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

[Rick310]

Beautiful result Keith!!

Rick

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to all for the comments and likes.

 

 Tom, the 6X glasses make a huge difference. 

 

 The starboard side ratlines are woven in.

 

 

 Next up is CAing the main's main yard in place and then running the  rigging. Before I'm able to run the main yard braces I need to place what figures will be going on the flying bridge. Once the main is completed I need to strop the deadeyes for the fore's lower shrouds.  It's going to be awhile before I can get to those lower shrouds. 

 

 and thank you to everyone for following along,

 

  Keith

[tmj]

Very nice, indeed!

[Rick310]

Keith, truly magnificent!!

Rick

[BANYAN]

Niiiice!!!  That 'rattlin' looks great Keith

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Javelin]

Great job on those ratlines Keith. You're getting there, piece by piece. 

[KeithAug]

Keith - As they say "there is many a good tune played on an old fiddle" your rigging skills are exemplary.

Edited July 6, 2024 by KeithAug

[FriedClams]

Sweet work, Keith.  Thanks for the tutorial - it certainly produces an excellent result.

 

Gary

[Jay 1]

Excellent work, Keith! 

 

Cheers,

Jay

[Keith Black]

 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

[KeithAug]

43 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

I miss ole Bob. 

I hope Bob has a long and rewarding retirement. Does he have a bucket list? Maybe he would like a world cruise or a trip across the   Great Lakes and down the St Lawrence to the sea. Does he have a canoe?

[Keith Black]

8 minutes ago, KeithAug said:

I hope Bob has a long and rewarding retirement. Does he have a bucket list? Maybe he would like a world cruise or a trip across the   Great Lakes and down the St Lawrence to the sea. Does he have a canoe?

 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.   

[tmj]

 Bob noticed that I was following this log. He sent me a message!

 

Bob told me about your thinking he might want a job on a barge... something he said in reference to barges, but he was actually only repeating something that someone else had said to him. He didn't want to hurt your feelings, nor did he know exactly how to respond. That wooden expression was just a pause, in confusion, while mentally searching for something proper to say. He told me that for decades he had navigated familiar waters, his hands as steady as the currents that he had once mastered. Now, with retirement looming and certain 'drudgery' weighing heavy on his soul, he was feeling restless and not ready to be put on the proverbial ol' shelf, nor interested in the lackluster opportunities afforded via a mundane job on a barge. Bob told me that his mind had begun to wander back to tall tales that he had often heard from seagoing sailors. Tales of exotic ports, uncharted islands and the vast expanse of an open sea. He told me that his heart was aching for one last, 'GREAT' adventure before finally hanging it up and considering a barge. I think Bob is looking for a seagoing ship to sail upon...            

 

 

[Keith Black]

8 minutes ago, tmj said:

I think Bob is looking for a seagoing ship to sail upon... 

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

[KeithAug]

Ole Bob seems to be on the brink of taking over a certain build log and becoming a valued mentor for a lot of builders. Go go Bob.

[tmj]

20 hours ago, Keith Black said:

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

Hmm? Perhaps it was a 'different' Bob who messaged me, and I confused him with 'your' Bob! 

 

[Knocklouder]

I hear you are working on the Tennessee again, any updates. 

 

Knocklouder 😁 

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, Knocklouder said:

I hear you are working on the Tennessee again, any updates. 

 * See Keith working the bilge pumps.

[tmj]

1 minute ago, Keith Black said:

* See Keith working the bilge pumps.

I'm looking but not seeing, yet! 😢

[Keith Black]

12 minutes ago, tmj said:

I'm looking but not seeing, yet! 😢

 * Keith looks up from the bilge wondering what all the ruckus is about.  

[Keith Black]

 The Tennessee is back on the front row, for the moment and I may as well get into this now.

 

 Long drawn out build logs also become life logs, some folks share, some folks don't. I share my life with you because all of you are a very real part of my life. The Tennessee build log has seen my stroke, the death of our beloved long time cat, Maggie's stroke, and the death of my son. I don't wanna say that my  life log has been all tragedy because it hasn't, there's been a ton of joy also. Joy in life, joy in discovering things about the Tennessee, joy in finding things for the Tennessee, and joy in working on the Tennessee....but.

 

 I have bursitis in both shoulders and elbows. For the past five weeks my left shoulder has been giving me absolute he double hockey sticks. I've had burning pain running down my left arm and at times it's made my fingers go numb. It just about made me give up but I was finally able to get a prescription of steroids that's helping that situation. 

 

 The more serious situation is two weeks ago this coming Wednesday Maggie went from being able to get up and shuffle about on her own too in a matter of hours asking for help standing up and help walking to the bathroom. I got her to the bathroom doorway and she collapsed in my arms. I laid her down on the floor as gently as I could and called 911. She was in the hospital for a week and they have/had no clue as to why. She did have a super low heart rate at one point of 39, they adjusted her heart medication and that helped improve her heart rate. 

 

 So the hospital discharged her to a rehab center to see if she could get her strength back up where she can get about on her own. If she can't walk on her on she can't come home because I don't have the strength to lift her, those days have long passed. So she goes into rehab to get better, peachy, right? Two days into rehab and her roommate comes down with Covid and Maggie who didn't get a Covid shot this year is stuck in there with her in a shared bathroom setting. If God could keep Daniel safe in the midst of lions, I firmly believe He can keep Maggie safe in the midst of Covid. 

 

 If she's unable to regain the strength to get about on her own I need to get her into assisted living. And if she goes into assisted living I'm going right along with her because my life isn't worth living without her which means we gotta sell this house and downsize big time. Our house is four bedrooms, two baths, TV room/den, living room, dinning room, kitchen, basement, three season porch, and garage. And every room is full of antique furniture, pottery and glassware collections, clock collection, lamp collection, quilt collection, spinning wheel collection, yada yada yada collection. We'll have to downsize form 2,500 sq ft to 450 to 550 sq ft. Which of the wooden children do you choose?  

 

 Right this minute my head is spinning bout clean off. We'll get through this because life goes on but, don't expect great leaps and bounds progress on the Tennessee. I'm pumping bilge water as fast as I can. 

 

  Keith

 

Edited 4 hours ago by Keith Black

[wefalck]

Well, I hope you don't loose your stamina and your wife and yourself will get out of this. Yes, downsizing when you have to go into a retirement home is a major cut in one's life, I have seen that happening a few years ago with my mother and in the wake of it we had to give up the family home with also most of our tangible childhood memories ... I wish both of you good luck and hope that you have help from your family!

[GrandpaPhil]

I sincerely hope and pray that she gets better soon and that all ends up well!

[tmj]

My prayers and best wishes to you, Keith!

[clearway]

ouch Keith- thinking of you both

[Paul Le Wol]

Keith, my prayers to you and Maggie. 

[ccoyle]

Saying a prayer for both of you, Keith.

[Cathead]

You're both in a difficult place, Keith, and I can only hope that knowing we're all behind you adds some semblance of support. Whether it turns out that modeling remains a lifeline or needs to be set aside temporarily to focus elsewhere, we'll be here for you to the extent that we can be. Know how much joy you've added to others' lives with your fascinating builds, and keep that joy with you in the more challenging world beyond the workbench.

[Knocklouder]

@Keith Black I feel so bad, no more proding about the Tennessee, Maggie  goes to the top of the list 😢,  just above yours. Thoughts and  prayers, 

Bob M.

[vvvjames]

You and Maggie have my best wishes Keith❤️. I hope rehab goes well, and if a downsize is needed, I hope you find a lovely spot to settle. The weather will even out soon my friend. 

Fair winds and following seas.