Keith Black

Craig, congratulations on the successful bow surgery.

Johann, every post is a threat and I'm amazed anew every time. Thank you so much for sharing.

Congratulations, Eberhard. What a fantastic journey it's been following your build of the Wespe. She's neat, beautiful, gorgeous, mind blowing, and many many more adjectives describing such over the top workmanship on your part. Again, congratulations. .

Roel, how very true. Thank you following along!

Gary, you've made my day signing on to be part of this journey. I'm going to be relying heavily on your weathering skills as this project moves forward. Pat, I look forward to replicating the Donkey details. I've not tried to model machinery before so this is new and exciting. Grant, thank you for being willing to look over my shoulder. Please don't hesitate to say something if you see that I've gone awry. Thank you, Paul. The subject matter is interesting , hopefully I'll be able to do it justice. Keith, not only would I need to live several lifetimes, I'd have to make a pilgrimage to your workshop for your tutelage. As I was finishing up the woodworking portion of the Tennessee, I smoked my 1/2 inch cordless drill. Using a drill as a lathe is hard on a drill motor. I've been putting off ordering a replacement till this morning. A drill, acting as a lathe, is absolutely necessary for this project. I dare say I'll probably smoke the new one as I see many many hours of turning in my future. But it'll be well worth it and in the great scheme of things it's pretty cheap entertainment. I have to mow today but hopefully I can cut out the hull this afternoon. Thank you for the comments, the likes, and for being part of the journey. Keith

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

Thank you following along. Terry, cool remembrance, thank you for sharing. Chris, thank you for the photo and the lead in......... I changed the title of this build from '1870's Floating Pile Driver' to it's current, '1880's Floating Steam Donkey Pile Driver'. Reason being as Chris pointed out, John Dolbeer invented the steam donkey but not till 1881. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_donkey Historic steam donkey photos and YouTube videos are plentiful. Research on steam donkey engines of the 1880's time period is the easiest research I've done, tons of information. I'm currently calculating the measurements for the hull and pile driver tower and once completed I'll cut out the hull. The pile driver tower is pretty straight forward. Depending on how well I'm able to replicate the steam donkey details at 1:120 will determine if there'll be a shed covering the engine. If I'm able to create good engine detail there'll be no shed, if I'm unable to replicate believable detail I'll make a shed to house the engine. The steam donkey will be an early one cylinder single drum type engine. Later more efficient steam donkeys would be two cylinder, two drum engines. Early Donkey Improved two cylinder, two drum Donkey And the journey continues. Keith

That ole dinning room table is looking great!

Bob @Knocklouder, @kgstakes, Glen @Glen McGuire thank you the encouragement and for following along. Keith, hopefully I can make a dent in this vision before I start dribbling my pablum. MCB, thank you for the glass plate images offer but those are best left in your care. If you could take photos of them and post that would be fantastic. I have you, Eric @Cathead, Brian, @mbp521, Roel @Javelin to thank for the inspiration to attempt this project. The build logs by you guys has illustrated the both grand and simple beauty of the common mostly unheralded workboat/ship to which we owe so much. I only hope I'm able to accomplish a smidgen of that which you gentleman have achieved. Ken, not just New York. Think of all the thousands upon thousands of miles of dock across the world made possible by a lowly pile driver and her crew. https://fosscalemodels.com/products/floating-pile-driver-ho-scale-kit Thank you to all for the comments and likes. This is a fresh journey, may we never tire. Keith

I can't wow and laugh at the same time, I'm emoji disfunctioninated.

Keith, ole Bob's found a job. Eric, the Tennessee is 1:120 and all the leftover bits from her build will fit the driver. Plus, 1:120 is real simple math of 1/10 inch = 1 foot. This will not be a stand alone model should I live long enough to complete the project. This floating pile driver is not self propelled so there will needs to be a paddle wheel tow barge at some point and if you have a pile driver and tow barge, well, you need a dock and if you have a dock you need a.........and on it goes. This will be my final hurrah.

Below gives a rough idea of where I'm headed with this. It'll be slow to develop but hopefully will pick up steam as we get into August. Old skid mounted pile driver. That was some tough ole hombres. Floating pile driver. This will be what I try to replicate. Pile driver drawing. HO scale pile driver kit model, pretty neat.

I've resisted starting another build log before the Tennessee was completed but a recent gift of assorted woods from fellow Michigander Dan Kimmer @Daniel Kimmer (thank you, Dan) has made resistance futile. The pile driver will be part of a larger project that I'll go into as this build nears completion. I can't wait to get started. The hull will be a solid waterline hull highly weathered and work beaten. Pile drivers have a special place in my heart having worked on and operating one (skid mounted) when working on the salmon cannery docks in Alaska. Pile drivers are loud and dangerous, preventive maintenance was always an afterthought. Climbing up to the Head Block (my Beach Gang foreman called it a Head Log) was done without a safety line. The Head Block sheave greasing and block inspection was only done at the beginning of the season. Personal experience.......when driving piling two men with peaveys would pry/hold the piling into the sled (Hairpin Lead, see terms below) to insure the pilling didn't kick away from the intended vertical path, this was the Hospital Side. The two men were hanging on with their toenails trying not to slip as the hammer rammed into the pilling. Footing was iffy because of flying sap being beaten out of the piling. Piling tops would often times splinter when the hammer hit and the two men holding the pile into the sled were unprotected and extremely vulnerable. The pilings were slippery, the skid was slippery and as the jarring blow of the hammer hitting could cause a man to loose his footing and be tossed off and forward into the water. Oh, I didn't mention that a skid pile driver is moved around the docks with block and tackle and to minimize drag tallow was smeared on the dock decking along the drivers intended path. Glossary of Piledriving and Foundation Construction Terms TERMS DEFINITIONS H-Beam See Steel H-Pile. H-Beam Lead See Spud Lead. H-Pile See Steel H-Pile. Hairpin Hammer A lightweight hammer, resembling a clothespin or hairpin, dropped by gravity to tap the pile down while setting the pile line. Also to tap sheets down that are hung up in the interlocks before reaching the template. Hairpin Lead A structure in which a pile hammer is mounted to adapt it to box leads with rails spaced wider than the hammer width. See Telescope Lead. Also called Pony Lead or Sled. Hairpin: A gravity hammer in the shape of an inverted "U" used without leads to start sheet piles into the ground. Sometimes called pants. Hammer Cage See Hairpin Lead, Offshore Lead. Hammer Cushion See Pile Cushion. Hammer Efficiency The ratio of kinetic energy of the ram immediately prior to impact divided by the rated energy. Hammer Energy See Energy, Impact; Energy, Rated. Hammer Grab A heavy tool used in breaking and removing obstructions in large diameter caissons or other excavations. Hammer Line The wire rope line of the crane assigned to raising and lowering the hammer. Hammer Speed The number of complete strokes of a pile hammer achieved by the ram per minute. Hammer Uplift See Cylinder Lift. Hand Spike A short slender pole used to position and hole a pile in the leads. Handling Holes Hole or holes located near the ends of each piece of sheet piling, and used to facilitate handling procedures during installation. Hanging Leads See Leads, Swinging. Hard-Bite Proprietary cast-steel driving tip with cutting "teeth" for H-piles. Hardpan 1. Most commonly a very dense heterogeneous mass of clay, sand and gravel of glacial drift of glacial origin. 2. The hard stratum of consolodated earth underlying surface soil, too hard for roots to penetrate. Hawser A very large soft line, 1 1/2" or larger in diameter used for towing or mooring. It is generally used to refer to all three strand right lay rope. Hay Donnage or timber used to stack rows or layers ofpiling, lumber, or other building materials. (aka Chocks) Head 1. Shortened form of the phrase pressure head, referring to the pressure resulting from a column of water or elevated supply of water. 2. The top of the pile. Head Block Top section of a fixed, semi-fixed or extended pile driver lead with sheaves for carrying lines holding pile and hammer over top of leads. Also called Cross Head, Sheave Head Assembly and Top Head. Heave 1. The uplifting of earth between or near piles, caused by the displacement of soil by pile driving. 2. The uplift of a previously driven pile caused by the driving of an adjacent pile. 3. The upward movement of soil and/or foundations supported on soil, caused by expansion occurring in the soil as a result of such factors as freezing and swlling due to increased water content or sulphite soils exposed to air. 4. Frost heave refers to the vertical soil movement which occurs in freezing temperatures as ive layers or lenses form within the freezing soila nd cause the soil mass to expand. See also Bottom Heave. Heaving The uplifting of the earth between or near pile, caused by soil displacement from driving piles, the uplift of an in place pile caused by the driving of an adjacent pile. Can also be caused by freezing and thawing. Helical Binders Mild steel rods spirally arranged about the main reinforcement steel to bind the latter to form a cage. Helical Shell Corrugated (usually 12 to 18 gauge) steel rolled into a sprial pipe with the joint crimped or welded watertight. The shell is installed as a pile with a mandrel. Helix Rebar bent to form a spiral shape. Used to reinforce concrete columns. Helmet See Drive cap, generally refers to cast steel component only. Hickey Bar A tool used for bending re-bar or conduit. High Chair A heavy wire device used to support and hold reinforcing steel in place in the form. Hiley Formula A dynamic pile driving formula for estimating the static load bearing capacity of a pile driven from its penetration resistance. It includes terms for pile weight to ram-weight ratio, pile rebound, and cushion properties. Hitch A knot that secures a rope to a post, ring, spar or rail, etc., or to another rope which takes no part in tying the knot. It won't keep its shape on its own. In climbers jargon, a "hitch" is often just a temporary fastening. Hoisting Engine A prime mover and a hoist with one or more drums mounted on a common sled base. Holding Bolts Used to connect wales or walers to pilings. Hollow-Stem Auger An earth auger with an end bit on a hollow center shaft. See Auger. Home, Pile A point at which a pile has reached specified soil penetration and/or blow count. HorsenSchitz What you say when you catch someone trying to use good ol' American traditions like home cooking and apple pie to sell products made in Germany. See also BullzenSchitz. Hospital Side A colloquial expression indicating the side of the pile driver which is the most dangerous. House The structure on a crane that covers the mechanical parts, motor, brakes, frictions, and drums. Also a term "let's head for the house" meaning "let's go home". Hydraulic Collapse The hydrostatic pressure in the ground (usually below a clay strata) which will cause the collapse of thin pile casing. Hydraulic Fill Earth fill moved and placed by pumping with water.

Tom, I know ole Bob lots better that you. Bob's full of beans!

I think he wants to try getting a job on some kind of a barge? At least that's what he told me. I tried getting more details but he just stared at me with that wooden expression of his.

Tom@tmj, Rick@Rick310, Pat@BANYAN, Roel@Javelin, Keith@KeithAug, Gary @FriedClams, and Jay @Jay 1, thank you for your kind comments. Current work is painting the figures to be placed in those areas that will no longer be accessible once the main's main yard is in place and the brace lines run. Ole Bob' was recently found redundant with the addition of the Shapeways figures. I found a special place for him in my glassed bookcase as we fought a lot of sizing battles together over the years. I miss ole Bob. Thank you to all for the comments, the likes, and for following along. Keith

Ian, 0/15 is usually the smallest size available locally unless you have a dedicated bead shop in you area. Serious beaders don't normally buy beads at craft stores because of the quality and limited sizes. They buy from bead shops or online. Ask me how I know.

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

Well, Bob, you found a place for the figure with the shovel. The King is looking fantastic.

Glen, 0/24 is the smallest seed bead size. You can still buy 24's from Japan but below is a link for antique Venetian beads. The Banshee is incredible. https://www.treefrogbeads.com/product/size-24-0-antique-micro-seed-beads-in-mohogany-brown/

Gary, you never cease to amaze. Great realism. Regarding there only being four bunker plates, possibly the flexible tube was inserted through the plate and moved from one fish hold to its adjoining neighbor?

Eric, I can see reworking the pitman arms but leave the opening as you have it. One photo in the early history of the Peerless doesn't mean that at some point the opening wasn't enlarged for ease of access and maintenance, exactly as you have it portrayed. I would think the structure on those old boats was pretty fluid.

John, welcome to MSW, hopefully you'll be able to locate someone to undertake the restoration of your grandfather's model and a fine looking model it is. Glad to have you aboard.

And the smoke.