Mr. Townsend

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the connection before it was changed but it was done using 2 headlight bricks and a tap piece. It was however the weakest connection possible. I had planned on reinforcing it with flex tubes but ultimately I scrapped it because it was much too insufficient to hold for good. I'm glad you like it Bjornu though you and I may be the only ones. Thank you for the clairification there Kurigan. I'm rather glad I don't have to move it! Thanks Bonaparte! I'm very excited to have many very good builders like you commenting on the Matterhorn so far. I am even more excited that you appreciate the masts as I feel they are one of the defining factors of the Matterhorn. The brown Technic tubes are perhaps the most rare pieces she holds and I'm very proud to have acquired so many. I think they show how much dedication I've put into the ship. About the white. I'll admit that when the gun ports are closed it looks a bit like a large blob of white (though the the white sheet for my backdrop surely doesn't help) but when they are open she is simply striking to me. I just love staring at the beautiful white vessel perched upon my building desk. Now enough with the chit chat, I've got new pictures for you! I took Frank Brick Wright's advice and got rid of the 4 length wall in the middle and I think her line looks a lot better now. DSCN1189 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr I've added her anchors and she's got a complement of 4 carronades on her fo'castle. The anchors are straight from perfectionist but I wanted to make the beam at the top brown. The flex tube isn't bent yet but you get the idea. DSCN1198 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr DSCN1195 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr DSCN1191 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Equipped with a Xacto knife I cut Technic tubes for the pin rails. I'm very happy with the way they turned out. The swivel has also been improved from my original design. The box wrench will be black ofc.(I've got some in the mail currently ) DSCN1194 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr DSCN1199 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr This is her stern at current though I plan on changing it to make it much more my own. I think the large windows will be replaced with 2x2 much like the Vesta. DSCN1201 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr DSCN1200 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr -W. Townsend

Wow Frank! You certainly gave it your all on this build. The hull is fantastic and the color scheme is striking. I like that the deck comes off. I wonder if you build a larger ship with the same hull technique if the hold could have some detail to it as well. Your rigging looks very clean and the way the masts are angled is really catches my eye. Its disappointing she can't sail the trans blue waters of the LEGO seas for too long but of course this is understandable. You've definitely produced a top notch ship. Great build! -W. Townsend

I really like this ship Legonardo. It really looks clean from the tiled deck to the NextGen at the stern and bow. The hands are a nice touch and the brick build sail is a lovely detail. Did you plan on making all the sails in the same manner? Had you completed this vessel I think it would have been your best ship yet. Great build and I'm glad you shared it with us prior its destruction. -W. Townsend

Thanks for the kind comments. Thanks, the recoil was something that I really wanted to incorporate into my carronade and I'm very happy with the way it turned out. I look forward to seeing your Surprise in brick! Thanks for the blog Admiral! The design of the carronade itself will definitely translate over to the Matterhorn as she was why I built it. As for all the detail around it unfortunately just can't all be incorporated do to the restrictions of minifig illusion scale. I do plan to put as much of this detail as possible on the ship herself though. If I ever dabble into minifig scale I think it would be rather easy to copy everything I've included here. -W. Townsend

Double posted. Please delete. Thanks.

I'm glad your liking it so far Frank. A number of things have been altered from the LDD and the way the yards are attached is one of those. I plan on making the yards with the ability to be lowered and raised and therefore not attached at all. This is something that I've always noticed and written off . Mostly because that four wide section never wants to sit correctly and I was hoping it could be reinforced to sit better therefore looking better. However, since you bring my attention to it I can't unsee it. This is definitely something that you will see changed in a next update. In fact I've already started fixing it and I believe it already looks much better. I based a large amount of the ship including the location of the capstan of the Achille. From pictures on the web i also believe I've placed it properly. Of course it will move if it is in fact inaccurate. If anyone else can back up either way it would be appreciated. I'm rather sure it is proper to have bow chasers on a frigate of this size on the forecastle. I'm glad you enjoy many parts of my ship and greatly appreciate your comments and criticisms that help make the Matterhorn a more complete and accurate ship. Thanks for the pointers. -W. Townsend

[pid][/pid] Carronades 4B Hello all, I've been wanting to build a small display for my desk for some time but hadn't come upon an idea to build from. I was researching carronades for the Matterhorn when I came across some creations like this one built by model makers and decided I would recreate one in brick. The display is supposed to be a carronade on a brig and a small part of the deck and hull surrounding it. The carronade itself I'm quite proud of as it is build on a swivel to allow it to rotate slightly and the barrel is able to slide on its carriage for recoil. Carronade by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Carronade by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Carronade by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Without the ropes the gun is able to swivel on its base. I pulled it away from the wall for the picture to allow a wider range of motion. Normally it won't go farther then the gun port is wide. Carronade by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Recoil Carronade by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr

The Matterhorn has been unpacked and now being finished in her new shipyard. I've kept working farther towards the stern adding the stern galleries and the captain's skylight. I also reworked the capstan and the axle running down the ship. The capstan now connects to string wheels at the bow that the anchor cables will coil around making the capstan now fully operational. I've also added a capstan to the gun deck so now 12 minifigs can raise the anchor. I've made progress on the masts as well though I've run out of bricks to make the foremast appropriate in height. Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr The skylight opens to reveal a ladder to the cabin. Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr The stern galleries are no where near being finished but I managed to find a connection to allow the angle I want here. Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr The capstan is now existent on both the gun deck and weather deck. The capstan design is one by Sebeus. Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn WIP by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr -W. Townsend

A clever little build you've made there. Each ship you make always seems to have one thing that stands out to me and on this one it has the be the unhinged tumblehome technique. I know hinge plates are pieces that don't always come aplenty and this way you've found a nice way to get around the problem of a limited brick selection. Are they secured in any way or do they just float there? Another thing that caught my attention was the prefrab. I like that you changed the blue topper on the white bottom to grey. It really goes well with the overall color scheme. Nice build Sebeus!

I'm glad you like the snot walls as I'm quite proud of them. I am however, a bit disappointed that I didn't show their true potential. That being, the outer hull of the ship can be any color you want while keeping the inside 'painted' white. The tiled decks were definitely an element I wanted in my ship since I first started planning it out. I really love the way it looks especially after having seen it on Achille. The tiles also play a strong role in keeping the weather deck sturdy enough to be lifted off in one piece. The Matterhorn's alliance lies with the Imperial Red Coats. I'm rather attached to the pure white at this point, though I may experiment with some colored gun ports. Maybe dark blue. I have no reference material showing a red and white tiled floor but I really like it. The Matterhorn is currently packed up for a move across country this coming week, so I've taken some screneshots of her from LDD. Matterhorn LDD by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn LDD by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn LDD by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn LDD by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Also, I did take one picture of the main mast the night before she was packed. 001 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr I tried to attach the LXF but its to big to upload. Any advice on how to fix this would be appreciated.

They certainly do require a large amount of peices. 18 each really adds up the piece count! Now I have an update on the ship. The weather deck is now mostly complete and the starboard side of the ship has been enclosed. I've started tinkering with the head-rails and would appreciate some feedback there. 7-27-12 016 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr 7-27-12 014 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr 7-27-12 013 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr 7-27-12 010 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr 7-27-12 012 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr 7-27-12 026 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr 7-27-12 023 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr

I'm glad you like it Captain Becker. I know she's a bit monochromatic and it's not historically accurate, but I really wanted her to stand out and look more Lego then Model. I'll upload some LDD screen shots for you soon and will try to add the LXF as well. Thanks Ecclesiastes! The long guns are of course DPW's design but I enjoyed making the carronade and swivel to match. I appreciate you showing me how to deep link pictures but it turns out to have been my post count holding me back. -W. Townsend

Welcome to Eurobricks! Those pictures really take me back. :)

Welcome to Eurobricks. I've finally decided to stop lurking as well and wish you luck with all your builds.

Hello all, I've been reading these forums for awhile and its finally time to start posting. The Lego theme that interests me most is Pirates and has been ever since I was a child with my Crossbone Clipper. I have enjoyed viewing everyone's MOCs and look forward to sharing my own. Look for me on the Pirates Forums. :) -W. Townsend

Hello all, I started building this ship in LDD about a year ago and have been working on it in bricks for about 4 months. I've been meaning to post this WIP thread for awhile, and now while waiting on another Bricklink order I've finally taken the time to photograph my progress so far. The Matterhorn is going to be a 26 gun frigate in minifig illusion scale. All of her guns are going to be brick-built as I think these better fit the scale and also provide for a more spacious interior. The interior has been a major focus for me which prompted the snot walls hinged at the top allowing for a more open floor plan. The weather deck will be completely removable to allow easy access to the interior, while the gun deck is broken into removable sections to allow for viewing of the hold though that deck is purely display. The Matterhorn will have a working capstan as well. This ship has been largely influenced by The Achille and The Vesta and I would like to thank their builders and everyone else who's work has inspired me. I hope everyone enjoys my ship as much as I have enjoyed viewing many of yours. Comments and Criticism encouraged and appreciated. -W. Townsend Most recent update: Post #65 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DSCN1191 by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matterhorn by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr Matterhorn by Mr. Townsend, on Flickr

Hello, My votes go to: Gorge G. Maelstrom! - 2 points Matn Ti Dalma's Shack - 2 points Sebeus Iniwum Hello Beastie - 1 point gl :)