My creations & modifications of original sets

[Dreamweb]

Hi. In this thread I want to show you my own creations and original Lego pirate sets modificated by me to some degree.

First, since I want all of my creations to be shown here, I wish to remind you of HMS Progress which I presented to you here.

Next I want to show you the Enterprise. I know it's not an unusual name for a ship but I just wanted to have my own Enterprise and I have every right to call it that way :)

BTW, I'm still not sure if it should be called Enterprise or Enterprize (old English, I think) or Entreprise (if it's a French vessel, I'm still not sure whether those bluecoats should be considered French or British).

The main folder is here, The ship is made of two merged Caribbean Clippers and has some features of that model, like the rigging goin down to the middle of the deck (the stern rigging can be also used for the soldiers to climb up to the bridge, see here), a hatch in the bow section and a lack of a door or a wall separating the stern cabin from the rest of the deck. It also has some features of the Black Seas Barracuda, like the upper deck made of two long two-stud wide plates running on both sides over the cannons (see here), a small hatch leading from the gun deck to unknown compartments and the bridge that can be swinged open to give you access to the cabin. You have to detach the flagpole (with the string connected to it) to open it, but I can live with it. The back of the cabin, however, cannot be opened. As I've written, there's no wall separating the cabin from the rest of the deck, however the placing of the rigging makes it impossible for you to reach the inside of it without opening its roof.

I made the whole thing about 15 months ago and for a long time it had Caribbean Clipper's blue and white sails, however I changed them to red and white and gave the old ones to a Spanish ship I built (I wanted it to have blue and white sails just like the Armada Flagship does).

And now something simpler - my improved version of the Renegade Runner, see here.

I gave it a custom-made 4-stud long centre section, a hatch in the bow section and a helm (it's made of wagon's wheel, but I needed original helms for my other ships). It lacks a ladder but the shape of the sides of the hull makes it easy for the pirates to climb up to the bridge.

Let me know what you think about them.

To be continued...

[Mister Phes]

So much for my fuzzle little noodle to process!

First I shall enquire to whether you've modified that flag by putting red in the middle or am I just seeing things?

[Dreamweb]

Nay, that's just a side effect of taking pictures with my poor camera. On the other hand it wouldn't be hard to really make it red.

[Mister Phes]

Its like Red Eye for LEGO pieces!

The flip top design on the roof of the forecastle is interesting - but its not very practical! Is the purpose to this to access the cabin or does is there something more significant behind it?

[Dreamweb]

No, it's there just for easy access to the cabin, just like in the original Black Seas Barracuda.

I'll upload some more MOC's when I'm back from holiday :)

[Mister Phes]

Oooooooo! Where are you going?

[Dreamweb]

Welcome back.

Oooooooo! Where are you going?

I've been to Ukraine and tomorrow I'm giong for another trip - to Polish lakes (maybe even do some sailing on my own, but there are no pirates there as far as I know :) )

Meanwhile I want you to see something that's not actually MOC, but it's made by me nonetheless :) It's called The Barracuda's Eye and the reason I called it that way is simple - I used BSB's hull, masts, some sails and other pieces, mixed them with my other bricks from various sets and themes and then built a ship according to SES's instructions, using totally different colours and changing some features I don't like in the original SES. So it's a bit of a mixture between BSB and SES (however the design resembles the SES).

Here is the Brickshelf directory. If not available yet, come back in a few hours, it's still being moderated. Meanwhile you can check out these examples (direct links to pictures):

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Dreamweb...udasEye/be1.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Dreamweb...dasEye/be1b.jpg

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Dreamweb...dasEye/be3a.jpg

I want to focus on the main differences between this model and the SES. Apart of course from the colour scheme, the most noticeable thing is lack of the mizzen mast. I've put Renegade Runner's sail at the stern instead, and as you can see there are seven sails anyway in contrast to SES's six.

I've also removed rudder-turning mechanism (I never liked it, good for playing but leaves no room in the cabin) - see here. I replaced the wing-shaped hatches with rectangular ones (preferred by me) - see here. Also the anchor mechanism looks more like the one in the BSB - the SES's propellor unit was good but badly placed (the acces to it was difficult, it was covered by a brick) - see here.

Also those passageways with arches were a bit to small (those near the rigging were also badly placed) in the original SES - here the minifigs can actually use them without much trouble, see here and here.

I also changed the figurehead - mine is more deadly and scary - see it!

Tell my what you think about this modified classic lego model. See ya!

[Mister Phes]

Lets start with first image...

The use of this window brings consistency with the doors leading into the forecastle. The original window in the stern was yellow latice and perhaps somewhat out of place considering it was only yellow piece of architecture on the entire ship. Unless of course you count the flames in the laterns, but technincally they're not part of the actual architecture - more of an effect. Well that's what I think anyway.

[Dreamweb]

While building this ship I wanted to avoid using yellow bricks. And it has no yellow bricks except for the minifigs and their accesories and the transparent yellow flames :) I think my red-white-grey-black combination makes the ship look more scary and dangerous than the original SES.

The reason I didn't build the third mast is because other ships I'm working on need masts too :)

[Mister Phes]

I replaced the wing-shaped hatches with rectangular ones (preferred by me) - see here.

Errr... What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

[Hobbes]

Errr...  What exactly are we supposed to be looking at here?

A rectangular hatch.

[Dreamweb]

Yes. thanks Hobbes. I wanted to emphasize the differences between this ship and the SES. I didn't like the original hatches. BTW I've just stopped working on a new ship, this time it's my very own creation and should be ready in a few days :)

[Mister Phes]

Ah yes. I see now. But what don't you like about the wing shaped hatches? They work nicely with the taper of the bow.

[Dreamweb]

They don't look natural and if you close them, they don't cover the whole opening - there is free space between the cover and the side of the hull. Some people may not pay attention to this but it looks like unfinished designers' work for me.

(see http://www.peeron.com/scans/6286-1/15/ and then http://www.peeron.com/scans/6286-1/16/ )

[Mister Phes]

I wouldn't have thought anything made from LEGO looked natural... There's always going to be some discrepencies in design and that's one I can easily overlook.

However, I thought it was good ventilation for the prisioners that might be thrown down there...

[Dreamweb]

Of course I don't expect it to look very natural, however a more logical design wouldn't be bad. Don't think I don't like the orginal SES - I like it very much. And everything is just a matter of personal taste - I just don't like these hatches and that's it. :)

[Mister Phes]

Are there curved plates that would fit the curve of the bow better?

[Dreamweb]

I have no idea. The wings can fit well, it's just the matter of good placing, but I just don't like the look of them as hatches.

[Mister Phes]

I've also removed rudder-turning mechanism (I never liked it, good for playing but leaves no room in the cabin) - see here. I replaced the wing-shaped hatches with rectangular ones (preferred by me) - see here. Also the anchor mechanism looks more like the one in the BSB - the SES's propellor unit was good but badly placed (the acces to it was difficult, it was covered by a brick) - see here.

Quick Hobbes! Highlight what I'm suppose to be looking at here!

:P

[Hobbes]

[Mister Phes]

Ohhhhhhh Hobbes, you're such a wonder muffin!

[Dreamweb]

And that's what I don't like about the original:

How are these sailors supposed to turn the mechanism with this white bar on their way?

As I wrote, the propellor is a good idea but it's badly placed.

[Mister Phes]

They could manage it with great dilligence, but I see your reasoning for having it removed. However I have this niggling suspcision that the designer didn't have the actual pirates in mind when designing the anchor system. They were probably only thinking of an interesting feature they could implement for the benefit of the entertainment of the kiddie who was playing with it.

[Dreamweb]

Yes, but I care about my crew :)

The other feature similar to this is that in many Lego sets there are no ladders that would allow poeple to climb up to other levels - there are many examples in the Pirate line too, just look at the Caribbean Clipper, Red Beard Runner or Eldorado Fortress. I understand it's fun for kids when they can put their minifigs on higher or lower levels of a building/ship/whatever and they don't care too much how unrealistic it is to have more than one floor and no stairs or anything.

[Mister Phes]

The lack of ladders in the Caribbean Clipper and Eldorado Fortress was justified as such a piece didn't exist until 1992. If you look at all mutli-story pirate sets from 1992 onwards you'll notice they now have ladders for the mini-figures to climb up. Obviously LEGO thought this issue needed addressing! At this very minute I have a Sabre Island almost staring me in the face and I wonder how long it takes the soldiers to get to the top floor without the assistance of ladders...

As for the Red Beard Runner... That doesn't have an anchor... Need I say more?