Sternwheeler From the Susquehanna River's Hard Coal Navy by Keith Black - 1:120 Scale

[Keith Black]

20 minutes ago, Cathead said:

I mean, I'm regularly floored by your work, so I might as well floor along!

 Danged keyboard! It outta know when I mean following. Thanks for making me laugh, Eric. Golly knows I needed that. 

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to everyone for the comments, laughs, and the likes. 

 

 

 I repainted the pilothouse and got it weathered. There is enough weathering on the engine room, I don't think it needs any more. Weathering requires a light touch and I'm prone to be heavy handed. I really have to reign myself in to keep from going overboard. I also do better in natural light as artificial light cast shadows. My worktable lights wash the weathering effects so these are actually a bit darker than pictured. 

 

 I added the pilot. This particular resin figure was perfect for the pilot but both hands had broken off. These figures are so small (the tallest is 0.60 inches) and fragile that the extremities are easily broken off. I removed the hands from two other figures that were badly damaged for the pilot figure repair. I did my best job yet sculpting away the navy uniform and I think the figure turned out pretty okay. He looks the part of the pilot in the original photo.

 

 

 Time to quit messing about and start on the hull. I've been dragging my feet because the amount of space between the furnace and the wheels is unknown but I've got to go with my best guess. Between the furnace and the wheels is the furnace's automatic coal feeder, the coal crib, and the twin cylinder steam engine and shaft to the wheels. The water pump/pumps and gas engine are all on the port side. 

 

 Thank you for your support and for following along.

 

    Keith

[Jim Lad]

Looking good, Keith.

 

John

[John Ruy]

Very Nice Keith…

John

[Keith Black]

49 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

Looking good, Keith.

 Thank you, John.

 

36 minutes ago, John Ruy said:

Very Nice Keith…

 Thank you, John. 

[tmj]

About the weathering. I have to go back to one of your first images. It appears as though the pilot house is darker and dirtier than the deck house/engine room. Could this be from soot and winds/breezes up high blowing that smoke more onto the pilot house walls than onto the engine room walls? Other than this one tiny observation, I think your weathering looks 'GREAT' and close to 'PERFECT'! It could be the light also. You've already mentioned that the photos of your work look different than the real thing, due to lighting. 

Looking at the location of that 'smokestack'... that pilot must have been hating life if the wind blew in the wrong direction! 🫤 

 

Edited Friday at 12:52 AM by tmj

[Keith Black]

15 hours ago, tmj said:

About the weathering. I have to go back to one of your first images. It appears as though the pilot house is darker and dirtier than the deck house/engine room. Could this be from soot and winds/breezes up high blowing that smoke more onto the pilot house walls than onto the engine room walls? Other than this one tiny observation, I think your weathering looks 'GREAT' and close to 'PERFECT'! It could be the light also. You've already mentioned that the photos of your work look different than the real thing, due to lighting. 

Looking at the location of that 'smokestack'... that pilot must have been hating life if the wind blew in the wrong direction!

 Thank you, Tom

 

 I agree, the pilothouse was more coal sooted as it was higher up and it was worse on the aft side. The engine room was more of a tan color because of the dredged material being primarily on the side and fore walls.  If anything, I think I need to add just a whisper of tan to the pilothouse side and fore walls. 

[FriedClams]

Good progress, Keith and everything looking very nice!  The changes to the searchlight and bell are a big improvement.

 

Gary

[Keith Black]

3 minutes ago, FriedClams said:

Good progress, Keith and everything looking very nice!  The changes to the searchlight and bell are a big improvement.

 Thank you, Gary. 

[Desertanimal]

Beautiful work Keith. Looking great. 

[Keith Black]

1 hour ago, Desertanimal said:

Beautiful work Keith. Looking great. 

 Thank you, Chris. 

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to everyone for the comments and likes.

 

 There is a hull in the action. 

 

 I added some color to the bow. In the original photo the decking on the bow runs fore to aft but the decking aft of the engine room fore wall runs from side to side. The only reason I can think of for that being the case is another layer of decking was laid down on top of the old decking at some point as the bow decking takes the most beating. 

 

 I also added a little color aft of the engine room. More will be added as the build progresses. 

 

 I've let the aft run wild till i know exactly where to make the cut out for the wheels. 

 

 Thank you to all for your support and for following along.

 

   Keith

Edited Monday at 06:38 AM by Keith Black

[Paul Le Wol]

Keith, she’s looking more amazing every time I see her.

[Keith Black]

1 minute ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Keith, she’s looking more amazing every time I see her.

 Thank you very much, Paul. 

[Glen McGuire]

Great work continues, Keith!

[Keith Black]

11 minutes ago, Glen McGuire said:

Great work continues, Keith!

 Thank you, Glen. Hey, when's that "TBD" gonna change? 

[Glen McGuire]

16 hours ago, Keith Black said:

Thank you, Glen. Hey, when's that "TBD" gonna change? 

The answer to your question is TBD!  😃

[clearway]

looking awesome Keith😁

 

Keith

[FriedClams]

22 hours ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Keith, she’s looking more amazing every time I see her.

 

Yes indeed - Ditto!

 

Gary

[Jim Lad]

Keith, when it comes to ship models you are the master of the commonplace. You choose a very ordinally and shabby work boat and turn it into a beautiful and authentic looking model.  A great skill.

 

John

[Keith Black]

10 hours ago, Glen McGuire said:

The answer to your question is TBD!  😃

 Okay, okay. I'm just sayin' I'm ready to see another one of your beautiful SIB projects come to life. 

 

6 hours ago, clearway said:

looking awesome Keith😁

 Thank you, Keith.

 

5 hours ago, FriedClams said:

Yes indeed - Ditto!

 Thank you, Gary.

 

4 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

Keith, when it comes to ship models you are the master of the commonplace. You choose a very ordinally and shabby work boat and turn it into a beautiful and authentic looking model.  A great skill.

 John, how very kind of you to say.  

 

 I do believe I've found my niche. I've enjoyed, am enjoying creating models of vessels most wouldn't give a second glance. Not all boats come off the ways with beautiful lines but if one looks hard enough at those that don't, one comes to appreciate their persistence to keep moving forward in their work a day world.