CaptainDarkNStormy

I dig the sideways use of that “rock” panel piece.

Thanks! This was my first time making sails and they turned out better then I expected.

I recently built two ships designed by Moc Your Bricks. They are the Hancock Merchant Sloop and the Morton Imperial Brigantine. I think they are fabulous designs and I really enjoyed building them. Creating the custom sails was a totally new step for me. I wanted to break down how I did it in case anyone was intimidated by something new (as I was at first.) Most of the builds were straightforward. You purchase the instructions from https://www.mocyourbricks.com/ and use their parts list to create a wanted list on Bricklink. Works the same way as any MOC off of Rebrickable. The more advanced stuff involves the sails and rigging. I bought a yard (this will make a lot of sails) of canvas from a local fabric store. I chose a light tan color and texture I thought would look good. The fist step in making the sails was printing out the sail files from Moc Your Bricks. A few other things you’ll need are string, fabric glue, a sponge brush, good scissors, and a hole punch. Then I cut them out, and traced that onto an old cereal box. You’ll want something thick and sturdy. Once you get all the sail templates onto the cardboard it’s time to trace them onto the canvas. Before cutting apply the fabric adhesive to prevent fraying. I basically traced the penciled lines with the glue then used the sponge brush to spread it. One it dried I flipped it over to do the other side. A few hours later they were dry and ready to cut! I used the original paper templates to get figure out placement for hole punching. Once you finish all the sails, MOC Your Bricks has a YouTube video for each ship that shows how to rig them. I find both of these ships to be simple yet pleasing to look at. They also offer something a little different from the standard Pirates/Bluecoats. I highly recommend adding them to your collection too!

That’s awesome. Welcome to our world of Classic Pirates! I’d say you’re off to a great start with MOCing. Looks like yer a natural at rockwork! I started a few years ago just like you did with my old Pirates sets. You’ll learn something new every time you try to build something. Studying other people’s work is a great way to get ideas. Some of my work: IMG_5194 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5575 2 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

Thank you so much for sharing this. I've never built a MOC utilizing a base with this building technique before. I've seen quite a few people doing it but never seen the steps broken down like this before. I'm off today so I'm going to play around with it and see where my imagination goes!

Noice! I dig the way you constructed the shack.

Thanks! I’m glad the pics turned out great on a measly iPhone. The shutter malfunctioned on my DSLR (It’s old) so I need to find a place that can (hopefully) fix it. Water has kinda become my thing! I want to keep pushing boundaries. My next big MOC will have a waterfall! Regarding this particular island, it’s 16 studs wide which would cover the entire baseplate of the original. In total my MOC (border included) is 16x16 studs.

Very cool! The water looks dreamy.

Ahoy Mateys! I originally built this bad boy over a year ago, but after designing a few more MOCs I determined that it needed some upgrades. I went back to work on improvements after completing my larger Forbidden Island MOC. I hope y'all like it! If you like it enough to build yourself the instructions are available on Rebrickable! My original version had a much grainier look to it. I wanted to smooth it out by adding more curves and angles to the beach.

I vote for patched

Dude this is epic!

Thanks. I was lucky last year to hit a Pick A Brick wall that had 1x2 trans blue tiles. I got a few cups worth for a good price. Those things get expensive fast on Bricklink and not everyone wants to drop that kind of coin.

Update: I have created an alternate version with a simplified base. It matches PoBB and has about half the part count of the original version. Both files are included with purchase on Rebrickable. https://reb.li/m/137837 Forbidden Island SImple by Chris Boyd, on Flickr

I'm excited no matter what this turns out to be!

I’m honored to have made the front page ☺️

Thanks! You are correct on the part count. Using a simple baseplate for the water would reduce it to just over 1000 parts, but would require some workarounds. First, a single 32x32 baseplate isn't big enough. It's deep enough but the island is wider than it by a few studs. You'd either have to use 2 of them side by side or (what I'd recommend) is use the 16x16 medium azure plates from Barracuda Bay. 6 of them should cover it. Some wedge plates at the corners might improve the look. The second issue is a bit more complicated. The "rocks" on either side of the island are mostly SNOT built, and they are flush with the "water" tiles. The geometry would be thrown off if you replace those tiles with studded plates. I suppose you could add a layer of tiles on top of the plates, or you could rebuild the rocks with slopes built upright from the plates. Thanks! I really like that part too!

Pirates need their grog! Thank You!!!

Ahoy y'all! I shared a few pics of this bad boy already but after making a few tweaks and taking some more photos, I'm ready to properly present my latest project to the world. Behold, Forbidden Island Remastered! Forbidden Island Draft_Copy by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5194 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5362 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5357 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5370 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5367 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5364 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_5372 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr 6270 Forbidden Island was one of my favorite sets as a kid, and I included many of the original features. I came up with a new way to create the rope bridge, as I wanted to use current production parts to the extent practical. The second floor of the hideout includes a functioning trap door to capture any of those pesky Bluecoats. I also added a lot more greenery and some critters that would typically be found on such a verdant tropical isle. This is my most ambitious MOC to date and it took me a few months to construct. Here's a few photos of the design process: 68590667168__03460CD3-7899-4E73-BB47-1EF64E169720 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr 68954100519__928931C0-1172-4BCE-842C-660D374E23E8 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr IMG_4732 by Chris Boyd, on Flickr If you'd like to build it yourself the instructions are available on Rebrickable

Thanks for the tip. I'll get on Amazon for that lightbox! I'll put up a proper post for Forbidden Island probably week after next. What you saw was Version 1.0. I've already decided to make a few tweaks to it and per the request of my 6yo son, I'm adding a small cave under the rock stairs to hide a treasure chest! Once it's all cleanly done I'll take some better quality photos!

This is awesome! The addition of the little port town complements the fortress quite nicely. I also think the cave under the fortress is a nice touch. Well done sir!

Noice!

Thanks for the compliments! Forbidden Island is my fave so far. The size of it really gave me room to add plenty of lush tropical greenery. It has the look and feel of a proper Caribbean island to me.

Steal away lol. I got the technique from the Boutique Hotel modular set and made a few tweaks. I typically use studio.io and physical bricks alongside each other during the design process. The actual bricks help me visualize better, especially in the early stages. I travel frequently for work so I'll do some work on studio.io while I'm away. I'm currently working on instructions for Forbidden Island. That's always the most tedious part. Yes and Yes. There are more photos on my Instagram and Flickr pages! I plan to do separate topics for these MOCs but first I'd like to take more (and better quality) photos. My DSLR has a problem with the shutter so I need to get that fixed and I need a better place than our kitchen countertop. Anybody got a light box recommendation? Thanks! I share your same thoughts about improving the classics with modern techniques. I plan to do more!

Thanks, and yes I do have such plans! I had the Trading Post too! One of my favs. Thank you!!!

Thank you!!!