Wood Hull Screw Frigate USS Tennessee 1869 to 1886 by Keith Black - scale 1:120

[BANYAN]

2 hours ago, KeithAug said:

Excellent work but i think we all need to get a life. Having delivered the tutorial you could farm the work out to your audience and check how well we have learned.

Good idea Keith (Aug), can I extend an invitation for you to check my tutorial using your skills ?  I only have a few hundred to do  

 

Good luck Keith (Black), they are fiddly things - I am in the process of developing a jig to mass produce them based on a system used by some Russian modellers that was posted in MSW Gen 1.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, BANYAN said:

I am in the process of developing a jig to mass produce them based on a system used by some Russian modellers that was posted in MSW Gen 1.

 Pat, can the jig be adjusted to accommodate the different block sizes? What is the smallest to the largest block size you'll be working with? 

[TBlack]

Several years ago, when Chuck Passaro was starting to offer blocks through his company, he add a visual tutorial that showed how he mass produced

them. Is that tutorial still available? In addition, my brother is holding up the standards of our family.

Tom

[My Fathers Son]

13 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 Then I've gotta stop what I'm doing and schedule visits to all the various mental hospitals. 

You'll find me in the Royal suite in Caterham-on-the-hill. Pop in for a mince pie for Christmas. 

[mtaylor]

On 12/10/2021 at 2:36 PM, Keith Black said:

 Then I've gotta stop what I'm doing and schedule visits to all the various mental hospitals. 

Road trip!!!!!!   However, you may want to wait a few months until the snowy season is over.

[BANYAN]

On 12/11/2021 at 11:14 AM, Keith Black said:

 Pat, can the jig be adjusted to accommodate the different block sizes? What is the smallest to the largest block size you'll be working with? 

Hi Keith, yep.  Basically it is a large clamp to hold several rows of pre-cut (sized appropriately) strip stock with sacrificial pieces on each end/side.  Once set-up you can make several hundred at a go depending on how much drilling and milling you wish to do.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

22 hours ago, TBlack said:

In addition, my brother is holding up the standards of our family.

  Yeah, like we got such high standards to live up to. Don't you remember the time Dad and Uncle Dave.........

 

12 hours ago, My Fathers Son said:

You'll find me in the Royal suite in Caterham-on-the-hill. Pop in for a mince pie for Christmas. 

 I say Chubbly, mince pie puts me a bit off, have you any Crumble?

 

26 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

Road trip!!!!!!   However, you may want to wait a few months until the snowy season is over.

If I have to wait till Spring I may as well make them myself and save my MSW friends the pain of reintroduction. 

[Keith Black]

16 minutes ago, BANYAN said:

Once set-up you can make several hundred at a go depending on how much drilling and milling you wish to do.

 

 Pat, it the jig for making blocks or stropping blocks? Sorry for being a bit thick headed. 

[TBlack]

58 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Yeah, like we got such high standards to live up to. Don't you remember the time Dad and Uncle Dave.........

You mean the time they tried to drive the Jeep into the front hall? I think those are high standards! I mean who else would try that?

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to all for the comments and likes, I am truly humbled.

 

 All the yards are populated with their respective blocks. Of course the last yard I did turned out the best of the nine, isn't that always the case. I still need to seal the yards.

 

 So it's on to stropping the blocks for the mast and gaffs. Thank you again for stopping by and providing me your support.

 

 

 

 

Slowly but surely we're getting there.

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by Keith Black

[Glen McGuire]

Looks great, Keith.  You should post a closeup pic of the last yard that you say is the best one.  That would help people like me who are still learning.  

[mtaylor]

That's a lot of detail work, Keith.   From here, it looks like it was time well spent.

[BANYAN]

Great progress Keith.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[Keith Black]

Thank you to all for the likes.

 

23 hours ago, mtaylor said:

That's a lot of detail work, Keith.   From here, it looks like it was time well spent.

 Mark, thank you. 

 

19 hours ago, BANYAN said:

Great progress Keith.

 

 Thank you, Pat.

 

On 12/15/2021 at 8:48 AM, Glen McGuire said:

Looks great, Keith.  You should post a closeup pic of the last yard that you say is the best one.  That would help people like me who are still learning.

 Glen, first, thank you. Second, I'm posting a couple of pics but I take such lousy photos I doubt you'll be able to see any difference between any of the yards. When I said the last yard (main topsail) turned out the best is more based on feelings than actual visual. Stropping the blocks for the main topsail went without a hitch, there were no issues drilling the holes for the blocks, and the ropewalk came out equal on both sides.

 

 One would expect to get better with each successive effort and this was the case with my ninth and final yard. I think it's vital that early on a builder must decide where their model is be placed and how it will be viewed. One side is always better when I make something. With that in mind, when possible, I've placed the best side toward the viewer.

 

  

 Main topsail 

Main topsail in place.

 This is the side from which the Tennessee will be displayed. 

[lraymo]

WOW!  Fabulous work! (of course, now I want to hear about that jeep in the hallway...)

[GrandpaPhil]

Looking good!

[TBlack]

Keith, 

Your fingerprints are all OVER this  website, which suggests to me that you got all the social gracious genes in the family. But it doesn't stop there. This piece of art is at a scale of 0.1": 1' if I remember correctly. I don't know how you do it.

 

To Iraymo: Keith and I were long tucked in for the night when that happened. I can tell you that, fortunately, the double door to the hall was 2" too narrow to allow the escapade's conclusion. But we woke up the next morning to find the Jeep on the porch.

Now, Keith was quite young at the time, so he may not remember this.

Edited December 19, 2021 by TBlack

[FriedClams]

Nice update Keith.  I couldn’t help but notice that every yard is level and perfectly inline with the others from every camera angle. I'm sure that took some time and fiddling to get right.  Very nice.

 

Gary

[mbp521]

Yards are looking good Keith. I’ve been on the steamboat wagon for so long that I am missing the full rigged ships. On my list of ships is a hybrid like this, one combining steam and sail. I wish there were more options available in kits. I had contemplated the Harriet Lane, but it’s a tad bit small for my tastes, and I’m not a fan of the solid hull. Going to have to do some research one day to find a suitable subject for that build. 
 

As for the jeep story, sounds like someone was having a good time that night. 
 

-Brian

[My Fathers Son]

I agree with @FriedClams , it's not just one thing, it's the whole picture and the attention to detail that is what draws one in. If I can get my yards within a fraction of your detail, I will be happy. 

 

for someone like myself, having your examples, no matter what the photographic skills, gives me something to aspire to and improves the quality of my work. And for that I thank you, as I do to all my mentors in this forum.

 

Simon

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by My Fathers Son

[Keith Black]

On 12/18/2021 at 5:31 PM, lraymo said:

WOW!  Fabulous work! (of course, now I want to hear about that jeep in the hallway...)

Thank you, Lynn. Brother Tom has an overactive imagination but he's forgiven as Mother always loved him best. 

 

On 12/18/2021 at 6:11 PM, GrandpaPhil said:

Looking good!

Thank you, Phil

 

On 12/18/2021 at 8:04 PM, TBlack said:

This piece of art is at a scale of 0.1": 1' if I remember correctly. I don't know how you do it.

 

Tom, thank you. About all those stories, you need lay off those brownies from Jane next door, I warned you about her. 

 

On 12/18/2021 at 10:39 PM, FriedClams said:

Nice update Keith.  I couldn’t help but notice that every yard is level and perfectly inline with the others from every camera angle. I'm sure that took some time and fiddling to get right.  Very nice.

 

 Gary, thank you. I enjoy playing dress up with my baby. 

 

On 12/18/2021 at 10:41 PM, mbp521 said:

Yards are looking good Keith. I’ve been on the steamboat wagon for so long that I am missing the full rigged ships. On my list of ships is a hybrid like this, one combining steam and sail. I wish there were more options available in kits. I had contemplated the Harriet Lane, but it’s a tad bit small for my tastes, and I’m not a fan of the solid hull. Going to have to do some research one day to find a suitable subject for that build. 
 

Thank you, Brian. I'd love to see you take on one of the ships from the transitional period. You could take a POB kit of a ship that closely measures to that of the ship you want to replicate, build the hull, and then bash it from the deck up. There are so many neat ships from that period and are so underrepresented. 

 

On 12/19/2021 at 7:36 AM, My Fathers Son said:

it's not just one thing, it's the whole picture and the attention to detail that is what draws one in. If I can get my yards within a fraction of your detail, I will be happy. 

 Simon, thank you, you're too kind. You are doing a bang-up job with your dad's Cutty Sark, I always enjoy your updates. 

 

 To all, thank you for your comments and likes. Each of you are the wind in my sails. 

 

 

I removed the yards from the mast and poly coated them and they dry as we speak. The Tennessee looks naked and a bit ugly without them. Funny how soon we forget. 

 

 To all my dear MSW family, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and may God bless each of you and your families.......Keith

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Keith Black

[mbp521]

Thank you Keith. You and you family have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year as well my friend!

 

-Brian

[BrianK]

Keith, new member here (thanks for the newbie hello that helped me find you). I am fascinated by auxiliary sailing ships. Your Tennessee build will be a premier resource if I ever get a big one started! You have so many great ideas and techniques that I will adapt for some small auxiliary kitbashing projects I have planned. Your smokestacks are going to save me some work, but I don't think I could master your custom ventilation cowls -- quite some skill there. Thanks for sharing!

 

(FYI, I cheated after reading the first hundred or so posts and started skimming your build blog to get to where I could reply) 😃 

 

Happy Holidays.

 

BrianK

[Keith Black]

 Thank you, Brian, that's very kind of you. It's good to have you along to share the journey, If ever I can be of help, please ask. I may not know the answer but I bet I know who would. 

 

 

Edited December 25, 2021 by Keith Black

[BrianK]

Thanks Keith. I will keep it in mind. I think I am going to start back boat building small with some resin and plastic boats then a few small wood hulls. I plan to share the journey and promise not to be shy with questions or thoughts! 😃

 

Brian 

[Keith Black]

 Brian and Brian, thank you for your kind comments and thank you to all for the likes.

 

 As i neared working on the mast off ship my search intensified for a Workmate, model 79-025, 8 inch table top vise. I've seen this vise used  in other build logs and it looked like just the ticket. I was checking eBay the other day and low and behold there was a new, unused, still in the original box, buy it now listing. I jumped on it like a chicken on a Junebug. It was less than $50.00 including shipping. I received it today and there is a price sticker of $19.95 on the box. I don't know if that's the original price as a printed sticker on the box from Black and Decker to the hardware store in Federal Way is marked with a 1980 date. 

 

 All the yards have dried after their poly bath. Yesterday I drilled out all the block holes so the yards are ready to rock and roll. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pieces parts are still in stapled clear bag. I'm pretty stoked, let work on the mast begin! 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2021 by Keith Black

[wefalck]

Didn't know that B&D made a table-top version of the Workmate, looks useful. I had the fullsize one for decades.

[BrianK]

Very interesting tool Keith. I use Pana-vises and old General Vacu-Vises on my benches but that B&D looks interesting for wide jaws... It also looks like you could interchange metal jaws on that B&D if you wanted. That would be a nice trick to have..... The reason I also use a Vacu-Vise is the metal jaws. My Pana-vises are newer and have plastic jaws. Fine for model building, but not so good for soldering.....

 

There are also some interesting gooseneck grip solutions from the electronics industry that I would think would help with rigging too. I may be jumping the shark here if that solution is already well known.....

[mbp521]

Keith,

 

I have one of those Workmates that I have been using for years. If memory serves me right, it was around 1984 when I got mine. It still gets plenty of use, especially as a hull clamp. It fits nicely around the keel and allows you to lean the ship in all different directions. Good find!

 

-Brian

[Keith Black]

 BrianK, jump that shark. Which gooseneck grip did you think would be of help? I'm always looking for help, never hesitate to offer up a tip or a possible solution.