hugely impressed... I think I want one!

[William Brand]

I'll take one.

No really.

[Coastie04]

One little point to make about construction...beware of doing it in humid weather. I'm sure the bottles aren't completely air tight like in a proper glass, but I have seen some that get a tiny crack and moisture accumulates on the inside. Long story short, wet sand doesn't work. However, as a 'temporary measure', and for pure aestetics, it's AWESOME!!!

Coastie

[MarkG]

One little point to make about construction...beware of doing it in humid weather. I'm sure the bottles aren't completely air tight like in a proper glass, but I have seen some that get a tiny crack and moisture accumulates on the inside. Long story short, wet sand doesn't work. However, as a 'temporary measure', and for pure aestetics, it's AWESOME!!!

Coastie

Jamestown Glass Works used to sell sandglass kits for making a 17th century sandglass. I made a couple for the Santa Maria (the first was stolen). The construction was similar to this. The main difference is that the bottles were specially made with a lip so that they could be tied together more easily. The top and bottom pieces are wood instead of cord. A small round piece of metal goes between the two bottles. This has a hole n it. I think that it is aluminum and it had to be trimmed to fit.

I solved the problem of humidity by making it on a dry day and dripping wax over the joint between the two bottles.

The sand that they included was the sand they use to make glass. It had some tiny glass shards in it so I had to strain it.

I used trial and error drilling the hole in the piece of metal and holding the bottles together to see if the sand would drain through. I ended up with an 8 minute glass that we represent as a half hour glass.

Mark