TomSkippy

You don’t need to flex so hard on us with that rigging. Next ship I make I’ll send you to rig for me Well done!

Oilskin Johnny will be there! He's not sure why he's there, or maybe how he ends up present, but he'll be there. I'll put together an RSVP. As for dress, make him as ludicrously dressed as possible, awkward and a little nervous.

Question on rigging. Here’s a pic of the foremast. Other than rat lines, does it need anything else? Or is my rigging done? (I will add the lines to the bowsprit and main mast later).

@Bregir It’s the little house on deck that leads below When I was first building here, someone commented on one I’d built. I had no clue. Way to ask.

Hey everyone, I'm back from a lengthy hiatus. I'm struggling to find good Lego examples of a companionway. I've rebuilt it 4-5 times and I have nothing, at this point I'm digging through every old post here I can find. Any pics? What's the prettiest you've seen?

Great colors, model, photo. Great build. I love how you’ve modernized the aesthetic, added some complexity, but preserved the heart. It’s what I always wish new Lego themes would do.

@Masked Mini I know I'm late with the comment here, but that ship looks great! Colors, bow, man it's fantastic. Love the Bluecoat/blue flags on the stern too. I don't have mast advice, but I would say, consider lowering the middle of the blue gunstripe by a plate (look at the Legostone curve). Other than that, great work!!!

Wow

@Masked Mini A few quick thoughts: 1) Don't worry about stripping the ship down to studs and starting over, you might still do it again yet! (I have a ship I've rebuilt 3-4 times). 2) I like the length! 3) CGH is still possible! Check out @Wellesley's Ymir (you can see it in the BoBs forum or look a couple pages back in the thread). Take what you like, leave the rest! 4) Consider getting rid of one row of white and dropping the black down. This could simulate the bow-stern curve of the hull. 5) I would make the top two rows flat/even with the rows beneath them. If you're planning on sloping the bulwark inward you need a space that is flat between the curves. Notice, even the Lego Hull pieces do this, they have an inverted slope followed by a vertical one. 6) I like that you're trying to incorporate the widening of the mid section (overhead view). Looking at your ship from the front, the stepping of the sides works because it mimics the 'planks' on the hull piece. From above, the width changes are too dramatic. Two potential solutions: 1) Use tiles/plates instead of slopes for the top two/three rows. Then you can step down by one plate width (instead of two or even a full stud that some of those slopes require). 2) Order a handful of these https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=85970#T=S&O={"iconly":0} 1x10 curved slopes are MUCH less dramatic and would give you a smoother curve. Excited to see where your build goes, I'm definitely intrigued by this!

Honestly, for social media, your best bet might be running several that are linked. Also, I’m not sure how you’ve run it in the past, but I’d definitely suggest having a few people posting (tasking volunteers with ‘x’ posts per month). Social media really requires steady content (not too much to be annoying), but if it’s not regular people tend to stop checking.

I only came out of my dark ages last summer, so I'm not super familiar with Lego's policies/planning. One interesting "Out of the Vault" idea (that will NEVER happen) would be releasing the small ship from the ITP. I would buy that in a heartbeat. An interesting sidenote, I always wondered why they didn't release any other ships of that size in the Pirates line (similar to the Sea Serpent). It could've saved on the hull/unique part costs.

Here's a different Brig WIP. Currently there are 4... 1 needs a dozen pieces and rigging. 2 are done in LDD but haven't been built. This one is (very) loosely based on the USS Niagara or a Cruizer-class brig sloop. She also started as a CGH ship, but then I wanted to tweak it (if I didn't, I feel like it'd look like a bad Netflix adaptation of @Wellesley's wonderful Ymir). I'm not fully happy with it, but I'm not really sure why. What would you do? Please critique her! Zoomed Out: Stern: Bow: @kurigan I realize that this one is not waterline (yet doesn't show everything below it). Somehow I struggle moving away from this. It might be that my whole pirate experience started with Lego. If the build shows everything, it looks too bulky to me (I even feel this way about model ships)... if the build shows just the waterline, it looks a little thin to me. You'll need to forgive me this choice!! P.S. Hull isn't painted, it's electrical tape!

Beautiful ship. The Farrensman Family look like they’ll be a big name in ship design! Looking at her, honestly, I wish someone would post a rigging tutorial with beginner, journeyman, expert levels!

I forgot you never had created a BSB character! Love the build (and all the other builds) and can’t wait to see their adventures!

@Wellesley the black davits look best. Imo davits can be tough. Lego ships are generally compromises in size, one result (for me at least) is it can make the davits seem either too big, too long, or just awkward. The black ones look more natural to me. Also, your brig turned out phenomenally. I’m usually a little skeptical of the prefab base (they can look too tall/bulky/jagged). All I can say is “wow”.

Simple, elegant, playful. The olive green adds a ton, I love the brick built sails, the foliage underneath is perfect. This is what I dream of anytime I build a 16x16.

Clean, simple, fun. I would have absolutely enjoyed sitting for hours playing with a set like this when I was younger. Great build!

Im working on 4-5 brig/class 4 ships atm. One is special. Working off other designs really sparked something. It has new techniques for ship curves, headrails, and a striking color scheme (medium dark flesh). I want to finish the other builds first, and I plan on actually rigging it, so I’m studying your most recent build to get a better handle on it.

I love the simple design of the vines! Even without lego “grapes”, the viewer immediately knows what it is. Well done!

Thanks! She’s in pieces now, but the lessons learned about curves, lines, and colors are going towards something significantly bigger and better... hopefully the Spirit will live on... (done/photographed by August!)

Totally agree. Just limits the pool a bit

I’ve bought some third party stuff. Some good, some bad. Lego has an aesthetic that can be hard to nail. Even more difficult is the fact that those drawn to fantasy are usually also drawn to a different style. Basically, those who are BEST at fantasy art tend not to do Lego-art very well. I will say, brickwarriors have some parts that fit exceptionally well. Many of their faces are very tough to tell apart from Lego. If only they’d offer them separate... Also, I would pay ridiculous amounts for good 18th century miter cap (even more $$ to have a white wig underneath) and cuirassier helmet/breastplate.

That shield is inspiring. I especially love the simplicity of the second picture. Looks like a creepy alt build from 90s lego boxes/instructions.

So I've spent a lot of time on this vessel (I have tons of pieces done/ordered, just need to be assembled). Ignore the beakhead, tumblehome and the random colors. I need help with the following: Bow Opinions (The gap between the black/tan will eventually be filled with 3mm hose). What do you think of the shape? What can be done better? How about the 3mm hose used as a rail? Deck Opinions The grates should have black windows if I decide to use them. What are your thoughts? What about the supports for the row boat on either side of the capstan? General thoughts Mast locations? Those are the heights for the lower masts. Do they look ok? There will be a gaff that extends a few studs past the stern. Opinions on shape of the black/white parts of the hull?

Using Capt Green Hair’s tutorial is a great place to start. Very impressive way to start your non-Lego builds! A couple suggestions: 1) Consider adding a third hull piece. Your ship’s proportions look fine, my preference is long thin ships. 2) The stern needs something. Lego sets generally have taller sterns than normal. Most of us struggle making a stern that is as tall and attractive as theirs. My attempts end up looking boxy. Either shorten it or try to make a cabin thats a 90% copy of the newer Lego pirate ships (Black Pearl or one of the Bountys). Swap a color or two, add a piece of flair (some round 1x1x1 bricks or cones). Some shortening tips: Use smaller windows. Find space in the stern hull piece (dig down, not up!) Minifigures don’t have to stand in the cabin (bed, piano, table, desk aren’t for standing). Cabin access is fake news... the door doesn’t have to open. Swap out the hats. Feel free to give them a hat rack and a hair piece when relaxing. Here’s a build of mine that illustrates these ideas. You’re already doing the most important things for your build: asking for help, copying others, and (hopefully) having a good time. Another good thread to copy from: Looking forward to seeing more of your builds!