Keith Black

Shaping up nicely, well done.

I just discovered this build log, what an incredible gift to the viewer. I look forward to being able to sit down and journey through every post.

Rob, very well said.

What a sad commentary about the last years of such a talented individual. There should have been and should always be a safety net for the artist of whatever discipline that share our world.

Don't be afraid, walk toward the light.....

My hat's off to you, Eberhard. If I tried putting in the detail you have at this scale, I'd be a basket case. It's nothing short of absolutely amazing.

I thank each of you for the comments, the likes, and the support. Back in the saddle again....... I'm going to wait and make the sweeps for the Parrott 100 pound guns till I've completed the two Dahlgren XI guns then I can tackle making the sweeps for all four guns at the same. I've turned the barrels for the two Dahlgren XI guns, I added the barrel elements before parting. I still need to trim the trunnions to length one the carriages are made and fitted. The brass rings on the trunnions go on the outside of the carriages and represent what I think to be bearing housings? I've left them on the trunnions for now so as not to lose them. About the Dahlgren XI guns. Before being changed from a 11 inch smooth bore gun to a 8 inch riffled bore in 1875 the gun data from Wikipedia.....Barrel weight, 15,700 lbs; barrel length, 161 inches; shot weight, 166 lbs; shell weight, 133.5 lbs; charge weight 20 lbs; range, 3,650 yards at 15 degrees elevation. The Dahlgren XI guns were the only Dahlgren guns to be made with and without muzzle swell. The two onboard the Tennessee were made without muzzle swell. As a smooth bore gun the XI could pierce 4.5 inches of iron plate backed by 20 inches of solid oak. The following from https://americansocietyofarmscollectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1987-B57-The-Last-Smoothbores-The-Development-of-.pdf In 1875 the ordnance bureau issued a contract to a private firm to convert ten 11-inch Dahlgren guns into 8-inch rifles by inserting wrought-iron tubes, then machining in the lands and grooves. The cost was 2,700 dollars per gun. Neither these nor any of the other measures taken in the immediate postwar years resulted in ordnance comparable to the current generation of European rifles. Largely due to inadequate funding, the navy was unable to develop advanced ordnance technology. When Congress authorized new, modern, vessels in the 1880s, the navy purchased several of its first breech-loading steel rifles in Great Britain. Throughout that decade the United States Navy retained wooden vessels armed with Dahlgren guns, the remnants of a bygone era. I've been unable to locate data for the XI converted to a 8 inch riffled barrel. Here is the gun data for a 8 inch riffled Parrott gun for a ballpark reference, this from Wikipedia......Shell weight, 150 lbs; charge weight, 16 lbs; range, 8,000 yards at 35 degrees elevation.

What started out as just a small break from the tedium of 1:120 work turned into a sabbatical, life got in the way. Our dear old shipmate of 17 years, Amelia, started failing in July. I tried distracting myself with the purchase (and continued restoration) of an old decorative ship from the 20's (since named for Amelia) allowing for some mind numbing puttering. Up until Amelia's passing we'd shared our home with a cat/cats continuously for over 41 years. The house and our lives were empty so we brought onboard a new apprentice, Emma. She was 12 weeks old (now 14 weeks old) when she came up the gangway. She loves to fly from the galley to the forecastle then through the rigging to the stern castle. She hasn't a clue but seems eager to learn. Each day we grow to love her a little more, each day the pain grows dimmer. Photo of Emma in one of her more placid moments.

This model turned out amazing considering it's your first build. Very nice job, MPK

Pat, thank you.

Pat, I set the rake on the Tennessee's mast at 7 degrees and set the trees at 90 degrees to the mast. I don't see an issue but that doesn't mean there isn't one?

Pat, in your research have you found anything regarding the sweeps being let into the deck vs just laid flat onto the deck?

Chris, you've done a lot of beautiful work in just a little over three months. Anxious to see what the next three months bring.

From all the photos I've seen they appear to have sat slightly proud of the deck.

An amazing attention to detail and so beautifully done. That post deserves another.....👍

Chris, everything fits so nicely, lovely work.

The above is from the first post of this build log. I think the anchor is in keeping with the rest of the build and remains true to Gary's mission statement, but I have to agree with Wefalck, "OK, the fishermen were/are tough guys, but how would they have man-handled a 140 lb anchor, an anchor of almost the weight of a man ?" Maybe what's bugging Gary is the lack of any means to hoist the anchor other than by brute strength?

Maybe they took some water over the bow as the captain made his way back to port in heavy seas or maybe the deckhand washed down the deck with that port side leaky hose.

Gary, maybe it's because they look like they've always been there and after all the work you put into them, for you, they aren't making the visual impact you thought they should? The rope and anchor are in no way ho-hum details, they've joined the other bits bringing life to the boat, well thought out and beautifully made.

Great video!

Thank you, BB. Luckily I didn't have a glue issue but I did finally figure out that the mast were nailed at the bottom, something I hadn't expected. These models were put together mainly with nails and not just tiny ones! I'm amazed that more wood splitting didn't occur durning construction and over the years since. Nice color matching on the new mast though it looks like some areas didn't darken as much as other areas? If you can't get the basswood to darken evenly enough with just the stain you might try a acrylic burnt umber wash.

That's so nice, Valeriy. Exacting work beautifully executed.

Brian, very realistic, beautiful work.

Mark, thank you.

BB, she really turned out great!