WIP 30 gun frigate

[Franco Clarke]

Hello all, I would just like to share the beginning of a long awaited project. I have always wanted a blue coat ship that would be able to take on any official lego set and win, and over time, inspired by the models on this forum, I have started at least 6 different ships that fulfil that criteria, only for them to stall due to lack of parts

Here is one from around 5 years ago, sitting half made next to my friend's imperial flagship. About 2 years ago I finally finished a version of said ship, only to be disappointed with colour and shape, hence it became my Redcoat heavy brig. But now, with the beginning of BOBS, I guess the Oleons need as many ships as possible so it was finally time to build a frigate. However, the appearance of the aforementioned redcoat brig upped the game slightly, since the new frigate would certainly have to beat this one too. Thus I settled on a 30 gun frigate, and set to work on a preliminary sketch.

This laid down how I basically wanted the ship to look, and set out the colour scheme (unchanged from that original moc years ago). Taking inspiration from the build-a-frigate tutorial, I began construction in bricks and got this far:

Shot from the more complete side, showing it's gun deck. The gaps in the rail at the top are where smaller guns will be situated. Eventually all the blue flaps will be replaced in red.

The stern. I'm not best pleased with this and any advice would be much appreciated.

A more flat on side view, with the sketch to show the aiming point.

the little part of top deck, showing the 'hole' and boat. The black 2x2 is where the wheel will be situated. I am not currently sure how to support the top deck, again, any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Finally the fully plated gun deck, awaiting all 20 guns of which I have sourced 6....

Any help would be very much appreciated.

[berninhr]

Really good use of drawing and models. look forward to seeing it finished :)

[Cousarmy0001]

You're off to a good start! Are you planning an interior for the captain's cabin?

[kurigan]

She’s off to a great start!

Though I’m no expert on this method, I did at one point have intentions on adopting it. To that effect I ran a few experiments to solve just such problems. One particular concept I was particularly pleased with I took photos of as to reference later. Just for you, I’ll put them up so you can see what I came up and use it to your hearts content should you find it useful. Here!

I happen to like the look of the blue better, personally. If it were up to me I’d spend my money on blue port flaps, especially if she for Oleon.

I love that you have a concept drawing. A much underrated practice.

I think the “hole” you referring to, the one in the middle of the deck under the boat, is the waist. Unless you mean the entry port, that gap in the rail through which one embarks and disembarks the ship.

A final suggestion from me would be much the same as ever. Brick-built guns are cheaper and take up less space.

Keep at her and thanks for sharing!

[Cousarmy0001]

I'm still trying to decide on the gunport color, actually. If your hull is going to be mostly black and white like that, then I agree with Kurigan, and say you should get more blue flaps. If you plan on extending the blue and yellow at the top, or add more blue elsewhere on the hull, then I think the red should be fine.

You might want to think about raising your lowest gunport to the same level as the two on either side of it, as well. That would give more of a "curved" look to your hull, rather than a shallow V.

I disagree about the brick built guns for the main battery, though. They're great for carronades and such on the upper deck, however.

Kurigan, I'd like to thank you for posting your tumblehome experiment. I've been trying to think of a good way to secure it at the top as well as at the bottom. Your idea is excellent :-)

[kurigan]

Kurigan, I'd like to thank you for posting your tumblehome experiment. I've been trying to think of a good way to secure it at the top as well as at the bottom. Your idea is excellent :-)

No worries. Always happy to help!

[Staslegomaster]

The pictures taken from different angles help see all the details and that's good. I noticed there are no crow's nests. If you add them the shrouds wouldn't be high enough. Try to improve that. Otherwise everything is well done.

[Captain Green Hair]

You're of to a good start here, And I do like the yellow/white/blue and red colour combo.

You mention that you are not happy with your stern. What exactly do you not like about it and what would you like to achieve? Do you want a clean style, or a more elaborate/ornate style stern?

Please be a bit more specific, perhaps I can help.

[Cousarmy0001]

I think your stern looks good thus far. You've got a lot of detail potential in the remaining portion, and that is what will make or break the stern, in my opinion.

Captain Green Hair is quite the master, though. If there's anybody that can give good advice on this, it's him.

[Franco Clarke]

Thank you for all your replies and suggestions, I have now updated her slightly.

Are you planning an interior for the captain's cabin?

As she is, there will be a full gundeck (except the front gun which have false cannon flaps. The remaining space in the cabin and prow will be full of bricks to hold the deck up, hold the stern together etc. On my previous heavy brig, these areas were also filled with junk to hold the ship together.

I happen to like the look of the blue better, personally. If it were up to me I’d spend my money on blue port flaps, especially if she for Oleon.

I think the “hole” you referring to, the one in the middle of the deck under the boat, is the waist.

A final suggestion from me would be much the same as ever. Brick-built guns are cheaper and take up less space.

Thanks for such a detailed reply, and that tumble-home method looks intriguing, although I think I'll stick with slopes for this one. As for the cannon flaps, the colour scheme was already set out by the previous generations of this ship, and I would like to stay true to the original vision. It also contrasts with my Corrington ships which are dull and colourless.

Thank you for correcting me on my terminology, I did indeed mean the waist, just didn't know the correct term. There will be brickbuilt guns on the top deck, and I could replace a few on the main deck, it would certainly give me some space and be cheaper.

You might want to think about raising your lowest gunport to the same level as the two on either side of it, as well. That would give more of a "curved" look to your hull, rather than a shallow V.

I have now tried that and it does look a lot better, what do you think?

The pictures taken from different angles help see all the details and that's good. I noticed there are no crow's nests. If you add them the shrouds wouldn't be high enough. Try to improve that. Otherwise everything is well done.

As of yet the masts are just stumps so I can build the deck around them. I will mess around with the rigging once the hull is more complete.

You're of to a good start here, And I do like the yellow/white/blue and red colour combo.

You mention that you are not happy with your stern. What exactly do you not like about it and what would you like to achieve? Do you want a clean style, or a more elaborate/ornate style stern?

Please be a bit more specific, perhaps I can help.

Thank you. Sorry that I wasn't that specific. I have re jigged the stern slightly (ignore the brown part, that will turn yellow when I find it) and it is now more of the shape I like. The main problem I have now is that I would prefer a more fancy ornate stern and also that the transition between the black part and the yellow looks wrong somehow, perhaps it's too square. I hope that makes a little more sense.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Franco Clarke

[Cousarmy0001]

You may try swapping the 1x2s above the angled pieces with black ones. That may give the black a more tapered appearance. You could also try running the black all the way to the stern, so that the portion above the windows can then be black, allowing you to have yellow accents that will really pop out. Alternately, if you end the black on the sides of the hull, above the windows, then you would probably want a yellow stern above the windows, with blue and/or red accents.

Are you planning on putting the ship's name on that plate below the windows? If not, you could try cheating a little, and printing an ornate sticker with the name written on it. That's what I've done with most of my ships.

[kurigan]

Though I’m not expert on building Lego stern galleries, actually I too have shied away thus far, I can recognize the design elements as that pertain to the real-world thing. To that effect I first off, agree with Cousarmy0001 about continuing the black. I also suggest making the roof slopes black as well. Typically what we see isn’t so much a yellow/gold/white wash but the window frames and accents painted color over black. Cases in point:

https://lh3.googleus...ter gallery.png

https://upload.wikim...prise-stern.jpg

http://hms-trincomal...s/ginger_lg.jpg

http://www.bestripvo...12/Fragata3.jpg

[Cousarmy0001]

Oh, I forgot to mention in my earlier reply, I think it looks a lot better with the three center ports on level with each other :-)

I had to go back and look at how I did the sterns on my MOCs. For the most part, the sterns are all black and white, with yellow accents just on the very aft of the hull. However, all of my captain's cabins are flush with the hull, whereas yours is not. Given this, I think that having yellow where you have it is fine. Additionally, something that bugged me in all of my MOCs is that I couldn't make the white stripe go through the 1x2x3 inverse angle bricks on my sterns (the type of piece that is brown in your picture above). Having it all yellow eliminates that problem for you.

There is historic precedence for colored cabin structures like you have, as in the case of this model: http://tinyurl.com/gq4of2u

There are also several other MOCs that have similar color scheme changes for their cabin windows. The magnificent Achille is one such example: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=51308

Another example, though I'm having a hard time finding her thread, would be Sang Royale. There's a small picture here: http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/hms243/SangRoyale/sang_royale_3.jpg You'll notice she's not a frigate, but it's an example of your type of coloring nonetheless. So I wouldn't sweat the parts that are already yellow too much if I were you. At the very most, I would make your brown piece black, as well as the post ahead of the corresponding window (but leave the 1x1 round yellow). That's not really critical, though, IMO.

I would concentrate first on the shape of your stern above the windows, then on the color scheme. If you wind up making the changes to black that I mentioned before, then I would make above the windows black, with yellow accents (Achille is kind of like this). If you keep it all yellow, though, then you'll probably want to stick with yellow, and go with multi-colored accents. As always, though, it's your ship. If you think it looks better another way, by all means do it that way :-)

[kurigan]

There ya are, cully.

[Cousarmy0001]

You're my hero, Kurigan. I've been trying to find more pictures of that ship for ages :-)

Upon looking at Sang Royale, I think it's actually a really good reference for this project. The color scheme used on her is pretty much identical to the one you're using, Franco. I'd draw ideas from her, if I were you.

[Captain Green Hair]

Your stern is off to a good start. Indeed would continue the black above the gallery roofs, and perhaps ornate the roofs a bit as well.

Above the rear windows you always have quite a nice space to do some ornaments. In the ship index you can find plenty inspiration.

Apart from Sang Royale you might also find my ships Le Requin and La Mort Royale a good example.

I'd also try and raise your white stripe in the middle by one plate and make all the steps going up to fore and aft more even to get a graduate slight curve. So middle part 8 studs, then 4, 4, 3, going forward and backward evenly (did that make sense?). It now looks slightly bent IMO.

Good luck on it!