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

[Cathead]

11 hours ago, Keith Black said:

 Two very important tools in making these blocks are tiny Q-Tips for cleaning away excess CA and my homemade needle CA applicator for pinpoint CA delivery. 

You forgot the third, a certain degree of certifiable insanity. If I tried this all I'd end up with was a bunch of pennies with stuff glued to them such that they wouldn't even go through a bank's counting machine!

[Keith Black]

20 minutes ago, Cathead said:

You forgot the third, a certain degree of certifiable insanity. If I tried this all I'd end up with was a bunch of pennies with stuff glued to them such that they wouldn't even go through a bank's counting machine!

 There is a certain amount of insanity involved and at times when making these I thought I was lead singer in the band.  Eric, I know your work, your skills and determination are inspirational. 

 

 The key to making something this small is dogged determination and patience. Before I started CAing the bodies to the worktableI I chased bodies and eye pins in circles till I couldn't see straight.   These block are far from perfect and I had no illusion they would be, they are a mere suggestion being a bit better than nothing at all. 

[Siggi52]

I see, the trent goes to macro modelling 😏

[tmj]

Hold on. I need to find my jeweler's loop so I can see this better! 

[FriedClams]

Many of us modelers (me included) use a coin to illustrate the comparative size of an object.  Typically, we zoom in and the coin displays many times larger than life on our screens making it easy to forget just how small it really is.  These blocks are crazy small.  Such excellent work, Keith! 

 

Gary

[Keith Black]

On 7/23/2025 at 11:43 AM, Siggi52 said:

I see, the trent goes to macro modelling

One reason models maybe going to smaller scales is because once finished they take up less space to display?

 

On 7/24/2025 at 8:15 PM, tmj said:

Hold on. I need to find my jeweler's loop so I can see this better! 

 Funny comment, Tom. Thank you for the laugh. Thank goodness for 6X glasses!

 

16 hours ago, FriedClams said:

Many of us modelers (me included) use a coin to illustrate the comparative size of an object.  Typically, we zoom in and the coin displays many times larger than life on our screens making it easy to forget just how small it really is.  These blocks are crazy small.  Such excellent work, Keith! 

 Thank you, Gary. It seems this particular build is going to require a lot of small pieces parts. 

Edited Monday at 07:14 AM by Keith Black

[John Ruy]

12 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

One reason models maybe going to smaller scales is because once finished they take up less space to display?

Yes, As mandated by the Admiral. LOL 😆 

[Keith Black]

4 hours ago, John Ruy said:

Yes, As mandated by the Admiral.

 I guess saying you were displaying them in your half didn't work out? 

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to everyone for your comments and likes. 

 

 

 The coal feeder body is done, sorry I just realized I didn't add a photo of the table throat. I still need to add lever, gears, rig the lines to conveyor tail, and put coal on the conveyer.  There is a sequential gluing order to that list and I'm still trying to figure out the best way to do that. 

 

 Once I have the boiler's port side fire and clean out doors added I can the glue the boiler to the steel plate. I can add coal to the conveyer at any time but the trick is adding coal to the coal crib without the crib being glued into place because I need to be able to lift the crib to rig the blocks to the conveyer tail. It's kinda like needing three hands to do something. 

 

 As you can see in this photo I got the boiler lit. 

 

 I'm going to add five feet of deck space (0.5 inches) aft of the coal crib and then make the wheel's cutouts. Once the cutouts are made she should start looking more like a towboat. 

 

 View as seen in the original from aft photo. 

 

 Thoughts

 

 The steam engine is directly underneath the pilothouse in the engine room. This allows the Skipper to control the engine without need of an engineer to do so. This means the shaft ran below the boiler, coal feeder and coal crib in the rudder chain tunnel.

 

 The deckhand's bluejeans, teeshirt, and baseball cap wasn't normal work clothes till the late forties early fifties. The photos show a vessel with antiquated machinery in a general rundown condition. Had this ole gal been pushing barges for twenty/twenty five years? Other than electricity, what other "modern" updates had been added through the years? 

 

 I am fairly certain there was a water tank connected to the boiler on the port side up next to the pilothouse.  Water would be pumped to the tank and from tank to boiler. With that setup there would always be water available for boiler startup without the need to start a pump as the boiler water on startup would have been gravity feed.

 

 

 Health update.

 

  Months ago in my Lula log I mentioned i might have an aorta aneurysm stent endoleak that would require surgery. I could never get an answer from my then healthcare provider's vascular department so I changed healthcare providers and, I'm good. I have an area of concern that we need to monitor closely but I'm not about to blow, surgery is not required at this time. This is an answer to prayer that allows me to get on with my life and continue my care for Maggie. 

 

 For those of you who have prayed for me and for those who have kept me in your thoughts, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

 

 

 Thank you everybody for your support and for following along.

 

  Keith

 

[JacquesCousteau]

Very nice work, and glad to hear the good news about your health!

[Coyote_6]

Keith - so glad for your reassuring news.  Keep up the wonderful work sir!

[kurtvd19]

Great news on your health!  Model is coming along nicely.

Kurt

[John Ruy]

Keith, 

 

Amazing miniature work, steady as she goes…

 

I am glad you could get some answers from your new provider. 

 

Continued Prayers my friend. 🙏

[Paul Le Wol]

Keith, wonderful news and wonderful work!👍

[clearway]

great to hear Keith and the build is coming along nicely.

 

Keith

[MAGIC's Craig]

It is always fascinating to see your work, Keith but the good news about your health is so very special.  Press on!

[LJP]

Glad to hear the good news about your health.  That is the most important thing.

 

That said, I love that you choose topics that are more unique.  And in the scale that you use is unbelievable.

 

Take care, LJP

 

[Keith Black]

2 hours ago, JacquesCousteau said:

Very nice work, and glad to hear the good news about your health!

 

2 hours ago, Coyote_6 said:

Keith - so glad for your reassuring news.  Keep up the wonderful work sir!

 

2 hours ago, kurtvd19 said:

Great news on your health!  Model is coming along nicely.

 

2 hours ago, John Ruy said:

Amazing miniature work, steady as she goes…

 

I am glad you could get some answers from your new provider. 

 

Continued Prayers my friend.

 

1 hour ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Keith, wonderful news and wonderful work!

 

49 minutes ago, clearway said:

great to hear Keith and the build is coming along nicely.

 

37 minutes ago, MAGIC's Craig said:

It is always fascinating to see your work, Keith but the good news about your health is so very special.  Press on!

 

21 minutes ago, LJP said:

Glad to hear the good news about your health.  That is the most important thing.

 

That said, I love that you choose topics that are more unique.  And in the scale that you use is unbelievable.

 

 

 Jacques, Steve, Kurt, John, Paul, Keith, Craig, and LJP, thank you so very much for your comments. Your kindness touches my heart. 

 

[Glen McGuire]

That's fantastic news about your heart.  So glad to hear it, Keith.

[gjdale]

So pleased to the good news on your health Keith.

 

[Knocklouder]

Keith, wonderful news, I hope you don't mined but I am keeping you and Maggie on the list, just for safe keeping.

 Your an amazing  builder and an even better friend. 

Bob  M.

Kurt ⚒️

[Canute]

That's some great news, Keith. And your build is progressing nicely. Keep on truckin.

[Keith Black]

20 hours ago, Glen McGuire said:

That's fantastic news about your heart.  So glad to hear it, Keith.

 

19 hours ago, gjdale said:

So pleased to the good news on your health Keith

 

18 hours ago, Knocklouder said:

Keith, wonderful news, I hope you don't mined but I am keeping you and Maggie on the list, just for safe keeping.

 Your an amazing  builder and an even better friend.

 

4 hours ago, Canute said:

That's some great news, Keith. And your build is progressing nicely. Keep on truckin.

 

 Glen, Grant, Bob, and Ken, thank you so very much for your kind comments. Your kindness is a gift I will always treasure.

[Keith Black]

 Thank you my MSW family for your kind support, it warms the cockles of this old man's heart. 

 

 

A quick update. After what seems forever we finally have a hull. The length is 63 feet.  I'll create an access hatch for the rudder chain and shaft tunnel aft of the coal crib. The pace should quicken a wee bit getting the knows made and placed. The wheels will take some time but I look forward to getting them made and installed making this look the proper towboat. 

 

 Thank you everyone for your support, the likes, and for being part of the journey.

 

   Keith

[Rick310]

Keith, another fun build!!  She looks great!!

Rick

[FriedClams]

So very happy to hear of this positive health news, Keith.  Fantastic.  

 

And the sternwheeler is looking great.

 

Gary

[Cathead]

What a great set of news and photos to catch up on a Friday evening!