Aalak

I won't call myself a rigging expert, yet... but I would say, it depends one some questions. First: What kind of bricks do you want to use? How long are the masts? For example, the bowsprit of the Ares got a total length of 26 2x2 roundbricks + 2 snot technic-bricks with the X + 16 technic connectors, and that with 3 segemented masts. The hull-length of our ships could nearly be identical. So, as a result I would start with the masts, since I think the length of the bowsprit really depends on the length of masts. If you got large masts, you need a larger bowsprit, in my point of view, otherwise it won't look elegant. If you'll use three mast segments, you'll eventually end in this area of length of the Ares. Maybe a bit shorter... Hope I could be of help!

I did a complete colorchange today. The stern. The broadside. The Bow - a lot to do there. Just added black hoses, to create the headrails... and a lonely sailor plays figurehead

During the last weeks I haven't much time and no muse to make the sails.. so instead I needed to brick a bit (as diversion from my degree paper - which is finished by the way - now I can make sails ). But, I wanted to share the result of the buildingprocess... It's the H.M.S. ....... (The Nameless) a.k.a. HMS Spareparts ... I guess she'll get a greek name to, Still not sure which it'll be and what kind of figurhead she's gonna get. At the moment I'm out of black plates (never thought that would happen), so I'll need to figure out what to use for the crownests... (even with snotplattforms, I'll need some plates), classic grey could be an alternative... or I'll buy some on bricklink. So here are some shots: A FLEETSHOT: Broadside: She looks like brocken up, like a BULK at the moment..., a shot from above... She'll get red deck details. Some parts are still needed (a red round tile for the catspan, red headlights as well) The Stern... kind of odd yet. What would you do... yellow flowers as well... or change the windows and yellow details to red, too? suggestion are welcome!

Nice updates... but you need to hurry, only 8 days left till the wedding The Space between the masts still look identical. I would move the Main Mast (the one in the middle) at least 4 studs to the stern... As for the stern, I guesst it's the color first and formost, secondly it's a bit empty, you could try something like the Achille from Perfectionist. It's quite an amazing stern. Vesta's Stern is quite amzaing, too. Captain Green Hairs Build a Frigate Stern is quite amzing, and you can finde a how to build there as well Ore something simpler like I used on my Caribbean Queen. The cheese korners are white now, it looks better As for the poop-deck (above the cabin) ... you could add a fake skylight there as well. or a real one if you like. But overall, nice work, keep brigging... Edit: Changed the pics to links, before the Admiral sees it

Wow she really looks great with the sails. I personally like them. How long did it take you to stich them to the ropes and yards? Fine craftmansship for a man In my eyes, it's worth another blog! The Picutres are great, with the custom backround attached. Nicely done, too! Would you like to make the sails for my ships, too?

Nice, the poop deck is smaller now!!! Great, but you could add a skylight there... even if it's a fake one The additional gunport looks better than the window, but now I guess you should move the ladders one more gunport to the stern.. I would also use black gunports - so you got the Nelson checkers :) But that's just a personal thing! The Swivels look real nice!!! I like to see a closeup ... I guess you'll work on the lanterns again, and the actual ones are just placeholders? Great progess so far! Keep it up,she's gonna be a beauty!

It's a nice MOC, best suited for the movies you are making, which are quite funny, too!!! My personal favorite are the black sail. Nice work there, what are they made of? Some sort of felt?

Ok, I understand that with the window. One more think, I would change the grey headlights, which make the access cover under the cutter, to tan,too! The other access cover, has a nice design, too. First I thought it meant to be a skylight... but I would turn it around 90 degrees so the opining while face the stern.

For a waterline modell she looks promising, otherwhise the hull needs work on the round shape, which is quite challenging. I guess the VOC Prins Willim’ by Captain Green Hair is a good exsample what you might have to do. I really like the design of the ship bell and your swivel guns! Nice work there. The Union Jack is really nice. But normally British ships have the black and white checkers muster in the cabins. Keep brigging, she looks much better than the old one, even if she is far from finished!

A nice MOC, with great attention to the details. I loved the way you used the Collectable Minifigures to add to the action. One of the highlights for me is the weathercock. Nice touch there. It's definitly worth a Blog-Entry!

She's coming along quite fine. One thing about the side-window. After looking at this picture and that picture, I kind of wonder, if it should be moved one stud towards the bow? One question. Do you plan to use more red tiles on the deck? I really like the Tan and the red as decoration for the opening and for details. but to much red could be bad for the eyes and the overall style. I guess you where inspired by that replica, but I personally think it's to much. the Lego colors are quite powerfull. If she had a red deck, and it's documented somewhere, she sould get one, but as of now, I don't like it very much. It's to colorful for my taste. I searched for some pictures of the deck of the replica ships, but I couldn't find any. maybe you've got more information. But overall she gets better and better! Keep the brigs coming!

I do agree with him on that matter. It looked good in the first version with the straight and than "crooked window", cause it makes the ilusion of a bigger sterncabin, the other way around, as it now, didn't work that well. I would still make the upper deck above the stern cabin two studs smaller (Keeping the Stern with the windows as they are now) and make larger curve with the "crooked windows". But that's quite a tricky build. I didn't master it to my liking, but maybe you find a way to do it :) I would change the 2nd window (the straight one) into another gun port. I also would change the position of the Mizzen Mast (the one nearest to the stern). Move him two studs to the back (more aren't possible because of the steps.) It would be perfect, from my point of view, If you could change the position of mast and steps. But in the end, all that matters is that you like your ship!

Wow, another great review and additional pictures against the Flagship for a mediocre set. Don't take me wrong, for the aspect of useful parts, this is a great set, especially the hull pices and the sails, I really like the sails but overall I don't like the design. There are many flaws in it. Can't tell you why, but I don't like the new mast designs of the new pirates and here as well. I don't understand the fact with three masts, why do we have only 2 shrouds for one of them in the set? Do the Pirates jump from the top of the main mast to get to upper parts of the mizzen or foremast? The new headrail pieces are looking nice. Maybe they prove usefull for other purposes,too. I agree with Bonaparte on this, I guess it would have make my wishlist as a kid (as did the BSB,which I never got ) as a mean looking pirate ship. But today I'll only buy her for her parts, probably when she is on sale,too, cause I'm cheap . Hopefully some of the sails turn up on Bricklink,too.

As I started the Ares, I knew as much about ships and masts as you, since than I learned a lot by understanding the feedback from Admiral Croissant and Perfectionist, as well as read a lot on wikipedia or the homepage of the HMS Trincomalee. There are great Sailplans and informations about the single parts of the mast and yard system. the Main Top Gallant is the uppest part of the middle mast ;). Normally there are three parts on a mast of a frigate, from the deck to the top they are named mast, topmast topgallantmast . Good look with the noting of the clouds, I personally quite on that after some atempts und glued the cross strings on it, but that's the easy way out

Not bad for the first attempt! So let's give you your feedback. The upper stern, even it looks great is to big for a frigate, something like that is more accurate and wouldn't be in the way of the Mizzen Sail... but it has a nice design! Since you want to build a frigate you should change the positioning of the masts, simelar to this. They are all to much forward and the space between seems to be a bit wrong. The space between Main Mast and Fore Mast should be 1,5 the size of the space between Mizzen Mast and Main Mast. Place the Wheel before the Mizzen Mast. The length of the masts looks ok, but The Main Topgallant Mast should be thinner,too. The figurehead looks nice! What kind of rigging dou you like to add, "string-clouds" or the lego ones? The headrails'll be one of the toughest parts to do (allways for me), good look with that,too. A lot of help, how to build lovely frigate can be found here, too. Captain Green Hair's tutorial is a must read, in my opinion! The Vesta and Achille are great frigates, too. You should check them out as well, for inspiration, scale & proportion. There are a lot more great frigates in the libary, too. Hope I could help you. Nice work so far.

Somebody beat me to that, thought about the same thing ... but it's really a great, great (little) MOC. Simple in technic but great in detail and action. Did I mentioned that I think it's great? The cardinal's guard is looking quite good, what torso did you use? But there is one tiny bit I'm missing. Shouldn't d'Artagnan be there, too? I would have liked to seem him ... but than It would be quite unfair for the Guardsmen

I like the process, especially the slopes under the red line ... can't tell you why exactly but I like it .. Since I don't have a clue what the brick-fence would look like, I say change the gunports for the fence and if it don't feel right change it back :) That's the good thing with LEGO, we could change things everytime and I since I have no clue what's inside "the history of the french frigate 1650-1850", I would suggest to make smaller castles and use the space between for the fence. I think this would give you the best of both ways. Good luck with her... P.S. Poseidon is a great Name for ships who tend up to swim with the decks upside down ... sorry just thought about bad Kurt Russell movies (and the Classic movie came to mind. too) The Name could work, enough parts for a great figure-head should also be available, like the trident and a crown. And I would like to sail the Ares beside her... Poseidon and Ares side by side ... "The Greek Squadron" ... we should add the Achille, too... It's a shame that the Vesta is a Roman Godess... I think there are some more Ships named after Greek Mythology but I couldn't remind them.

Wow, that are fantastic ships, mostly done by the standard bricks. But the only thing I didn't like, are the sails and the way the sails seems to be attached, at least at the Constitution ->papersails scotchtaped/tesafilmed/stickytaped to the rigging ... come on, that's not a good way. BUT that's the only but, and it's a small one Fantastic work on the hull... Nice design overall. Hope he joins our board!

That's defenitly a nice ship now. I like the rigging so far. Maybe the 2x1 plates are out of place, but they got something unique so far - I don't think they are to strange... Will she get's sails, too? Did she have a name allready? (One I didn't read in the other posts?) by the way: I heard RedCoats could be paid in Rum and Tea, too - so don't waste money on them:) @Admiral Croissant: OK, I'll do that from now, changed it allready.

I guess they are gunports, there is one line of black bricks over the tiled deck, than the red line... you could see it on the back railing ... btw. they are identical to the one I used on the ARES, you didn't complain there about it I like them! They'll look different, when there is a gun insinde of them...

I really like it. The red line defenitly works better than the double yellow one! even so, I would remove one line of black bricks under the red line, but I guess that's impossible because of the way you build the interrior with the half arc bricks. It's defenitly great. That's the way my Ares would have looked like,if i haven't bought a lot of yellow plates on bricklink. I love your color design overall! But one question, is it a normal red or dark red? The Clipper in the back is a bit outgunned and dwarved I'm really curious about your full-bricks-headrails. Don't keep us waiting to long

A triple "Hip hip hurray" for our Admiral. Congrats to your promotion, Admiral Croissant!

Quite amazing what you've done there so far. Great technique as well!

Thanks for the blogging!!! As for the horizontal red lines ... I looked at the sail and rigging plan I used and deciphered it ... they are bracelines in the plan and not attached to the masts, ups I'll experiment with the idea of using bracelines. only thing is, that only the lower yards coulb originally be turned, but to create the effect, that they coud do that and to actually hold the upper yards in a horizontal position would be a nice touch. But for that I like another color of string, the Black is quite dominant. I'll guess I have to go shopping again. I experimented mit normal rope but didn't like the results, since they allways split at the ends. The best way for me is synthetic fiber for knitting The other two red lines where originally there to hold the mizzen mast in place. I guess they could go now since there are three more lines attached to the bowspit which do the job, too. Thanks for the Feedback, more is welcome

A tutorial by the great Captain Green Hair for making the rigging can be found in the Index Libary or just click here.It's a simple instruction how to start the "clouds" (I learned something - it's the rigging used for climbing). If you use different kind of strings you'll got a rigging like on the Vesta. For the rest of the rigging you should look for an individual sail-plan like that: From there you can attach the strings to your ship like the Admiral did. To create sails, you could do it like that or that (both from the Libery) As for Vestas Sails - since I asked that allready during the Ares-building. Her Sails are made like the first tutorial. attached by sewing them to the yards and ropes. The stripes on them are simple pencil stripes. you can also look at the building of the Achille by Perfectionist. There you can see how to sew them to the ropes, too: or the secret of pencilstrings I guess for most of the things you could do to make your ship more realistic there is a tutorial as well in the Index Libery Hope I could help you!