Keith Black

Rob, thank you. Thank you, Mark Phil, thank you. Happy Mother's Day to all our MSW moms and to all the moms around the world. Where would be if it wasn't for your love. The mizzen is finished except for the main's topsail and topgallant brace lines running back to the mizzen and the three upper stays running from the mizzen to the main. I started attaching blocks to the mizzen mast around January the 15th so it's taken me four months to get here. I'm not happy with the results but I'm not unhappy, I guess I'm mildly pleased. I'm only unhappy because I feel I could/should have done better particularly with the channel deadeyes. When attaching and rigging the cross jack I felt I was really rigging for the first time. Because the cross jack is attached to the mast via a truss the glue pint is minuscule. What really holds the yard in position are the lifts and braces. Those lines do not want to play nice when trying to establish level and perpendicular, in fact, they want to do the opposite of how I thought they should react to one another. It doesn't help that you're trying to adjust tension on four lines at the same time with two hands. I wish my thimble and mouse looked more like the real thing verses looking like a flying cheeseburger The mainmast is clamped in the workmate waiting for me to attach its blocks. I'll be taking a week off from modeling to work in the yard and get caught up on some projects around the house so it will be awhile before I'm able to post work updates. To all for the comments and likes, thank you. To all those who follow me on my journey, thank you. Till next time, God bless each one of you.

DD, welcome to MSW. Nice looking model, I look forward to seeing more of your work.

Dave, hang in there. You've overcome all the obstacles up to this point but I have to say, rigging a ship for the first time is a challenge but I know you're up to it.

Great tip, Paul. Thank you.

George, if these don't work my search is exhausted. I hope you're able to find what you're looking for. https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=15mm bar 3 stanchions&PN=Caldercraft-Model-Boat-Fittings-3-Hole-Brass-Rail-Stanchion-Ball-Type-15mm-C66315.html#SID=2483

https://www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=15mm bar 3 stanchions&PN=Caldercraft-3-Hole-RN-Stanchion-15mm-C66015.html#SID=2483 Very nice model, George.

Your Swift is looking great, SU. Nicely done indeed.

Melissa, the hull turned out beautiful. Well done.

Jan, we're not told what the lengths are or at least I didn't see a length . Without being able too see and measure the model I'm only guessing. What ever the old rigging is, forget it, scrape it and start with new line. Read on how to rig it as a pond yacht, use what old pieces can be salvaged, make new pieces where necessary, clean and paint where necessary, and rig it.

It is amazing how they can completely disappear. I finally put a little rug under my feet to help deaden their bounce. Now they only travel feet verses the previous infinity.

Mike, the two shroud lines converge at a single point on the mast. The most forward shroud line is parallel with the mast, it will be shorter than the shroud line aft of the mast. You can test this by taking two pieces of string running one piece from the most forward deadeye parallel to the mast and the other piece of string from the aft most deadeye to the mast. When removed you'll see that the lengths differ.

Stupid ole cats make such wonderful companions, Siggi. Give yours a scratch behind the ears from me.

Dave, I agree with Glenn. There's going to be a lot of tension (more than you think) on the mast when you start rigging particularly the stays.

Buddy, I hear ya. If I parted a shroud line when trimming ratlines I'd probably jump out the window. That's such a catastrophic image it makes me shudder. The cutters probabbly do work much better at my scale than yours, just trying to make your life easier. I tried fingernail clippers but the curved cutting edge kinda freaks me.

That glass mat looks like a nice launch pad for those tiny bits that escape every now and then.

i'm calling BS, you wouldn't carve no stinkin' penguin under any circumstance!

Ian, I thought the same thing and I said to myself "is he nuts" Glen, the Independence is looking great and those blocks are beautiful! A tip regarding parting the ratlines close to the shrouds. I use a diagonal wire cutter to snip thread and only use it for thread, I have another pair for cutting wire. Because the the ratline ends are soaked in CA the cutter makes a nice clean cut and you can get real close to the shroud line. https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Cutters-Diagonal-Cutting-Electronic/dp/B08TRNJZGQ/ref=sr_1_45?keywords=diagonal+pliers&qid=1651675625&sr=8-45

Steve, welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard.

Allan, see the attached.

Very nice, Tom. She's looking lovely.

A wonderful restoration. Just the right amount of cleaning and repair without destroying the patina that only time can impart. Congratulations.

Thank you, Rob. Yes, I remember that PM well. You saying no left me but one alternative, to do the research, learn, and to build them myself. To flesh out the story a bit..... I was so taken with Rob's work on his Great Republic's mast and yards that I PM'd him asking him if he would consider custom building the mast and yards for the Tennessee. He replied no and in hindsight I'm so thankful he said no as it was the very best answer he could have given me. His refusal forced me to make them myself but if you compare my mast and yards for Tennessee to those of Rob's Great Republic you'll see where I got my inspiration. Glen, thank you. That means a lot coming from a SIB builder. Thank you, Brian. Looking back, I wonder how different my life might have turned out had I been given a simple tube of airplane glue when I was eight years old. i've come to this wonderful hobby so late in life that I fear that all i've learned will be for a 'one and done'. I hope the Lord proves my fears to be unwarranted as I would like to try and make so many models but if it is just the Tennessee, thank God for the opportunity, thank God for MSW and my MSW family and friends.

Bolin, glad to hear you've recovered from Covid. I think your wench looks very well made and spot on.

Robert, welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard.

Sorry to not have responded to you folks till now but time gets away from me so easily these days. Thank you, Brian. Mark, thank you, you're too kind. Thank you, Pat. Lynn, thank you. MCB, thank you and yes, I keep track of every move with the model up on the box. Thank you brother Tom. Gary, thank you for the support and thank you for not looking too close. You're welcome and thank you, Brian. Rigging the deadeyes off model is awkward enough, I can't imagine trying to so with the shrouds attached and done off model as well. Thank you, Mark. I'm pleased I was able to help. Eberhard, thank you for your support. Thank you, Rob. So much credit goes to you and your Great Republic build. Rob, yes I've pretty much a dogs meal on the channels, deadeyes and shrouds. This hasn't been my finest hour. This is my first real attempt at building a model ship. My very first attempt was when I was eight years old and was given a Viking long boat and a bottle of Elmer's white glue and told "have fun". I was so frustrated trying to glue that plastic model with Elmer's glue I never gave modeling a second thought till six years ago. I guess my dear Mother thought if I had been given airplane glue I'd have glued my eyelids together. Four and a half years ago when I attached the channels I didn't have the experience/foresight to know the downstream repercussions by not making the channels wider. If I were building a kit the designer would have taken care of that small detail. Working without plans and solely from photographs, I goofed and goofed badly. I'm not going to redo at this point, it's live with it as is. I'm feeling pressed (a little voice inside my head) to bring closure to this build so its move forward and let the devil take the hindquarter. I've got the ratlines done on both sides and am finishing up the remaining mizen shrouds. I'll post pictures this coming Sunday, hopefully I'll have the mizzen completed, we'll see. I can not thank each of you enough for your kind comments and support. Thank you to all for the likes and for following me along on my journey. God bless each of you.........Keith