WIP Frigate

[Matteo1130]

Hi all, I left my project take some dust for several months because of a structural issue. The original ship had the shape i wanted (even if not everyone liked it), but it was built in economy of pieces and lifting the MOC it was pretty much breaking in pieces.. for this reason i knew that i had to broke it before making some progress and left it apart for a long time.

Yesterday I found the courage to disassemble it and change most of the shape into more realistic version, changing the lenght of the hull and completely rebuild the bow, according to a book i read ("the history of the french frigate 1650-1850"). The new bow is realistic, but still "LEGO" (for example the headrailing is brickbuilt, but every brick is completely lock in place, no moving bricks); but I need some help: my book is black&white illustrated and my bow is made by anycolours bricks.

May someone post (or link) images about realistic coloured bows, so i can place the bricklink order and post some decent picture of this version? :)

Edited April 17, 2013 by Matteo1130

[Matteo1130]

I've found this on the net:

http://www.kotiposti.net/felipe/Pictures/Venus_1783/venus_1783.html

by looking a minifig, i think it's pretty accurate to tell that 6studs are about 2 meters (a minifig is long nearly 5 studs and i consider it nearly 1,75m).

so, by adding another mid section, my hull will be around 90studs (30m) and the width (counting the stairs on sides) of 24studs is nearly 8m.

the proportion is not working :( ... so there it comes the illusion.

To make the illusion work, i'll like to ask to some MOC expert (such as admiral croissant) some tip to make her look realistic...

Edited September 24, 2012 by Matteo1130

[Sebeus I]

It looks nice so far, I like the colors, I froze my big projects as well, I'm more in the mood for smaller ships at the moment

The catheads look great in that last picture. I'm curious to those other ships

[Matteo1130]

It looks nice so far, I like the colors, I froze my big projects as well, I'm more in the mood for smaller ships at the moment

The catheads look great in that last picture. I'm curious to those other ships

Well, polacca will be really similar to yours. I'll change colours and reduce guns, closing the last gunport near to the stern to make the mast support. I've tried to make an internal too, but i think the only internal possible is the captain's cabin (even if really small). Maybe i'll "stalk" you a little for that project

Corvette.. i don't really know how will look. all of the guns will be on an uncovered deck, that changes into covered to make the stern, 3 masts (ship). Pics soon (but bricklink orders are shamely slow in my country)

Edited September 24, 2012 by Matteo1130

[Matteo1130]

Hi all, I left my project take some dust for several months because of a structural issue. The original ship had the shape i wanted (even if not everyone liked it), but it was built in economy of pieces and lifting the MOC it was pretty much breaking in pieces.. for this reason i knew that i had to broke it before making some progress and left it apart for a long time.

Yesterday I found the courage to disassemble it and change most of the shape into more realistic version, changing the lenght of the hull and completely rebuild the bow, according to a book i read ("the history of the french frigate 1650-1850"). The new bow is realistic, but still "LEGO" (for example the headrailing is brickbuilt, but every brick is completely lock in place, no moving bricks); but I need some help: my book is black&white illustrated and my bow is made by anycolours bricks.

May someone post (or link) images about realistic coloured bows, so i can place the bricklink order and post some decent picture of this version? :)

Up! I'm back at work!

[Matteo1130]

Wow.. try not to respond all together

By the way, considering the little "wall" with the two doors on the bow to access de bowsprit (i don't know the english name for that area, reading O'Brian in italian is called "palmetta").. well, for that wall is it historically correct to leave the same color of the sides? I mean, my idea is to leave sides and "palmetta" in black color with the tan gunline and dark red gunports, and two cylindric "pillars" between the bowsprit in blue with yellow lines.. maybe this a correct color scheme?

P.S. I've placed today the bricklink order, some right color piece will miss the same, but hope to post a couple pictures in a few days to help discussion...

[Matteo1130]

The new bow:

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/362883

Edit: (once public)

Edited June 21, 2013 by Matteo1130

[Sebeus I]

This looks good so far, any progress on the stern yet? (I find that usually the most interesting part).

How many midsections does it have?

Btw, a Mocpage is public the moment you post it, unless you used some specific words in the description (like swearing).

[Matteo1130]

It was my first page on mocpages, so the staff had to verify the contents.. it tooks just a few hours.

The midsections are 8, for 14 gunports each side, building the stern is something I didn't already started; the stern is the most important detail to give a ship her look, so I can't take a decision between a '700 look, like ships from EB Pirates or a much modern look "Vesta style".

[Sebeus I]

8 midsections, that long...but for a frigate that's ok I suppose.

From what I can see I'd say modern is the best way to go, it already has that modern frigate look I think.

[Matteo1130]

I think the lenght is ok, to make any example: a frigate with 5 midsections is about 66 studs long and generally 18 studs wide. 8 mids give a lenght of 90 studs, I made a 22 studs width, but the particular design of the sides makes them protrude another stud each side.

Now, 66/18=3,7 and 90/24=3,75 so the proportions are nearly the same (birdseye).

Considering the sideview, my gunline is accessible by folding the sides and is tall enough for a standing minifig, even if wearing an hat.. but this makes the hull very high and I had to make it longer to mantain proportions, when it was 7 mids long the ship looked very short (sidewiew) and very fat (birdseye).

[Sebeus I]

I think the lenght is ok, to make any example: a frigate with 5 midsections is about 66 studs long and generally 18 studs wide. 8 mids give a lenght of 90 studs, I made a 22 studs width, but the particular design of the sides makes them protrude another stud each side.

Now, 66/18=3,7 and 90/24=3,75 so the proportions are nearly the same (birdseye).

Considering the sideview, my gunline is accessible by folding the sides and is tall enough for a standing minifig, even if wearing an hat.. but this makes the hull very high and I had to make it longer to mantain proportions, when it was 7 mids long the ship looked very short (sidewiew) and very fat (birdseye).

Interesting, you should know that the gun deck does not need to be tall enough for a standing minifigure with hat,

I made this mistake quite often on my old ships, resulting in the ship being too tall like you say.

5 bricks tall is great for a gun deck but when it needs to be a little more compact 4 bricks (and 1 or 2 plates) is also acceptable.

Also keep in mind that a prefab hull ship will often look a bit high because part of the hull is supposed to be under the waterline so it's a natural characteristic of the prefab hulls.

[Matteo1130]

Understood, I'll try to make this:

This evening I'll try to finish the central (the largest) part of this moc and get a couple pictures of the gundeck section in that point, so we could see if the illusion in proportions is acceptable.

Hope to make a picture like "the eyes of a minifig" looking from the main mast to the bow.. but I'm not much as a photographer.

[Matteo1130]

New pictures/upgrades:

http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/362883

I think the legth/width is ok, the back part may look thin because of the lack of the gundeck and sides.. and the overall length may increase depending on the shape of the stern.

[Captain Green Hair]

I think it's starting to look really good, I like the colour scheme.

The back is looking a bit too straight in comparison with the rest of the ship. I'd try to make either the wide part in the middle a bit longer or taper the back part to a point where is is even smaller. In any case it should be a bit more tapered and in line with the rest of the ship. Did that make any sense?

Hope that helps and good luck on your build!

[Matteo1130]

Yes, it is an optical illusion: the back is specaular to the front except por the missing gundeck.. it will be with the same shape :)

the lasts 6 studs look straighter because they stop decreasing in width, but increases in tallness.. I'm planning to place here the side galleries of the stern.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Matteo1130