101 replies to this topic

[ZCerberus]

bonaparte, on Feb 7 2007, 04:18 PM, said:

Can you tell me what that part is Mr. Z?
Ideal would be the link to bricklink....
I'm building the masts of the Excalibur (soon to get a French name) and this seems like a handy part.

It is a 'thin technic lift arm' 3 long.  

I guess I generally dislike the very short distance between the top and second from top space on the bowsprit, so on both the Arbiter II and on the New Covenant I used this construction to lengthen the mast at the top enough so that the topgallant sails didn't look so cramped.

I will also give you a few looks at the construction.







I'm sure you can figure out the rest from there... in fact, you very well may have figure it out with out the photos... but I always like to help out  :-D

bonaparte, on Feb 7 2007, 04:18 PM, said:

BTW, did you vote already?

Not yet.  I agree that there needs to be some improvement, but I do like things about our forum compared to others as well.  I will put my two cents in eventually.

[ZCerberus]

Mr Tiber, on Feb 7 2007, 03:08 PM, said:

20 studs? It is a very tall ship now I asume! How long is it now?(in studs)

Well 5 center sections at 12 long (they are not LEGO hulls so they are 12 instead of 8 long) plus 12 for the bow, and 14 for the stern... plus it extends in the front and back... I would guess another 20 studs not including the bowsprit.

So that would be

60 + 12 + 14 + 20 = 106.  That is only a rough guess, I think it might be slightly larger!

So stretched out it would be around 130 studs... wow... that is kinda long.

[El Bucanero]

ZCerberus, on Feb 8 2007, 05:06 AM, said:

Well 5 center sections at 12 long (they are not LEGO hulls so they are 12 instead of 8 long)

What are they then? It looks like you used invert slopes, and that's definitly LEGO...

[Bonaparte]

ZCerberus, on Feb 8 2007, 12:40 AM, said:

It is a 'thin technic lift arm' 3 long.  

I guess I generally dislike the very short distance between the top and second from top space on the bowsprit, so on both the Arbiter II and on the New Covenant I used this construction to lengthen the mast at the top enough so that the topgallant sails didn't look so cramped.

I will also give you a few looks at the construction.

Thanks for helping me Mr. Z and for the nice manual!
I will order some of these on bricklink.

The sails look very good. I also prefer the second picture.

[ZCerberus]

Mr Tiber, on Feb 8 2007, 02:18 PM, said:

What are they then? It looks like you used invert slopes, and that's definitly LEGO...

They are made of LEGOs for sure... inverted slopes, yes!!

What I was trying to say when calculating the length, was that the center sections are 12 long each, I didn't want people to believe they were the LEGO prefab hulls which are 8 long each, as opposed to 12.  So when I said they weren't LEGO hulls, I meant they are not the prefabbed hulls.

bonaparte, on Feb 8 2007, 02:28 PM, said:

Thanks for helping me Mr. Z and for the nice manual!
I will order some of these on bricklink.

No prob.  I also used a similar technique on the back of the Sienna to raise the mizzen mast up a little to make the rigging be able to hold up the yardarm on the back sail.  I think it is a good construction to raise the length.

[ZCerberus]

Aight--

So I am waiting on a BL order to finish the New Covenant, and while I wait, I decided to do a little designing to refit the Arbiter II.  I built it really quickly, as was discussed, so parts of the 'on the fly' work aren't quite where I would have liked them.  I am reworking the cabin, and since I  don't have the right parts at hand, MLCAD it is!!

I am only about 1/3 done with it, there are a lot of parts to go on, and I only finished one side, so it looks a little odd still.

Any way, here is the progress...

[Norrington]

WOWEE! What a Nice stern castle! I'd try to make slopes leading down to the deck, like the bsb, so the stern castle integrates. But it's all up to you my friend. : )

[ZCerberus]

Thanks Minnesota brother!!

Anyhow... that odd looking black and red 6 x 12 plate on the back of the ship above the windows is actually supposed to be something I already designed...

The plate on the back of the second ship is what will be going there!!

  

[Norrington]

Wow that looks good Minnesota Bretheren! I Still think you should use Slopes to integrate it with the deck.

[El Bucanero]

That stern looks very good!, I like the minifig for decoration. The sides look alot better compared to the old sides in my opinion:






Are the gray flags supposed to be gunports or are they just for decoration??

[ZCerberus]

Mr Tiber, on Feb 11 2007, 01:19 PM, said:

Are the gray flags supposed to be gunports or are they just for decoration??

They can be gun ports, there are openings behind them, so I can place guns up there if needed.

I also did a little more work in MLCAD.  Added the other side, reworked the back a bit, and added a few little structures to the deck.

[Phred]

ZCerberus, on Feb 7 2007, 05:40 PM, said:

It is a 'thin technic lift arm' 3 long.  

...

Nice idea Z *y*
I just bought a few of them bricks to experiment with on PaB when i ordered from TLC.

ZCerberus, on Feb 11 2007, 03:35 PM, said:

...


...

I like the design of the stern, looks very ornate and unique.  It seems a little high though compared the the rest of the deck on the sides.  May want to consider having taller walls at the stern and possibly a "little" deck one level higher.

What's the 1x6 1 brick high arch for? Do you plan on making a bell?

Phred

[ZCerberus]

phred, on Feb 11 2007, 10:26 PM, said:

Nice idea Z *y*
I just bought a few of them bricks to experiment with on PaB when i ordered from TLC.

Yes!  No one really appeared to notice until boney said something.  I always disliked the distance between the top two pegs on the bowsprit pieces, so I worked a solution.  Like I said, I actually had to do if for the first time on the Sienna.  The mast wasn't tall enough to hold the yardarm up with the rigging I did, so I needed to elevate it a few studs.  I just used the construction and took it one step further to get another peg on the mast!

phred, on Feb 11 2007, 10:26 PM, said:

What's the 1x6 1 brick high arch for? Do you plan on making a bell?

Yes, except the part I intended to use might be too big, so we will see how it works out.  It is also not available in MLCAD so I can't design one.  I will have to snap a photo if it works out!

[Bonaparte]

Very nice design. Incredible what you can do with MLCAD.
If really need to get started with it. Then I can order the bricks I need in 1 big order i.s.o. building a bit an then ordering some, build some more, order some more, ....

[Mister Phes]

I haven't checked this thread in a while because I thought I'd go away and get other things done then come back and see what progress has been made - and progress certainly has been made!

How much of it has been completed?  It appears there's more in the photogenic image than the MLCAD images.

[ZCerberus]

Mister Phes, on Feb 12 2007, 05:27 AM, said:

How much of it has been completed?  It appears there's more in the photogenic image than the MLCAD images.

I am not entirely sure what you mean, but this is where we stand...

The ship itself is untouched and is sitting in my parent's attic.  I will not be to their house until the end of February.  So since I had no access to the ship, any designing I have done will be in MLCAD.  I also wanted to redo the mast construction to make them taller.  I used the mast pieces that are now on the Covenant to do that, but knowing I would be short pieces, I ordered replacement parts from BL.  I also have a 'name plate' for the back of the ship, but in terms of what has actually been built, that is about all you see in any recent photos.  

Because I had to order some pieces, I have kind of a hodge podge of stuff at my disposal that will eventually go on the ship.

Right now I have built the top sections of the new masts, all the yard arms for the new masts and the sails for them, the sides of the two new hull sections are built, various items that are going to sit on the deck are completed, the Arbiter II 'name plate' is done and I have about 20 'ordinary sailors' waiting to be deployed.  I could snap a picture of all the random stuff for the ship I have here, but that is for a latter time, as I have to be off to work and school now!

[Mister Phes]

And you're still managing to build Viking MOCs are well - you're incredible!

[Norrington]

Of course he's incredible, he's Minnesotan you silly goose!


Anyway, I still think that for the transition from Qurterdeck to deck you should either add slopes or make a new qaurterdeck and make the exisisting one the poop deck. Just a suggestion.

[ZCerberus]

Mister Phes, on Feb 12 2007, 09:33 AM, said:

And you're still managing to build Viking MOCs as well - you're incredible!

Well thank you...

But I must admit, the Viking MOCs were built before I built the harbor even.  I needed a distraction while I was without my Pirates, so they are several months old, I just never took any photos until recently.

Maybe what I really need is for Pirates to have siege engines!!

[ZCerberus]

Norrington, on Feb 12 2007, 05:49 PM, said:

Of course he's incredible, he's Minnesotan you silly goose!
Anyway, I still think that for the transition from Qurterdeck to deck you should either add slopes or make a new qaurterdeck and make the exisisting one the poop deck. Just a suggestion.

Yes Minnesota power is where it's at!

Well there will be a staircase on both sides, so it won't just go straight up...

Edit:
Maybe a railing of sorts on the staircase would make it look more integrated!

Also remember that the hull section in front of the cabin will have some rails and curves to integrate the two parts!

[Norrington]

But I'm saying that too ease the transition between the qaurterdeck and main deck is to add slopes to ease transition. The slopes would cover the side of the stair case so that say, in battle the captain could hide under the stair case, and have a wall between him and the enemy vessal so he has no fear of sharp shooters on their fighting tops, something Horatio Nelson forgot to do... like a certain J. Sparrow did when he found Davey jones was after 'im, the Black Pearl had a stair case with a wall next to it and that held the railing up... But it's up to you my friend.

[ZCerberus]

Norrington, on Feb 12 2007, 08:58 PM, said:

But I'm saying that too ease the transition between the qaurterdeck and main deck is to add slopes to ease transition. The slopes would cover the side of the stair case so that say, in battle the captain could hide under the stair case, and have a wall between him and the enemy vessal so he has no fear of sharp shooters on their fighting tops, something Horatio Nelson forgot to do...

Well I am planning on using a similar transition on the rebuild that I used on the old version...
See here...



Perhaps you are right and it needs a better more filled in transition!

[ZCerberus]

I always feel strange, replaying to my own posts... anyhow...

Some more updates.  I added a mid section just so I could see how it would transition and if it would work...

Looks pretty good.  Unfortunately, when I resize the photos to fit on the board, they lose some details, so I am also posting thumbs of the bigger versions as well!

Highlights include, slightly changed rear end and one midsection.

[ZCerberus]

So if you know how to use a sub-model and plan a head a little bit in MLCAD, you can quickly add similarly shaped sections, even large sections, to an MLCAD model.

Since this is the case, I wanted to get an idea of the size of the Arbiter II.  Good thing too, because I was considering adding two mid-sections, but reconsidered after seeing the size and I am only going to add one midsection as the pictures will show.  I will also redesign the bow before I get to rebuild.

Here was the quick MLCAD shot of the boat- without bow and details... the thumbnail takes you to a larger version of the same picture.









And here are some in progress shots.  The first one is the regular ol' sailors that will be rounding out the crew, and the other three are some of the building that I had enough pieces to do.









The bell is a little big, but it is the only bell shaped piece I know of really!

[El Bucanero]

ZCerberus, on Feb 16 2007, 06:18 AM, said:

The bell is a little big, but it is the only bell shaped piece I know of really!

The bell doesn't looks to big at all! In fact, I like it a lot, this is a big ship so you'll need a big bell. Very creative of you Mr Z. I think the striped sailors are also a very creative choice...