Billy 1938 by Keith Black - 1:120 Scale - Homemade Sternwheeler

[tmj]

32 minutes ago, Keith Black said:

Thanks for joining in, Keith. I think Billy is the epitome of bizarre but I continue to search just in case. 

You'll find something else 'bizarre', I have no doubts! 

FWIW, speaking of bizarre... when I lived on Treasure Island, in Florida, there was a 'Tops' grocery store that had boat docks on the intercoastal waterway. While hanging out on 'my' dock, about a mile away from the store, I often saw this 'teeny-tiny' little homemade boat go by, heading for the grocery store. I honestly don't think it was even as long as a 'bathtub'! Barely enough room for the driver and a couple bags of groceries, LOL! 

[sheepsail]

You are making me do weird online searches like "1930s era obscure Mississippi sternwheel homemade houseboat barge made from tractor parts named billy"  Google keeps asking my location and if I am a robot.

 

Then there are all the permutations of 'A' Names

Arthur

Adolf

Alexander

Albert

Andrew

Anatole

Anthony

 

 

and then

Oliver

Oscar

Orenthal

OompaLumpa

OrangeJuce

OngoBoingo

and so forth.

 

I did learn there is something called a shantyboat.

 

It is driving me nuts that there are no starboard views of Billy.  Guess that is what make this build interesting.

 

 

 

 

[Keith Black]

7 hours ago, tmj said:

You'll find something else 'bizarre', I have no doubts! 

FWIW, speaking of bizarre... when I lived on Treasure Island, in Florida, there was a 'Tops' grocery store that had boat docks on the intercoastal waterway. While hanging out on 'my' dock, about a mile away from the store, I often saw this 'teeny-tiny' little homemade boat go by, heading for the grocery store. I honestly don't think it was even as long as a 'bathtub'! Barely enough room for the driver and a couple bags of groceries, LOL! 

 I love personal stories like, Tom. Maybe ole Engel made it south, moved to Florida and started a boatyard?

 

3 hours ago, sheepsail said:

You are making me do weird online searches like "1930s era obscure Mississippi sternwheel homemade houseboat barge made from tractor parts named billy"  Google keeps asking my location and if I am a robot.

 Julie, those kinda Google searches gets you tagged by the NSA. 

 

4 hours ago, sheepsail said:

I did learn there is something called a shantyboat.

 New grist for the mill!

[Keith Black]

 Thank you to everyone for the likes and support. And a very special thank you for all the comments. I know words aren't necessarily as exciting as sawdust but your comments helped me immensely. If I'm unsure about a thing when I go to build it I usually make a dog's lunch of it. Being confident that the center stairway was the correct approach (which I wouldn't have been if not for the discussion on the subject) gave me the freedom to put my heart into making the hull.  

 

 

 Speaking of the hull, it's done and ready for me to start the deck structures. 

 

 Size perspective. 

 

 The raised portions represent the floor joist band boards. 

 

 

 

 

 Thank you so much for your willingness to share in the journey.

 

   Keith

[Jim Lad]

That's a very complicated hull, Keith! 🙂

 

John

[vvvjames]

Very fine deck! I very much enjoy seeing all the work/research going into each step of this. 

[Paul Le Wol]

Great start to the deck structures Keith and what a wonderful photo in Post 123

[Cathead]

Anyone interested in shantyboats should find a copy of Harlan Hubbard's classic book "Shantyboat", which recounts how he and his wife built a shantyboat and spent years working their way down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Full of humor, close observation of river life, and just plain good writing. More than a little Engel/Billy in that book, in terms of the creative/iconoclastic thinking both employed.

 

8 hours ago, Keith Black said:

I know words aren't necessarily as exciting as sawdust

As a professional editor, I feel attacked!

 

Great looking hull, and as always a startling perspective on your tiny work size. I guess we now know why this one is called "billy". I hope you didn't have too much trouble with all the plank bending, that's usually what trips people up on hulls.

 

[Keith Black]

13 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

That's a very complicated hull, Keith!

 John, it's only complication is trying to add all the components required in a 1.8 x 3.5 inch space. 

 

12 hours ago, vvvjames said:

Very fine deck! I very much enjoy seeing all the work/research going into each step of this. 

 Thank you, James. For me, research is the necessary bane of scratch building subjects never modeled before.  I'd much rather just start building a thing with an eye to the finish. 

 

5 hours ago, Paul Le Wol said:

Great start to the deck structures Keith and what a wonderful photo in Post 123

 Thank you, Paul. A man, wife, mother- in-law, and six kids living in a 14 x 19 foot space and every looking happy and in seemingly good health.  What every happened to a simple existence and the happiness derived from it?  

 

5 hours ago, Cathead said:

Anyone interested in shantyboats should find a copy of Harlan Hubbard's classic book "Shantyboat", which recounts how he and his wife built a shantyboat and spent years working their way down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Full of humor, close observation of river life, and just plain good writing. More than a little Engel/Billy in that book, in terms of the creative/iconoclastic thinking both employed.

 I'm about to order a copy once I finish complete this post. Thank you for the tip, Eric. 

 

5 hours ago, Cathead said:

As a professional editor, I feel attacked!

You know what I mean. 

 

5 hours ago, Cathead said:

Great looking hull, and as always a startling perspective on your tiny work size. I guess we now know why this one is called "billy". I hope you didn't have too much trouble with all the plank bending, that's usually what trips people up on hulls.

 Thank you, Eric. There's no plank bending or rigging on Billy with the exception of the wheels and arches, it's all straight lines. That's why these workboats are perfect subjects for a hack like myself. 

[Cathead]

Yeah, that plank bending line was meant as tongue-in-cheek. As was the editor comment.

[Keith Black]

51 minutes ago, Cathead said:

Yeah, that plank bending line was meant as tongue-in-cheek. As was the editor comment.

 I know. 

[KeithAug]

Sawdust - getting exciting! 👍