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

[KeithAug]

18 hours ago, Keith Black said:

our iMac 27. 

Ah! Maybe in need an upgrade. There is not a lot wrong with me that a whole body transplant wouldn't fix - or maybe all I need is a better computer.

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, KeithAug said:

or maybe all I need is a better computer.

 A better computer would be a lot cheaper in the long run. 

[clearway]

just catching up with last few posts Keith- nice save with the hatch.  Even with reference photos its interesting to see there are still grey areas on certain fittings!

 

Keith

[Keith Black]

2 minutes ago, clearway said:

Even with reference photos its interesting to see there are still grey areas on certain fittings!

 Thank you, Keith.

 

 I'm not sure what grey areas  you're referring to but a nagging grey area for me, in regards to the ventilators, is how they were rigged for deployment. Even though they were a temporary element they still had to be hoisted into position. I don't know (nor can I tell from the photos) if a block was permanently attached to the shroud line above the opening and used to hoisted the ventilator into position? It could be that rings were sewn into the ventilator's top and wing tips and lines were tied to the rings and the lines were drawn up the shroud lines from the foremast top thus pulling the ventilator into position? No downhaul would have been necessary as the ventilator would have been gathered in by hand. THAT grey area needs enlightenment and is all part of the joy of building from photographs.

 

 I swear, if I build another ship it's gonna be a kit with plans! 

[clearway]

11 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 I swear, if I build another ship it's gonna be a kit with plans! 

erm you seen how that worked out for me Keith🤪

 

Keith

[TBlack]

Yes, dear Keith, photographs can be our boon or Bain!

[KeithAug]

On 5/15/2023 at 8:19 AM, clearway said:

I swear, if I build another ship it's gonna be a kit with plans! 

You will spend all your time improving it!!!!

[Keith Black]

  I had to knock down the spiderwebs when I came through the door, sorry for the delay in posting. As an excuse, it's summer with all the required summer duties and I've been spending a lot of time in the pool hall trying to find my stroke. I've not been totally idle on the Tennessee as every now and then I get a chance to strop more deadeyes. 

 

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

 

 I thought I was done with the lantern rabbit hole but not so. After @Bob Cleek shared with us his lantern collection I thought "I need a Tung Woo too!"   So I'd been watching the various auction sites and over Memorial Day weekend a Tung Woo masthead lantern came up on eBay for the buy it now price of $93.75 plus shipping. It looked to be in fine shape (new, never been lit) with the exception of years of tarnish. What intrigued me most was the fact that the lantern was complete with the burner, chimney, and reflector. It's a rare lantern comes up not only in good condition but also complete so I hit the buy button.

 

 This past Friday it showed up and I immediately sat about with Tarn-X and Brasso. I finished polishing yesterday and discovered a chore I dislike more than stropping deadeyes. 

 

 eBay sellers listing photo.

 

 

 After polishing.

 

 

Lamp removed. The lamp burner was made by Sherwood and Sons LTD, they quit using that name in 1920. They supplied burners to several lantern manufactures. There is no doubt the lantern and lamp tank were made at the same time but it's a bit strange in than the tung Woo badge seems to indicate the lantern body was made ca 1950-1980. 

 

 I plan on writing something up in Nautical General Discussion on Tung Woo lanterns where I'll go into further detail.

 

 I didn't polish the inside, I just wiped down with Tarn-X 

 

 Lamp inserted.

 

Photo with the lamp removed showing the condition of the fresnel lens, no chips or cracks.

 

 Thank you to all for following along.......Keith

Edited June 5, 2023 by Keith Black

[mbp521]

What a great find Keith! Beautiful job on the cleanup. 

 

-Brian

[FriedClams]

Nice score on the lantern Keith and she cleaned up great!  Beautiful.

 

Gary

[Bob Cleek]

No chimneys on my 9" Tung Woo running lights. I've never seen interior chimneys on ships' lanterns. They certainly make sense in the larger sizes. Nice polishing job! Maybe I'll tackle polishing mine.  

[BANYAN]

That's a ripper find Keith.  Thanks for sharing these photos which proved a great insight as to how these lamps were made and assembled.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[clearway]

nice find Keith- i have an old railway oil lamp made by Adlake with a yellow (caution) lens but it does have a crack on the lens and i had to source a new wick holder (the oil tank is original though).

 

Keith

[Keith Black]

 

Brian, Gary, Bob, Pat, and Keith thank you for your kind comments and thank you to all for the likes.

 

 For those wanting to know a little more about Tung Woo lanterns please see the following......

 

 Thank you to all for following my journey........Keith

Edited June 7, 2023 by Keith Black

[Keith Black]

 A long past due 'hello' to all. The last time I posted a meaningful build addition was April the third. We ran down a couple of rabbit holes and while I throughly enjoyed the tangents they didn't add to the task at hand. Once again, thank you to all who helped chase those pesky wabbits and to all for the likes. 

 

 The hiatus was due in most part because I absolutely detest working on shrouds but I have managed to strop the 56 deadeyes for the main's lower shrouds and have one pair lashed. Pretty good for nine months, eh? My mind wasn't in a good place, stropping deadeyes is tedious rote work and once my fingers are engaged my mind slips into neutral. My thoughts kept going back to unhappier times and I couldn't shake it so I basically quit working on the Tennessee.

 

 Last week I thought, if I couldn't get over the shroud hump there is still plenty of other work to be done. So this past week I worked on getting the work table/area organized, installing the foremast for the last time, and installing the lift blocks that go round the mast which required some finger retraining. What a difference in my attitude and my enthusiasm. The Tennessee is back on the menu!   

 

As the Tennessee now sits. 

 

Foremast installed.

 

Lift blocks installed. 

 

  A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each of you and your families. Thank you for the kindness you've show me through the years.......Keith 

 

Edited December 24, 2023 by Keith Black

[Cathead]

Hey, great to see you back at work! I hear you on how modeling interacts with bad times; I've paused work a few times for the same reason. Sometimes a hobby is an escape, other times it isn't. Merry Christmas to you too.

[Roger Pellett]

Great to see you back in the workshop again Keith.

 

Roger

[mcb]

Good to see this one back.

 

mcb

[AJohnson]

Hi Keith, really good to see you back working on your Tennessee. She is looking very fine on that base, good luck for the shrouds. Happy Christmas and New Year to you and your family. 

[wefalck]

Goog luck witht he shrouds/ratlines. It's not as bad as it seems, when approached systematically. Tune into some nice music that takes your mind off less pleasant things.

 

And Merry Christmas to all here !

[mbp521]

So good to see you back at it Keith! I to have been guilty of letting other things get in the way of shipbuilding. Hopefully your recent progress can inspire me to sit back down at the bench and get some work done. 
 

Here’s wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy Nee Year!

 

-Brian

[Rick310]

Merry Christmas, she’s looking really good!!

Rick

[mtaylor]

I hope you have a Merry Christmas. Keith.  Good to see you back at it again.    Those dark rabbet holes can be hard to climb out of and hopefully you'll be able to stay above them.   Been there a lot myself of late.  

[BANYAN]

Great to see the update Keith, take as long as you like mate.

 

Merry Christmas to you and your family

 

Pat

[Glen McGuire]

On 12/23/2023 at 6:32 PM, Keith Black said:

The Tennessee is back on the menu!   

That's a Christmas present for all of us, Keith!!!  

[Knocklouder]

Merry Christmas my friend, and thanks for all your help over the last couple of years it meant alot as well as helped. All the best in the new Year 

Bob M.

[Bob Cleek]

Merry Christmas! Keep up the good work!

[My Fathers Son]

Merry Christmas Keith, so glad to see you posting again. 

[Keith Black]

 

  Thank you @Cathead @Roger Pellett @mcb @AJohnson @wefalck @mbp521 @Rick310 @mtaylor @BANYAN @Glen McGuire @Knocklouder @Bob Cleek @My Fathers Son for your Holiday wishes, kind thoughts, and support and thank you to Andy, Siggi, Tom, Dave, and Phil for the likes. 

 

 It's been busy times at the worktable, I got the gaff rigged and the lifts around the foremast rigged. 

 

 

 

The blocks at the base of the mast sit at the edge of a diameter the size of a US penny, .75 inches. 

 

The distance between the block's inside edge and the mast is .2 inches and .1 inches between the belaying pins and block's inside edge. The block (gaff lift) between the companionway railing is so tight I had to glue the block's sheave side perpendicular to the mast and once rigged, it was twisted 90 degrees to line up correctly. 

 

 It's kinda like SIB work without the bottle, it's all done with tweezers. The main problem is the thread wants to hang up on everything and the belaying pins are easily bent out of position. I really don't care how long it takes to preform a task at this scale as long as I'm successful. Sometimes the result is more suggestion than 100% accuracy and that'll just have to be okay. 

 

I worked Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day.....'the blocks were hung by the foremast with care in hopes that'  

 

 

 Thank you for following along and smooth sailing to all throughout the New Year.

 

   Keith

Edited December 26, 2023 by Keith Black

[rwiederrich]

Great to see you back in the yard Keith

I know the shroud rat line struggle very well.   I build only clippers.  
Happy new Year and I’m looking forward to seeing you move ahead.  Great work. It’s been a long haul since we first talked about scaling your masts.   
 

Rob

Edited December 26, 2023 by rwiederrich