USS Tennessee 1869 by Keith Black - scale 1:120 - Wood Hull Screw Frigate - ex Madawaska 1865

[rwiederrich]

Keith.  Been following up with your log and I must say....you're coming along nicely.  The deadeye lanyard issue isn't really an issue.  Your crewmen are exceptional.  I only put 7 crewmen on my Glory and I was going mad...cuz I had to readjust all thier positions to make them fit the task I wanted them to be doing.  Basically I remade everyone of them.  These printed fellows look amazing.

 

Glad you are making headway...she's looking shipshape.

 

Rob

[FriedClams]

Good find on the figures, Keith.  Awfully small.  So, the brush you used to paint them - what are we talking here, one or two hairs?  No wonder you need 6X spectacles.

 

Gary

[Keith Black]

On 6/3/2024 at 9:45 AM, TBlack said:

Keith, You must have a steady hand with the paint brush!

Tom

 Only if I'm rigidly braced to the worktable. 

 

On 6/3/2024 at 12:56 PM, KeithAug said:

Impressive little crewman Keith. Excellent paint job.

 Thank you, Keith.

 

On 6/4/2024 at 6:57 PM, mtaylor said:

Nicely painted Keith.  Way above my pay grade.

 Thank you, Mark.

 

On 6/5/2024 at 10:18 AM, Rick310 said:

Really nice job on the painting!!  The figures are so small no one will notice the difference.  
Rick

 Thank you, Rick. No they won't unless they're viewing with a magnifying glass but I will. 

 

 

On 6/5/2024 at 10:56 AM, Glen McGuire said:

Exceptional work, Keith!  From now on, I'm going to send all my SIB penguins to you for painting!!  😃

 Thank you, Glen. I think your penguins are better left there with the cows. 

 

 

On 6/5/2024 at 12:26 PM, Knocklouder said:

Great job on painting the figures  Keith.  I just finished painting my first two figures for my Drakkar,  look in my Mayflower  log  post #189,  bottom of the post left hand corner. All thought they are Vikings for my Drakkar @Gabek  has showen me how to use Army Speed paint.  All the figures in the case were painted by him, he showed me how one afternoon, it took all of 15 minutes to explain how, I found them easy-to-use.  Dont know if Army Speed Paint would be better than what you are doing now cause what you are doing now looks amazing.  Just thought speed paint maybe better, I found it easy to use on my builds, might be worth the look.   

Bob M.

 Thank you, Bob. I'm kinda stuck in my ways and at this scale, just thinking "speed paint" makes me makes my eyes cross. 

 

 

On 6/6/2024 at 9:31 AM, rwiederrich said:

Keith.  Been following up with your log and I must say....you're coming along nicely.  The deadeye lanyard issue isn't really an issue.  Your crewmen are exceptional.  I only put 7 crewmen on my Glory and I was going mad...cuz I had to readjust all thier positions to make them fit the task I wanted them to be doing.  Basically I remade everyone of them.  These printed fellows look amazing.

 

Glad you are making headway...she's looking shipshape.

 

Rob

 Thank you, Rob. I realize I was making more of the deadeyes unevenness than I needed to, once they were all in place it was a nonissue.

 

 Thankfully I won't have to reposition any of the figures appendages because that would drive me over the edge if I'm not there already. 

 

 

On 6/7/2024 at 5:18 PM, FriedClams said:

Good find on the figures, Keith.  Awfully small.  So, the brush you used to paint them - what are we talking here, one or two hairs?  No wonder you need 6X spectacles.

 Thank you, Gary. Unfortunately I can't remember who I got the Shapeways tip from. 

 

 You talking my head or paint brushes?  I went through every paint brush the craft store offered picking the smallest of the lot.

 

 I couldn't even begin to paint the figures if it wasn't for those 6X glasses. Because I have to use them so close to the work I don't know that I'll be able to use them for anything else.

 

 

 Thank you to everyone for the comments and the likes and for following along. 

Edited June 8 by Keith Black

[Keith Black]

 I'm down the rabbit hole lost like Alice. 

 

 I mentioned one of the Shapeways figures drawbacks was they didn't have bellbottom trousers. Well, they ones I originally ordered didn't because I ordered the wrong figures, Danged old people. 

 

These do.

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/4C7Q8NVES/1-125-royal-navy-seamen-set-102?optionId=301259175&li=marketplace

 

https://www.shapeways.com/product/5623PZANY/1-125-royal-navy-seamen-set-101?optionId=301259178&li=marketplace 

 

 So how do I make lemonade out of lemons.

 

 I remembered this photo and thought maybe I could paint gaiters. 

 

 So that's what I did.

Sorry for the photo quality, I'm desperately trying to come up a solution.

 

 The three figures in my previous post went into the tank to have their paint removed. I am in early testing trying to develop techniques that will produce the best results. I can do better. 

 

 Regarding the three figures from the earlier post......

 1) The resin is very porous and needs to be sealed before painting. All the 'wrong' figures have been sealed with polyurethane  and once the correct figures arrive Tuesday they likewise will be sealed.

 2) I have used FolkArt craft paint (matte finish) for years with good results. When I bought paint last week I bought FolkArt satin. Big mistake, it's doesn't flow like the matte finish plus it made the figures look too shiny. So I went back and bought matte finish paint. Danged old people!

 3) I've been wanting to try Minwax Polycrylic so I bought a half pint of MATTE finish to seal the figures once finished. Matte finish my backside, shiny finish.  Obviously I need to try something other than Minwax products, I'm open to suggestions. 

 

 How/where to stage the 'wrong' figures eludes me at this time but both my little wheels are turning. 

 

 As lovely as this rabbit hole is, it is after all, just a rabbit hole. I'll play a little bit with the the 'right' figures when they arrive but I need to get back to that which brung me and get on with making my grids for weaving ratlines. 

 

 Again, thank you for following along. 

 

  Keith

 

[Thukydides]

16 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Obviously I need to try something other than Minwax products, I'm open to suggestions. 

Vallejo matt varnish or ultramatt. I believe they also have spray cans of it. If using an airbrush I use 1 part vallejo satin to 3 parts ultra matt. I find that mix gives a nice matt finish with just a hint of satin so it doesn’t wash out.

 

In general for small figures like this I would recommend using miniature painting products or high quality artist acrylics. They are a bit more pricy, but they will flow better and the pigment size is smaller so you will get a smoother more consistent finish.

 

One thing you can do for the skin is to use a flesh shaded wash to bring out the details. I like citadel’s reikland fleshade, but any similar wash will do. If you really want to go the extra mile you can then go back in with a lighter skin tone and pick out the raised details such as the cheekbones and tips of the nose.

 

With regard to the porous problem, if you just spray them with a miniature painting primer (vallejo, citadel, army painter, etc… all have readily available spray cans), alternatively if you have an airbrush just spray the primer on yourself. I have never had a problem with that not sealing things properly.

 

Good job.

Edited June 8 by Thukydides

[TBlack]

If they’re wearing gators, no need to worry about the bell bottoms!

[mcb]

Nice gaiters, that worked out well.

And thanks for posting all of these interesting old photos of a seldom seen (at least for me) subject.

 

mcb

[rwiederrich]

In the US navy we jut called them “legins”.   I wore them often in parade’s.   Good move to include them for historical purposes.  And it fixes your problem.  
 

Rob

[wefalck]

Don’t know USN practices, but on this side of the pond gaiters were worn - if at all - by landing parties only. So, you could perhaps show a landing party drill on deck.

 

I tend to paint clothing etc. matt and anything flesh satin. Have been using mainly Vallejo Model Air paint even with a brush the last 15 years or so.

 

Watching your progress …

[Keith Black]

On 6/8/2024 at 7:56 PM, Thukydides said:

Vallejo matt varnish or ultramatt. I believe they also have spray cans of it. If using an airbrush I use 1 part vallejo satin to 3 parts ultra matt. I find that mix gives a nice matt finish with just a hint of satin so it doesn’t wash out.

 

In general for small figures like this I would recommend using miniature painting products or high quality artist acrylics. They are a bit more pricy, but they will flow better and the pigment size is smaller so you will get a smoother more consistent finish.

 

One thing you can do for the skin is to use a flesh shaded wash to bring out the details. I like citadel’s reikland fleshade, but any similar wash will do. If you really want to go the extra mile you can then go back in with a lighter skin tone and pick out the raised details such as the cheekbones and tips of the nose.

 

With regard to the porous problem, if you just spray them with a miniature painting primer (vallejo, citadel, army painter, etc… all have readily available spray cans), alternatively if you have an airbrush just spray the primer on yourself. I have never had a problem with that not sealing things properly.

 

Good job.

Thank you.

 Spraying of any product either paint or finish is out of the question because of the droplet sizes. These figures are so small they can only be painted/sealed with a brush, IMHO and I don't have a airbrush. The Minwax Polyurethane does a great job of sealing the figures before painting. At normal viewing distance one can hardly tell they have a head let alone a face. 

 

On 6/8/2024 at 8:52 PM, TBlack said:

If they’re wearing gators, no need to worry about the bell bottoms!

 Tom, the photo where they're wearing leggings/gaiters is staged and not daily attire. 

 

On 6/8/2024 at 9:10 PM, mcb said:

Nice gaiters, that worked out well.

And thanks for posting all of these interesting old photos of a seldom seen (at least for me) subject.

 Thank you, mcb. I never tire of looking at the Tennessee photos and I've looked at them thousands of times. 

 

22 hours ago, rwiederrich said:

In the US navy we jut called them “legins”.   I wore them often in parade’s.   Good move to include them for historical purposes.  And it fixes your problem.  

 Thank you, Rob. Henceforth they'll be referred to as leggings. 

 

20 hours ago, wefalck said:

Don’t know USN practices, but on this side of the pond gaiters were worn - if at all - by landing parties only. So, you could perhaps show a landing party drill on deck.

 

I tend to paint clothing etc. matt and anything flesh satin. Have been using mainly Vallejo Model Air paint even with a brush the last 15 years or so.

 

Watching your progress …

 Thank you, Eberhard. Let me share an idea that's a bit ambitious and attempted only when the Tennessee is completed.

 

 When I came up with the idea of painting the figures with leggings the next thought is where/how do I stage them. I thought, wouldn't it a cool vignette to recreate the photo, Equipped For Landing.  

 

 It would be an extremely ambitious project because......

  1) I'd have to make a camera and at scale it'ed be tricky but I have ideas.  I've already picked a figure for the cameraman. 

  2) Creating the leather backpacks and belts (masking tape) canteens and rifles. I think the rifles would be the hardest part of the exercise. 

 

 

 

 Speaking of rifles. While exploring the above idea and thinking of ways to make rifles to scale, I started looking at the rifles closely for the first time. Goes back to that looking at photos a thousand times then seeing something new. 

 

In the Equipped For Landing photo the rifles appear to be

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_model_1870_Remington—Navy#

 

In the below photo, Color Guard, the rifles appear to be be the rare Remington-Keene 45-70 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington–Keene_rifle

 

https://www.coltforum.com/threads/photo-of-the-day-remington-keene-remington’s-first-bolt-action-rifle.391974/

 

   

 If in fact the rifles are the Remington-Keene, the above photo would have to be taken after 1880 and at least ten years later than the Equipped For Landing photo. It's amazing the little discoveries one makes along the way.

 

 Thank you to all of you for the comments, the likes, and for following along.  

Edited June 10 by Keith Black

[Cathead]

As someone who inexplicably enjoys painting figures, those look wonderful! And you're sharing so many neat learning experiences with us that make this a joy to follow. Thanks for brightening all our days even when yours have been darker.

[clearway]

Keith, i take pics using my mobile phone from a distance and then go to the picture on the phone, select crop from the options menu- crop the picture and name it- voila nice detailed pic without needing macro- however if enlarging too much (and dem yar fellas are tiny) the lens can be cruel!

 

But t' laal fellas luk reet !

 

Keith

[BANYAN]

I am sure you can pull that idea off Keith.  I think there are some very small camera fittings that are 3D printed.  If I come across them again I'll get back to you (only if they are period correct).

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to all for the comments and likes.

 

On 6/9/2024 at 2:29 PM, Cathead said:

As someone who inexplicably enjoys painting figures, those look wonderful! And you're sharing so many neat learning experiences with us that make this a joy to follow. Thanks for brightening all our days even when yours have been darker.

 Thank you, Eric.

 

 I'm kinda getting into painting these Shapeways figures though the 'less is more' approach is one I'll be taking going forward. It takes far too long to paint details that are not seen at normal viewing distance. I'm exercising myself needlessly.

[Keith Black]

On 6/9/2024 at 2:46 PM, clearway said:

Keith, i take pics using my mobile phone from a distance and then go to the picture on the phone, select crop from the options menu- crop the picture and name it- voila nice detailed pic without needing macro- however if enlarging too much (and dem yar fellas are tiny) the lens can be cruel!

 

But t' laal fellas luk reet !

 

 Thank you, Keith

 

 I can't transfer photos from my phone to our Mac.    I've got a fisheye lens I've yet to use, it's on my 'to do' list.

 

 Da may luk reet bud da be twistin me knickers paintin da liddle buggers. 

[Keith Black]

On 6/9/2024 at 9:49 PM, BANYAN said:

I am sure you can pull that idea off Keith.  I think there are some very small camera fittings that are 3D printed.  If I come across them again I'll get back to you (only if they are period correct).

 

 Thank you, Pat. 

 

 I've pretty much ditched the idea of recreating photo scenes. I think it's way too ambitious. 

 

[Keith Black]

A Maggie update.....she's reached a comfort level (for her) and seems unwilling to push herself to try and reach her pre stroke self.

 

 At this point I]if something were to happen to me, there's no way she could care of herself and me. We're financially exposed so we've started looking at senior retirement facilities. Maggie is receptive to the idea but I'm pretty resentful as I'm not ready for retirement facility living but it is what it is.

 

 Thank you to everyone for following along,

 

   Keith

[TBlack]

18 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

 Maggie is receptive to the idea but I'm pretty resentful as I'm not ready for retirement facility living but it is what it is.

 

Bro, If it's any comfort, your older brother is on the waiting list at the local "home"

Tom

[Cathead]

Hey Keith, I have a hard time hitting "like" on your last post as I know it's sharing a deeply emotional situation for you, but just wanted you to know I hear your pain. We, too, have had our life path altered by the responsibility of caretaking, though not in the same way as you, and it just is what it is. Hope you can keep your head up and recognize the love involved in the choices you're making. Take care of yourself.

[KeithAug]

1 hour ago, Keith Black said:

A Maggie update

Keith. It is tough for you both and there are bound to be times when spirits flag. I know what you mean about the thought of a retirement home being daunting. I am approaching old age when mentally I have only just reached adolescence and (probably like yourself) anything that challenges my status quo is particularly unwelcome. I hope your search goes well, but even more I hope something clicks for Maggie and her recovery gets back on track. Best wishes to you both and keep your chin up.

P.S - I understand that retirement home "Grab a Grannie Dance Nights" can be quite exhilarating.

[mtaylor]

My heart goes out to you and Maggie, Kieth.  Too many of us, myself included, are staring that situation in the face and it appears that resistance is futile.  I forget who said it but it applies: "Old age ain't for sissies."   Meantime, the only thing I can say is to try to  just go one day at a time.  

[BANYAN]

My thoughts and wishes are with you on your new journey Keith.  I hope you find something that suits all of your needs (both Maggie and yours).  I too dread the day I have to start thinking of this eventuality.

 

regards

 

Pat

[Glen McGuire]

Nothing to add to the sentiments above, Keith, just prayers that Maggie will find her second wind and keep trying to push forward.

[Knocklouder]

You can count on my prayer and thoughts,  my friend. 

Bob M.

[mbp521]

What’s left to say that hasn’t been said already Keith. Good thing you’ve got your MSW support group helping you along the way and things have a way of working themselves out. 
 

-Brian

[FriedClams]

This is a decision many of us will face as time passes and life takes an unwelcome turn.  Perhaps after a pause to catch her breath, Maggie will dig down and find an extra surge of strength to progress further.  She must be exhausted - you also.  My thoughts are with you both.  Stay strong my friend.

 

Gary

[Rick310]

Thoughts and prayers for both of you Keith.  Prayers that Maggie will find the strength to continue her rehab.

Rick

[gak1965]

Sorry Keith. Both my father and in-laws are in their late '80s now, and they have relocated to a senior facility as well. I will say that there are better and worse versions of these places. My in laws chose one that my wife and I both think is, I don't know, less cheerful? Interesting? than the one my parents chose. And the place where the woman my father is seeing these days lives is better than either.

 

I guess my point is this is a time to be choosey.

 

Best wishes,

George