Keith Black

Seems to be system wide, I'm blaming Goober and Pile. The issue has been reported, it's a James H. or Chuck issue to fix.

Roel, have you considered applying poly or varnish before painting? i've used polyurethane a lot (never used varnish) as an undercoat and acrylic paint sticks to it easily. Just a thought. Once inserted is there anyway to heat and raise the gantry into the position you want? Love the detail but about that fluffy thingie, I can't picture in my mind what you're trying to represent.

Thank you, Keith.

i'm glad those worked for you, Lynn. I have some beading needle threaders (I have a several different types for different jobs) but I find they don't work as well as the ones that I provided the link for. What area did you visit in Alaska? We lived on the Bearing Sea side of the peninsula below King Salmon. My dear wife of 45 years and I met in the Alaskan village where he mother was born, Maggie is fifty percent Alaskan native, Aleut.

Ryland, 99.9% of folks use this method as well but I've tried using that method several times without success. It sounds like Lynn is having the same issue as myself. The deadeyes she's trying to tread are tiny, 2.38 mm. There really isn't enough meat in these to increase the hole size. I poly my blocks to help keep from deteriorating with time so I have used a sewing straight pin to chase the holes to clear away any poly but I don't think that's an issue for Lynn because I doubt she polyed her blocks. I am at a disadvantage not knowing or being able to see the line size in relation to the deadeye.

Thank you, Eberhard. I wish I had a watch lathe and the skills to use it. I'd enjoy being able to go detail crazy. Thank you, Keith. That made me laugh. After viewing the photos last night I decided to scrape off the paint and Gallery Glass. It was a good idea but the Gallery Glass came out too lumpy and wasn't convincing as a glass tube. I repainted the wire, smoothed it with a wet finger, and left it at that. I'm much more pleased with the way the water level tube now looks and am ready to move forward. I think this will probably be the side presented to the viewer. This is a pretty neat view of the water level tube and the pressure gauge pigtail but once the engine and pilot house are installed this view will no longer be available. A little more distance and less magnification. That's it for the boiler except for plumbing the systems together including the hand pump which is the next item on the menu. My apologies for dragging you through multiple boiler posts but I was striving for something more than a little black lump. Thank you to everyone for the comments, likes, and for following along. Keith

Phil, I've worked with the same size deadeyes Lynn has in her kit and I've never had an issue pulling thread/line through with a needle threader.

Thank you to everyone for the kind and helpful comments and the likes. After yesterdays posting I went upstairs and ripped off water level tube 1.0, what a goofy looking piece of nonsense that was. So here's water level tube 2.0. The older water level tubes were more elaborate than later models so i tried replicating that look with a piece from some sheet brass I've had for years. I painted the wire with a very pale blue and once dry applied a coat of Gallery Glass trying to give the impression of water in a tube. Thank you for following along. Keith

Congratulations on the new clubs. I'm ready for Spring for any number of reasons. Once upon a time I loved the cold. When we lived in Alaska I was in my element. Not anymore, give me some of that global warming they keep talking about.

Thank you, Lynn. I'm glad that you're back.

That's truly beautiful, Keith. Did Bean get her Dolls house and if so what was her reaction?

Sweet work on the garboards, Jacques.

Lynn, it's great to hear from you. I've thought of you often and hoped all was well with you. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Deadeyes are no harder to thread than a common block. Just use a needle threader by placing it through the hole, insert thread/line, and pull back through. I use a third hand to hold the deadeye while i run the line through. I use a needle threader on all my blocks. How's the golf game? These are the needle threaders I use. https://www.amazon.com/Needle-Threaders-Automatic-Threader-Threading/dp/B0DJP9MKLJ/ref=asc_df_B0DJP9MKLJ?mcid=969cf9ff95b331d59eaee14add5cb58e&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721473909515&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3847405653412896635&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1019476&hvtargid=pla-2387050742131&psc=1

Thank you, Keith. Do you find that the your cluttered workspace eventually drives you to the edge leaving a very tiny amount of room to work?

And same to you, Keith.

She's looking ever so much better, John. Is there anyway someone could video record the crowds interaction with you?

Kurt. thank you for the idea and for the New Year wish.

Thank you, Eberhard. There's about five feet between the coal bin and the firebox. Research indicated small sternwheelers only burned about one hundred pounds of coal per hour. The key to a happy back while shoveling is being able to keep one's feet planted.

Thank you, John. I've tried working neat and tidy but that only seems to last for about three minutes.

Thank you, Bob. "I went and bought a quart of Black Paint" made me laugh so hard I spewed iced tea all over my computer screen.

It seems like that every build I follow, everyone is tying ratlines. It's like a ship modelers ragweed season.

Thank you, Gary. You're most kind. In fact, they whole bloomin' lot of you folks are so very kind with your comments, likes, and support. You guys truly bless me ole heart. When I take photos I try to clean up my worktable. The other day Glen said he likes to see how the sausage is made so I thought I'd share what the sausage factory looks like when I'm knee deep in my madness. One would think it's impossible for a man making penny sized parts to create this much chaos....what can I say? The boiler is basically completed. When I started the boiler, in my minds eye, I saw the front of the boiler and firebox as a place where I could really go giddy with detail but alas it wasn't to be. I just don't have the tools to accomplish what I wanted to. Without the benefit of highlighting it's difficult to see what detail I was able to incorporate. I want to be able to take my time highlighting but I've got some caregiving duties that need my attention after this posting so that fun will have to wait till next year. i'm pleased with the way the pressure gauge turned out but I'm not happy with the water level sight glass. I'll play around with sight glass 2.0 and if I can make something more pleasing I'm gonna rip that resistor looking thing off and pitch it in the trash. Again, thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to follow Lula's journey. I want to wish each and everyone of you a Happy New Year, may your new year be better than the old. For those of you who'll be going out tonight to celebrate, please please be careful getting home. My God bless each of you and your families in 2025. Keith

That's super nice, Glen. Very pleasing to the eye.

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

Our namesake paint has come to my rescue on several occasions. Thank you, John.