Keith Black

Micha, this is your first build, not you last. Very few new modelers hit home runs on their first build. I daresay the majority of first builds go into the rubbish bin or are set alight as was my first model when I was very much younger. Take this build for what it is, a learning experience that will make your second build easier and more enjoyable.

You knowing those details are there is all that matters. If the viewer sees them, great. If not, great. The realism in your builds is very well done.

Great backstory, Bob. Hats off. By the bye, you are one model ship building machine! I'd love to borrow some of your model building drive.

Wow, my last post was towards the end of March, time has certainly gotten away from me. My apologies for the delay for a Maggie update and a response to Brian @mbp521, Keith @clearway, Tom @TBlack, Eric @Cathead, Keith @KeithAug, Gary @FriedClams, and Mark @AnchorClanker. To each of you, thank you for your kind thoughts and well wishes. And thank you to all for the likes and for following along on this new part of our journey. Maggie is much improved in the clarity of her speech, fascial expressions, the strength in her left hand, ams, legs, and her independence. She is getting her own breakfast and lunch. She's managing to do her laundry, she's washing some dishes (we don't have a dishwasher) or drying dishes after I wash. She's able to get in and out of the shower and gets dressed on her own accord. She's managed to do a little knitting, it's sure not pre stroke quality but that she's able to knit at all is a small miracle. She made meatloaf the other night with some help but she was able to make the effort and it was a welcome change from my cooking. While we were prepping we play bickered at one another and she reminded me that I was in her domain. Sweeter words were never spoken. This is coming none too soon as the other night I caught myself on Amazon looking at frying pans and paring knives. She has a devil of a time with opening lidded containers so on those nights when I have pool league I have to place plastic wrap over those (lid removed) containers she'll be needing to get into for her supper and she has no issues using the microwave. I'm so grateful for her getting to this point as it allows for some much needed Keith time. The above is answer to prayer, a peaceful rhythm of life has returned, our lives no longer feel like it's been stirred with a stick. Though we be knee deep in that time of year that requires outside attention, I'm getting real close to resuming work on the Tennessee. The other night I managed to attach a rigged pair of deadeyes to the port side and it felt good to be sitting at the worktable again. The third hand awaits, stropped deadeyes and thread callout, time for this part of my journey to continue. Thank you for following along, Keith

What a drop dead gorgeous presentation, Glen. The darkness of the root highlights the white of ice and snow and the brand adds to this pest de resistance. Up till now I thought the kraken was the pick of the litter but now, move over Kraken, there's a new SIB monster in town.

Welcome to MSW. Glad to have you aboard.

I glued both mast and bowsprit. That way should someone if the future find my humble model worthy of restoration I'll know because their curses will reach my distant ears.

Coming along nicely, Simon.

Amen to that.

Beautiful ship's wheel, Siggi. Not an easy task.

Cool photos of the eclipse, Gary. I do love your weathering, are you gonna add a wee bit of lighting in the fish hold?

Pete, welcome to MSW. Cool model. Glad to have you aboard.

Grant, what a kaleidoscope of issues. It sounds like the boiler flame is being robbed of oxygen?

It's hard to equal the detail you produce with paper models, Chris. Congratulations, I can certainly see the allure.

Congratulations again, Bob. A huge thumbs up!

The sails turned out great!

Are using the plastic blocks or are you going to replace them with wood blocks? If you're going to use wood blocks then it's what you want to see in your model. In real life blocks wore unevenly as some were used more than others and some faded out more than others. Do you want to depict a ship during the course of its career or as she looked right after being built pulling away from the dock? I stained all the wood blocks I used for the entire build at the same time, all the same walnut color. I figured it was hard enough graduating the sizes correctly let alone trying to depict which blocks would appear more wore and faded.

Frank, Jonathan replaced the plastic blocks that came with the kit to Syren wood blocks and it doesn't appear that he stained them. You should seriously think about replacing the plastic blocks that came with the kit to wood blocks as they look every so much better.

Swiftie, welcome to MSW. You should make your own post in the 'New member introductions' that way everyone has the a chance to meet and great. Glad to have you aboard.

Glad I was able to help and hopefully those are in stock. Locating hard to find electronic components and military aircraft hardware and subassemblies was the job I retired from so this is kinda up my alley, so to speak.

Roel, congratulations on a very convincing build. Modern ships are not normally my cuppa but I'm stunned by the amount of realistic detail you incorporated into your model. Very well done, sir.

Don't know if these would work? https://www.shapeways.com/product/GMT3CNTYV/1-350-hms-hood-brass-propellers-x2-port-star?optionId=65511850&li=marketplace https://spruebrothers.com/trp06601-1-350-trumpeter-hms-hood-upgrade-set-trp-kit/

Thank you posting the engine startup video, Eberhard. Large engines are fascinating, building/machining large engines is even more so. Building the lathe pictured would have been a monumental undertaking. I wonder how long it took to chuck that crankshaft?

See Bob's post #181 in his build log.

Happy Birthday, David. Heal quickly.