kurigan

I am truly sorry for that. A little advice which may help; when I lost my own digital fleet I didn't think I'd ever recover, and felt like giving up. I stuck with it though and not only did it lead to a renaissance in "living plastic" but when I did return to the digital environment I found I could remembered a lot more than I thought I would. It took time to recreate but I was able to jump right back in and duplicate my designs and technique. Fortunately, like you, I had plenty of WIP shots to reference if I drew a blank. If I can be of assistance let me know. In the future I can suggest from experience, posting your files on another server or sharing them with someone you trust can be quite handy. I used to be very tight fisted about my LDD models, afraid some one would steal my credit. Posting them on brick shelf though ensured I'd have at least my premier models after the crash. Best of luck to you and a here's to "Dear Old Surprise".

I know, all to well, your pain. Sincere sympathies. Is there any chance of a back up copy?

Thanks for the compliments guys. I have a vignette planned which will show case the furled sails, but no images yet. Once I had everything taught and set, it seemed a shame to undo it all. On future projects I'll be using brown thread for running rigging and black or the standing rigging as if it had been tarred against the weather. In this case, being a side project, I went all black as its cheapest and I had a great abundance of it. I also have a kind of "black and white" theme going on and thought it fit well. I do agree, though, the detail is hard to see in the images. as for that yellow and black boat; she's Adder, the previous stage in this series of experiments. Thanks for your interest, all. As for the IMPT contest, its a great idea. i too would love to see more if its kind. With out the time to organize it my self, however, I'll have to hope on the ambitions of others.

[pid][/pid] 154C Here is my latest complete MOC. This is my second fully complete ship MOC presented here. Having started over in the development of my method(s), this is the second in a three part series of experimental models. My intent is to test and prototype different elements of Lego ship modeling before applying them to current grand WIP. She may not look like much, particularly to the casual observer, but she represents a series of valuable lessons learned through her development. Her water line hull is very simple and similar to my last MOC, but her rigging was my focus. I wanted to build, on a small scale, a working rig on a Lego hull. Adder, before her, had all the necessary parts to operate as a sail driven vessel, but her paper lug sails couldn’t be furled or trimmed. This time around I was exploring gaff sails and wanted to use cloth so her sails could change state as to be included in other projects later on. I used tee shirt material for sail cloth and it presented some difficulties. The material was too elastic and yet delicate to hem over or stitch so I wound up “super” gluing the bolt rope around the edge. It stiffened the sails a bit, but they do still remain flexible enough to be furled. I also successfully ran proper shrouds using dead eyes. I did shrouds on ships before but they were inaccurate, anchoring incorrectly at the ends. With the 4624 dead eyes I was able to snug the shrouds up, taught and secure the sloop’s mast much like the real thing. I now have a model that will actually hold up in a wind and given it can break friction, could actually sail (at a later time I plan to make a video proving this theory.) Much of her cordage is held taught by pure friction. I pinched the lines between the bricks in the places where they would have been belayed, had the scale allowed for such detail. Portions of her rigging, like the bull’s eyes on the bow sprit and the spinnakers atop the mast, were too small to have been built from any official Lego piece and stay to scale. Instead, I constructed them from the same thread which her lines are made of by tying and binding them in to shape. They were then soaked in glue and allowed to dry stiff as to hold their shape. Other parts were made from wire ties, carefully clipped bent into shape. The cutter was initially inspired be a contest I became aware of, all too late to enter. The challenge was to redesign the tiny ship that came as part of the imperial trading post #6277-1. I had most of the parts included in that original set handy, so I set to just for fun one night. When I hit some obstacles, gaps in my knowledge, I started looking for parts to experiment with. This hull was just sitting to the side of my ship yard, collecting dust, so I figured I’d make some use of her. Her main sail lacks a boom, mostly because I just didn’t want to spare the parts for a side project, but also it just wouldn’t have worked well from what pieces I did have to offer. Though it's not a "traditional" rig for single masted vessels, you can see them commonly employed on the foremasts of schooners like Sultana, Pride and Amistad. Where space is limited, eliminating the boom opens the deck up and cuts down on head injuries, at least amongst the lubbers . I also customized a mini-figure crew for her. Being such a small vessel, I didn’t see the need for any more, so I just made the two. At some point they’ll have to be re-done, as the colors on my printer were slightly off. I’m still quite happy with the results though. The hats are some of my paper/cardstock hats, like in my tutorial. The torso and face designs are printed on plane white paper with an inkjet printer and affixed with clear packing tape around the sides. [bloggedcp][/bloggedcp]

This is epic, I love it! It seems that from any given perspective it could be a different time and/or place, yet it all works together as one great event. Great job guys!

Haha, awesome!

I don't know whether to laugh or face-palm. Seriously, check the date. I'm with Legonardo, I'll believe it on the second. I, for one really hope it's just a prank as I find the new name and motif a bit garish.

I do believe frank meant the for most shroud. If indeed he did, his point is valid The upper for shroud should start at the base of the top mast and follow along its axis. The chains that anchor the upper shrouds will pass between the lowed shrouds and attach to the main mast. The shrouds should not terminate at their height, but rather wrap around the mast they stabilize and double all the way back down to the dead eyes. If the mast leans at an angle back into the wind, a rake, the for shroud will follow that angle. The primary function of shrouds is to keep the masts from tipping from side to side as the ship pitches and rolls. A secondary, but perhaps equally important, function it to brace the mast against the pressure of the wind. If the shrouds lean forward they will likely have little strength against either force and the whole apparatus would collapse. Looking at you images I would suggest reconstructing the cross trees atop the top mast to bring the top of all three shrouds backward about one brick length.

Good to see you back, she looks great!

Thanks for the kind words. I'm, honestly, sorry it's not better. It was all very last minute, and I didn't even get to tell the story I wanted to. The setups for that would have been a lot more involved. If I get into round 3, I'll be sure to use that better script, and make time to do it right. As for the dust, I did have to blow off some 20 years or so, no surprise it didn't all come free. I like Becker's excuse though, dingy blue coats. I've had fun doing these all the same. Thanks for looking, redcoats rule!

Many years ago I found myself stranded on a desert island with this lil blue coat bastard. The two of us were apparently the only survivors from either of our ships, which had been exchanging broadsides the night before, until a terrible storm hit and swallowed up both vessels. For a while we got on alright, surviving on these little orange fruits he’d cut from the tree with his cutlass. I never much cared for the sod, didn’t even learn his name, but so long as he kept the oranges coming he was useful. So there we sat enjoying the shade and eating fruit, just waiting for death, or rescue. We must have been there for months. Then one day, after the fruit ran out, I fell asleep in the shade. When I woke up my face was burning from the sun beaming down on me. The idiot had whittled our only shade tree down into a pair of spears, for fishing! Well as soon as he handed me mine, I took it and thrust into his belly. When I tried to pull it back out, it was pretty well stuck and that gave me an idea. I lashed the two spears together and fashioned a sail so I could use his body as raft. I must have sailed that blue corpse a thousand miles, all the way sea critters picking and nibbling at him. Just when all seemed lost and my raft sinking for lack of any flesh left on it, I spotted a ship and did my best to intercept her. She turned out to be a bluecoat ship. Well they didn’t take any notice of me, so I sailed on up astern and climbed aboard through the cabin. Still none of the buggers noticed me when I got on board. They were too distracted munching on some terrible pastries and waxing on about nonsense. Not one of em could be bothered to put own their precious tarts, even while I was slaughtering em one at a time. In the end I took the ship for myself. Ever since I’ve been making my fortune, pirating and killing blue coats, leaving a red wake behind me where ever I sail.

She is a fine brig to be sure. I am quite enamored with her. I love your level of detail. I am quite eager to see her finished. I do have a few points to raise however. Firstly I might suggest turning the eyelets on the fighting tops 90degrees so that they come off the side of the platform rather than the top. Then tie a string between those and the ones underneath where the lower shrouds are anchored to the top of he mast, for a more realistic look. The hight of your courses, relative to their width (studding yards considered) seems a bit stunted. The rest of your yards seem well enough, but it appears you could do with a few more bricks to build up the lower portions of your mast, before you apply any string. Compared to the rest of Godwin-Austen your capstan seems a bit simplistic. I offer for your consideration, the design I first concepted on my digital fleet and had for a time installed on the late Scorpion. It's not much bigger than what you have, but you can fit many more bars and, if I may flatter myself, looks very much like the real thing. Please feel free to use the design if you find it to your liking. http://s199.photobucket.com/albums/aa244/kurigan_the_red/Real%20Models/?action=view&current=IMG_0504.jpg&mediafilter=noflash I can see why the head rails might have given you such trouble, and applaud your tenacity, though I do agree with Admiral Croissant. Also, I'd just like to add some clarifications in terms if I may be so bold: That's not a whip staff, it's a tiller. A whip staff is an archic instruriment; a pole through which a tiller is passed that increases leverage. The purpose of which was to ease the burden of the helmsmen by amplyifying their strigenth against the ocean. By the period of you fine vessel they had fallen out of use on account of their amplyifying the seas force as well, a significant danger to the seamen who operated them. If the helm is located there it is a quarter deck. A poop deck does not have the vessel's steering mechanism. Your's, however small and aftward situaited, is a quater deck. Also, a vessels curvature relative to the water line is known as sheer. Thanks for sharing, keep building!

Neat, but you should call her Sophie instead. Since she only has two masts she's a brig, while Surprise has three making her a ship. You'll still have the Jack Aubrey reference with that too.

Well I did ask you that question. Now truth is, seaman's fashions didn't change a whole lot for a few hundred years as they arose from necessity. The Admiral's figures with their great coats may be just a bit specific to the 19th century, but honestly wouldn't stand out all that much on a Brittish man-of-war, from the early 18th. When I get back to my computer I can share some of mine and you can decide if they are to your liking. If you can use a program like Illustraitor though, making your own ,or just changing colors for your fleshies wouldn't be difficult at all. Sounds to me that what your looking for is very simple, solid colors and such. No sense making a new post. Here is an image, not to scale. I blew up the originals in Photoshop to better see the details. Is this something more like what you were thinking?

Who didn't ware stripes? It might be helpful if you offered a target time frame, nation or function (e.g. Naval, merchant, fisherman). Lots of sailors through time the world over wore stripes, often because striped fabric was cheap and available. I made my own, for my early 19th century flee (many with stripes), but they are for yellow figures.

Thanks, the sea is indeed a piece of carpet, from my old bed room. we had a carpet like this in the living room when I was a kid. I spent many hours playing with my classic pirate ships pushing them through the nap like the ocean's waves parting, hence my affinity for water-line models. I do agree that it looks rather like ice in hind sight. This pleases me though as I did want to convey a colder climate than usual. Thank you. The paper sails were something of a happy accident. I scavenged it from work where it is typically cast off. I figured the color would work well enough but the bolster only came about from the way i punched the holes. The first sail, the main, was just an experiment, but it came out so well, I just kept going. Thanks for that! The hull in simple enough, but even this simple rig would be a bit much. Indeed the gun is on a slide. Even though I couldn't find a way to have it properly breeched with block and tackle, there is a rope which can be used to run it back out. Thanks again all.

Providence is just Surprise. The same frigate, formerly Rose, now owned by the San Diego Maritime Museum that played HMS Surprise in the film "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" served as HMS Porvidence in the last POTC film, "On Stranger Tides". There are already plenty of interpretations of her and similar vessels in the forum. Just check out the ship MOCs Index.

[pid][/pid] 145A This is the completion of a project which has sat unfinished for some time. The hull is rather basic, but by design. The rigging is completely functional. The sails are paper; the stiffness of the material keeps them from being furled even though the rigging would allow for it. It does however keep the illusion of luff in the canvas. The main gun represents a twelve pounder, recovered from Old Scorpion, already named “Black Death”. The other two swivel guns are something like 2 or 3 pounders. Boats like these both in terms of rig and application were popular the whole world over during the 18th and 19th centuries, typically for defense of key harbors and ports. In my own fleet, this is the role Adder plays, serving as a deterrent to invasion and ferrying pilots and inspectors out to incoming vessels. Her lug sails would be easily handled by only few crew members and are versatile in catching wind in all conditions. Admittedly, the scale may be a bit off, from that of her mini figure captain, but I just don’t care. I picked the project back up just to work on a realistic, working rig. Feeling as though I achieved that, I am pleased with her. Thanks for looking and as always, more images on my photobucket. http://s199.photobuc...ed/Real Models/

Thanks for the compliments, I was worried it wouldn't be well revived. This is my first contribution to the tournament ever. Apologies for the text, I was cobbling the comic together still in the early AM, hurrying to make the dead line. If it's legal, I'll see about revisiting the text tonight and revising my entry. I also forgot to put "official entry" in the title, who's do I need to speak to about a change? I know it seems unlikely that the blues would ever beat anyone anywhere, and I was a surprised as you all. When I was gathering stories, the captain assured me it was a matter of honor, duty and integrity, which held up his crew, but that's another story. Perhaps it was Devine providence however, since the delay gave the bule coats, just rope to hang themselves with when it came to our allies, the islanders.

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I think the palm cart has an interesting, undefinable Caribbean feel to it; good job on that. As for photography, don't treat it like such a mystery. For one, natural light can be your best friend, but only when you are out side. When the weather permits, take your MOCs out side, espically on over cast days, the clouds diffuse the light for a very soft, professional, looking effect. For in doors, start with blocking out the natural light; closing the curtains. Then do a Google search on "Three Point Lighting". You'll see a lot of complicated professional specific stuff that calls for expensive equipment, ignor it. Just use the diagrams with what you have around the house. With the digital camera on your phone, the light source won't matter much so long as it's bright enough to see. I often just use desk lamps and flash lights myself. As was already stated, single color, flat surfaces work much better as backgrounds and help your subject matter stand out. White is about the hardest thing to shoot on, but tends to be the most readily available; most just tape a few sheets of paper together. If you can pin a piece of fabric to the wall or lay it on a chair/couch so the same sheet will cover both the verticle and horizontal surfaces with a smooth transition between, you have about the best background that can be. Think out side the box on materials here; paper works but also bed sheets, tee shirts, bath towels, a big coat, etc. so long as the background isn't shiny or too dark of a color it should work out great. All that being said, trust me, I am a professional videographer with a lot of experience in what I call "guerilla video". I've spent a lot of time figuring out how to get the most out of minimal equipment. Hope I helped, goOd luck with it in the future.

First came up with this idea preparing my ToR III avatar, which this guy wound up being in the end. He's on a post made of Legos in front of my Ipad. This first one is the gun deck on Dom Fernando II e Glória, image found on Google The next one is from my trip to USS Constellation This is actually a painting I came across on Google. I think it works best since is reminds me, just a bit, of the classic Pirates back grounds.

Kurigan Red Coats I put this fella together on a whim after trying a bunch of less satisfying ideas. Yes that is a Santa Clause beard and the hair is just some polyester fluff, like pillow stuffing. I tried to make him look somewhat the part of a gunner, hence no uniform, but he’s decked out in red all the same.

Kurigan Red Coats Blacksmith (gunner, sailor) Alaways just liked red better and I wanna play with fire in this one :)

Wow, she is looking great. I'm a little surprised by the level of detail you've managed to include. Expect a lot of your methods to be copied in the future, even by my self. I wasn't sure about your carronade design before, but seeing them on deck I'm convinced. The pin rail, with cut hoses for belaying pins is great. Was hoping to put something similar on my own Snake, but the scale seems just too small. The new swivel guns are brilliant. Would you be kind enough to show a full break down? I'm sure if you isolate it in a new thread it'll get indexed as well. If I have to take issue with anything on her so far, I find your channels may be a bit short. IMHO they should extend a litter farther away from the hull, so that your shrouds lean at a shallower angle. If everyone in in your head over the color scheme, might I suggest a simple stripe? A solid color, one plate thick, just above the gun line or near the top of the rail would break up the feild of white with out ruining it and still provide that hint of detail which would show off the hull's sheer. Thanks for sharing!