Pix of Message in a Bottle...

[ronvae]

Believe it or not, the pebbled glass, embossed Quakerman, mysterious note & nail are all there, they just don't show up in the picture(see previous post)...at least the funky cap does. I know it is after 1903, my questions are:
1. Can I get the top off without damaging it? It looks like the two flanges are supposed to be pulled up. It must've been re-used at least once to get the liquid out & the note inside. There is alot of grit stuck to the cap--any suggestions on what to use to lubricate/clean it with? Looks like tin or pot-metal.
2. Given the funky cap, can anybody guess at a date for me? The person who wrote the note could still be around...
3. What should I do with the paper when I get it out to stop it from degrading?

 

[ronvae]

And another:

 

[bigkitty53]

Hi Ronvae,
It does appear the flanges operate the 'locking' mechanism.(A close-up of the cap would have been helpful![])Try (gently) pulling them up while (again gently) twisting the top.The flanges may also have been designed to push down so try that if up doesn't work.Clean as much of the grit from the cap with a dry stiff bristled brush as you can and put a spot of penetrating oil (3in1,Liquid Wrench,etc.) on the pivot points of the flanges(leave for a few minutes,at least) before trying the movement.You may have to gently 'tap' the flange levers to allow the oil to penetrate.

Hope this works easily for you and let us know what the note says!(I imagine any spray fixative for artwork will help preserve the paper)

KAT

P.S.If the message is dated you'll have a ballpark date to research.[]

 

[ronvae]

Thanks Kat!
It worked perfectly! I got a drill-bit with a steel wire brush for "polishing of soft metals", and that got most of the remaining grit off without hurting the cap. The top of the cap says "Glue". I put the 3-in-1 Oil on it, and then gently lifted one flange with a pliers, and the cap popped off with a vacuum "pop" sound. The underside of the cap looks like a clay flower-pot. The whole thing came off so easily, I think I could put it back on & seal it again. The "note" turned out to be a kid's treasure map, I think: In red crayon, there is an arrow labeled "False Line". Then in pencil, there are two intersecting lines. The start of one line is labeled "rocks", the start of the other line is labeled "Line Ind.". There are no other markings to guide a person at all, and even if the map is of the bay where I found the bottle, I'm sure any rocks that were present back then are gone now. The printing is very neat, small, and confident, so I think the author must've been at least a teenager. The nail is normal-looking, not an old square one. The whole process was a hoot! What I don't understand is the point of going to all the trouble of putting this map in a water-tight bottle, in the muck, under 25 feet of water. Who was supposed to find it? If they wanted a century to go by before it was found, why not more landmarks? From where I found it, I think it was thrown from a tiny island that was chartered as a yacht club in the 1800s, and has always sold pop in glass bottles on-site, since it started (it's still there). There is no garbage since people became environmentally conscious in the 1970s, but there are lots of glass pop bottles from 1970s back to 1800s. The cap is really neat, and would be handy even now. If I can get my camera to take a close-up, I'll post a picture. Thanks so much for your help. I was really worried about opening it.

 

[bigkitty53]

Glad to hear it worked Ronvae! Bit of an anticlimax with the 'note'[]As you said, strange anyone would go to all that trouble[>:] The top sounds interesting though,a vacumn type seal for a glue bottle?I'll check with my father and the other 'senior' carpenters in the family and see if this type of glue (with resealable cap) was used in woodworking.I'd imagine it would have been a lot more convenient than fish or rabbitskin glue heating on the bain-marie![]

Will let you know if I find out anything,

KAT

 

[bigkitty53]

Spoke to dad.The only glue he remembers that came in a bottle was a waterproof marine glue used by the Fleet Air for applying canvas to the early airplanes.Not a dope though.He can't remember what the cap looked like but it was definately not a screw cap or a cork.This was back in the 30's and was the first non 'hot' glue he had ever seen.
Perhaps a trip to your local War Vets Assoc. might be worthwhile...[&:]

Hope this helps,

KAT