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

[KeithAug]

On 1/11/2021 at 8:41 PM, Keith Black said:

Now, seventy plus years later I'm still using it but this time to sit low to the model to carve out the ports. 

Keith. We have a tradition of passing on such things to the next generation. We had one to pass on to the grand daughter at Christmas. Un fortunately Mr Covid kept her away, Roll on next Christmas. Neat job on the hand pump by the way.

Edited January 12, 2021 by KeithAug

[BANYAN]

Nice work Keith.  Interesting technique for getting the white opaque glass effect; thanks for sharing.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

 Rachel, Keith, and Pat, thank you for the nice comments and thank you to all for the likes.

 

 As I've needed to work on a particular section of the model, I've merely pushed or pulled the model across the worktable to the required position. During this time I've left the rudder off to keep from breaking it. With the rudder work at hand, when finished the rudder will no longer be removable.

 

 I need to mount the model to a board where I can push and pull the board and not the model. I had a 1 x 8 out in the garage, I cut a 41 inch piece from it and stained it blue. I made the stain by mixing Prussian Blue artist oil paint and paint thinner. The 1 x 8 isn't wide enough, it needs to be a 1 x 10 but this is a good test for the final mounting board and paint/stain scheme. I'm not a hundred percent sold on the blue, I'm not sure white wouldn't be a better choice but this will work for now. 

[KeithAug]

Keith I quite like the blue, white might be a bit overpowering.

[Keith Black]

 Thank you, Keith but the blue is stabbing me in the eyes. I'm about to head upstairs to get the holes drilled and play around with a lighter blue and then white. I'm going to see if I can create a wake effect. As I said, I can't screw this up as this isn't the final board so it makes for a good practice piece. 

[mtaylor]

I like the idea of the blue, Keith.  Maybe a bit darker or mottled a bit to make it more sea like?  The wake seems like a good idea also.

[Keith Black]

 Thank you, Mark and thank you to all for the likes.

 

 As this is a temporary mounting board, I think the latest results are acceptable. I'll poly the surface tonight and call it good. 

 

 

 

 

[FriedClams]

Looking great Keith!  I must try your opaque window technique sometime.

 

Gary

[Keith Black]

 Gary, thank you and thank you to all for the likes.

 

 I studied this photo for two years trying to make sense of what I was seeing and not seeing. It finally came time to try and replicate my interpretations. Some is "best guess" some is research, some is looking over the shoulders of my fellow MSW members, and some is from communication with Pat (BANYAN). Thank you, Pat. 

 

 

 

I wish there was an easier way to do chain work other than the "one link at a time" method I have to employ. Get it close, wire up the chain to it's end point, check droop and if not correct, cut wire and remove a link, and continue till the droop on both sides match. 

 

 I attached the preventer chains and the emergency steering chains to the rudder first, permanently attached the rudder and then worked the chains to their end points. The front rudder (emergency steering) chains to the vertical capstan chain (there is a stop disk on the end to keep the rudder from being drawn to far to one side) and the rear rudder (preventer) chains to the hull.    

 

 

 

 

 

 There is a rope ladder that hangs from starboard side stern, it's .25 inches wide and some three inches long. This is the final stern item, I've not much faith in my ability to make it, we'll see. 

Edited January 23, 2021 by Keith Black

[KeithAug]

On 1/23/2021 at 5:21 PM, Keith Black said:

to make sense of what I was seeing and not seeing.

I have every sympathy Keith. I have spent loads of time staring at out of focus images of Germania most of which lead me to different conclusions about the same part. At lest you have the advantage that a better photo is unlikely to turn up.

 

Nice detail on the rudder chains.

Edited January 24, 2021 by KeithAug

[BANYAN]

I think you have arrived [at] and produced is a very plausible solution Keith.  Looks good.

 

cheers

 

Pat

Edited January 25, 2021 by BANYAN

[Keith Black]

 Thank you, Keith and Pat for the comments and thank you to all for the likes.

 

 I reworked the stern ports and covers, they look better than they did but...... The closeup photo really shows the weakness of my efforts. Had I known (I should have known) how difficult carving the end grain was going to be, I think I would have left well enough alone and not tried to replicate them. 

 

 

[KeithAug]

22 hours ago, Keith Black said:

The closeup photo really shows the weakness of my efforts.

Too critical Keith - it looks absolutely fine to me.

[Keith Black]

 Thank you, Keith and thank you to all for the likes. 

 

 The Pilot Ladder is done, it actually went better than what I thought it would.

 The steps are .3 x .1 and the holes for the thread are .025

 The layout board used to set steps. I'll erase the lines and use again when it comes time to make the Jacob's Ladders. 

 

 I've staged the ladder trying to show movement as if the Tennessee were underway. 

 Tidied up the worktable as it's time to move aloft, making the yards is next. It seems like it's taken forever to get to this point. The next long term goal is the standing rigging with all the separate projects twixt here and there.  

[wefalck]

In German, we have a saying: "a thing well-done needs time". As you don't do this for money, it doesn't matter.

[Dart]

I wanted to build a "Wampanoag". But I see that "Madawaska" is also beautiful.

[Keith Black]

59 minutes ago, Dart said:

I wanted to build a "Wampanoag"

 I wish you would, the screw frigates are very underrepresented. 

[Dart]

11 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 I wish you would, the screw frigates are very underrepresented. 

First you need to finish the drawings.

[FriedClams]

Just catching up Keith and you've made some fine progress.  I admire your attention to details, like removing links one-by-one to achieve symmetrical swag for the rudder chains.  Like Wefalck stated "a thing well-done needs time".  Nicely done Keith and looking good.

 

Gary

[KeithAug]

On 1/30/2021 at 7:16 PM, Keith Black said:

 I've staged the ladder trying to show movement as if the Tennessee were underway. 

I think they must have been very fast swimmers or rowers in those days Keith. I'm assuming you discovered the ladder in your research? Did you discover its purpose?

[Keith Black]

Gary, thank you for your kind words. A thank you to all for the likes. 

2 hours ago, KeithAug said:

I'm assuming you discovered the ladder in your research? Did you discover its purpose?

 Keith, it's the Pilot ladder used by the Harbor Pilot to clamber aboard.

 

 Of all the Pilot ladders I've seen in photos, they're all at the stern starboard side. I don't know if it's a written or unwritten rule that's where the Pilot ladder is/was stationed but it makes sense in that, the Pilot boat would know exactly where to find the Pilot ladder even in the dark of night. 

 

 In the first photo , the Pilot ladder can faintly be seen and in the second photo, just aft of the rudder, the Pilot ladder is barely visible. 

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to all for the encouraging words and likes. 

 

 I've been studying the H&H photos and researching different rigging plans and methods. I think I have a good mental grasp of the next steps of this build. I've got all the yards turned and ready to add all the neat little bits that bring them to life, I'm really looking forward to this portion of the build. Hopefully I'll have some closeups of completed yards in the next few weeks. I'll start with the main, then the fore, and lastly the mizzen. 

 

 The best to each of you with your projects and life.........Keith

 

 

[BANYAN]

Looking good there Keith, ready for the riggers to get to wrk?

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

26 minutes ago, BANYAN said:

Looking good there Keith, ready for the riggers to get to wrk?

 Thank you, Pat. Yes, I am excited about the rigging phase of the build which is the exact opposite of my mindset two years ago. Back then I was dreading getting to this point because of a lack of rigging knowledge but in those two years I've had the opportunity to go through so many great build logs here in MSW. I've also acquired some rigging plans that I'll be able to adapt to the Tennessee.  It's all starting to make sense, we'll soon see how much I think I've learned.  

 

 Mark, Tony, thank you for the likes. 

[mbp521]

Keith,

 

She’s really starting to come together. I am one of those strange individuals that find the rigging portion of the build my favorite part. Don’t get me wrong, I love the rest of the build to, but the rigging seems to tie everything together (pun intended) and starts to show the intricacies of these magnificent ships. I’ve been away from full rigged ships for a few years (and will be for a couple of more at the rate I’m going on my current build), but I think next on the bench I will take a break from the steam era get back to a full rigged ship. 
 

-Brian

[TBlack]

Having dealt with "deck furniture" so long, you are eager to do something new and different. And isn't that what keeps us going through the whole process? Keith, do you ever look back at the beginning? You are turning this piece of wood from folk art to a piece of history. Bless you!

Tom

[Tony Hunt]

The next phase begins!  I'm really looking forward to seeing how it progresses. 

 

Can I make a suggestion?  Use wire for the rigging, not thread.  So much more permanent. I've got a decorative model sitting on my bench at the moment that I made about 20-25 years ago that I'm now having to completely re-rig, as all the linen and cotton I used to rig it has perished.  I'm going to use wire this time!

[FriedClams]

On 2/9/2021 at 5:11 PM, Keith Black said:

I don't know if it's a written or unwritten rule that's where the Pilot ladder is/was stationed but it makes sense in that, the Pilot boat would know exactly where to find the Pilot ladder even in the dark of night.

I love little nuggets of information like this Keith.  Small seemingly insignificant tidbits of function can really add so much historical interest to a model.

 

I have always found rigging to be difficult work, but it seems you’re pumped and ready to go.  I’m sure it will turn out great!

 

Gary

[Gus M]

impressive documentary and technical thread, trully amazing work

[KeithAug]

On 3/1/2021 at 2:28 AM, TBlack said:

do you ever look back at the beginning?

 

Rather a good question Tom. I often find myself looking at something on the model and wondering "how the heck did I make that". Fortunately the build log is better than my memory and usually supplies the answer.