kurigan

OK, I started replying, then thought better of it. then I started re-reading the thread and am again inspired to take the chance to chime in. Wish me luck! No, she's not bulky, her widest point is just in the wrong spot. Really her widest point is in the right pace but other markers such as the main mast are in the wrong place. the width is good for a post ship/corvette (depending on where from she hails) but the main and mizzen mast need to move back a few suds. Her bow is also drawn out more than is realistic. it should be bluffer, or rounder, so that that widest point is extended for a few studs at the waist of the ship. That's the middle, where the boat and main hatchway should be, in front of the main mast. It is a good first effort, but do you really want your work qualified so? Wouldn't you rather call her a WIP or, better yet, work on her till she good, not just "good for a..."? I dono, maybe that's just me, but what can I do but view the world through my own lens? Anyway, I like what you have here. I always applaud innovation and any builder trying to do something beyond the norm, so kudos to you for what ever they are worth. I have more notes, but you haven't asked so I'll, otherwise, keep it to myself. Sorry to burst in, big thumbs up from me, keep building, thanks for sharing. Dave

Wow is that a blast from the past! Great to see her revived. You've got a great shape going already, something seems smoother on this version. Two decks though? Seems like a missed opportunity. With this size and shape, it seems you could have yourself a sweet lil' post ship with 5 or 6 studs between guns Dave

I can't unsee it now... I put him up there to use those curved slopes to tie in the whole thing, what with the sides and all and thought it would be a more defensible position. Now all I see is my coachee clearing every low branch along the way with his face . Gonna have to revisit this . Dave

Wow, have you come a long way my friend! I like her, she is genuinely impressive. There room for improvement if your interested. It seems the the quarterdeck could move farther astern by several studs and perhaps angle up a bit more to hint at greater sheer. I'd also say that the main mast should be the tallest. The fore and mizzen are good, just make the main taller. I'm glad I checked in to see this. Cheers Dave

Thanks mate! Inside out tires actually (3483).

So, a few weeks ago, I caught the bug to just build something, for the sake of building something new and different from what I had been doing. I've been wanting to do more with my Castle stuff lately, so that's where I looked for inspiration. I found the remnants of a King's Carriage 6044 in a used lot I bought for my store and thought of doing a cart. If I did it in blue, I could do something trendy with Black Falcons too. Any way, it wound up being something much more like Prisoner Convoy 6055 , but I think it came out pretty OK and wanted to share it while I had a moment. It's a bit comically proportioned but I think it works. It was a bit of an adventure to get all the elements to work and I'm not 100% on the door latch system. I don't think I'll find time or inspiration to revisit it any time in the near future though, so let's call it done and enjoy. Credit to TJJohn12 for the idea on the horses' harness. Thanks for taking a look! More images here Dave

I see what ya did there, the cross bow is an anchor . A pick axe works too. I like what you've done with Lydia. The rigging is superb in its completeness. Thanks for the shout-out Dave

It seems like a hundred years ago now, but there once was a rather comprehensive topic on, not just the form and function, but history and development of ships' steering systems. The user who generated it went through great pains to provide visual aids and examples in Lego. It's old enough that it may simply not be available anymore. I don't recall the user, but I think it may have been @Horry as the one about hulls which I can find looks similar to my memory. Does anyone remember what I'm talking about, and could anyone help me find it? Dave

I saw the face book post and thought she was new, so I came on by to see more. I noticed the date and thought "how did I miss this when it was new?" Know what it is? i was probably a it buthurt that I wasn't mentioned even though there's clearly a lot of my influence in there (there's a rumor going around that i can be quite prideful ). Ego aside, though, what a great build! As a model, you have all the working elements represented and in good proportion. He hull shape is just about spot-on and her rigging is complete, detailed and, I bet, working. What about the foresail sheets bother's you, I wonder? As a schooner, she's sleek and trim predator of a thing, any prize-hunting jack would be happy to climb aboard and go find his fortune! if you're looking for notes at all: I might have moved the fore mast back a few studs to give more space for the forestay sail to not over lap the inner jib so much. That's a big change at this point, for not a whole lot of gain, though. Anyway, I'm glad you built her and thrilled you shared her. Thanks! Dave

Nice. I like hand-made customs. Old school. How ever did you get that hair piece down over the face print on Horrid Harry there, though? I've tried an ink jet, printer paper face with that exact hair and found that there just wasn't enough tolerance to not crush it. Cheers Dave

If I ever again find time to actually read print, and not just rely on audio, I might take you up on that. Yeah it's a stable enough format once you have it all together, but if she's not you baby... well ask @Phred about having to good-ol' Bumblebee show ready after the USPS delivered her via catapult for Brickworld

Hurray! What do I win? Yeah, I caught on to the show by accident, wound up watching a lot of it on Netflix, but lost interest shortly after things went down with Sid. I just don't like Bunty and Netflix lost the series now anyway. Good reference though. I like to use TV character names, some times, in my own universe. @Cousarmy0001 That's the same way it is on Bumblebee. I just covered it in a plate and tile combination, in a fashion not dissimilar to what I suggest. The difference, that I expect no one will emulate, is that; since Bumblebee's bow sprit isn't as ridged as Lady F's, the loop of string which makes the ring bolt for the bobstay doubled to fasten the bottom of the cutwater against the clip and rod assembly. Yeah, tiling the hull has improved the looks, but how may times did she "explode" on you while trying the get them set just right?

Fr. Browns romance novel writing companion

Vanity aside, I love her! I am pleased to see, what I put out there to be used, is being used. She's a very clean and refined version. I like a lot of the elements you have. The removeable lower hull is a nice touch. Now she can still be included in MOCs and dioramas or displayed in a classy way when not. A though: If you hang something like a 4263, perhaps with a tile on it, from the bow sprit, it would cover the clips and rod, making more of a prow like shape. It's be a simple mod if you like the idea. All in all, great build! Thanks for sharing and the credit. Dave

Ah-ha! Thank you. Those BrickArns ones might even be better, but they're both pretty neat

Where'd that saber come from? 🤨

Ah, ok. Cool. I figured it might be something structural at first, but then thought "He might know if a feature I don't. Wouldn't be a first. Might as well ask, might learn something..." So I did . My mind was working around, perhaps an iron hoop to start the muzzles to, or some kind of contrived gun sight. Maybe just something you saw on some obscure admiralty plans. Makes as much sense as anything. Any way, looking good so far. Cheers

Why the window frames in side the gun ports?

Thanks for not calling-out the misspelling so i could go back and edit as to look like less of a dope later . I imagine such a thing would really change boarding actions too. Don't gotta tell me about dragging projects out.

You mean for the likes of masts and spars? Dowel, from the craft store. Have a bunch from years ago, so I haven't even had to buy any yet, though that will change if I ever get to finishing anything. I know some other builders have tried more purest solutions, like stages of bars or flex tube, but found the wanting and troublesome as there's a certain trade-off in stability. But perhaps you mean something else and I'm just being dense. A puckle gun maybe?

I am always on, checking in to Facebook several times a day.

@Capt Wolf Thanks and you're most welcomed . On the other thing though: Bit off topic but we can expand the conversation to include other deck furniture, why not? Yeah the long and the short of it is, that I tried a lot of Lego parts, including the truncheon, but nothing quite worked how I needed it to. The hand turned ones are a throw back all the way to Ramcat. When I tore her down to build Reckless, I was on a dead line and wanted to keep part of her in the new version anyway, so I made the several more I was lacking for the new rig and kept her that way. After Ramcat I started working on 3D printed pins, that kind of worked out. The first run went on Nonesuch, but the second run didn't fit as well. I never yet ordered more, since Shapeways prices went up and it stopped being economical. As I need them again in the future I'll reach out find someone to trade a favor with, who can print them with more care.

I see a lot of builders still using the old panel of 4070 (headlight bricks) on their side, to cover hatch ways. It works, I suppose, but it's limiting and not quite the thing, honestly. There is a much simpler method that looks more realistic and opens up a lot of options for including other elements, that I've used for years now and wanted to share. I've seen a few pick-up on this, or something like it, but I don't think I've seen any one break it down yet. Keep in mind; this is not so much "look what I've done" as it is "Look what you can do!" While I invite you all to add to this list with your own innovations, I have to say: If you're only chiming in to "show me up" or "tell me off" you can go start your own thread, where you can sit atop your hill and be king all by yourself . What I'm offering here, obviously, is adapted, specifically to my own MOCs, as I took the images right off my various constructions on display in my office, in different states of completion. That doesn't mean that there aren't myriad ways to apply any of it to you're own builds. For instance, if you're not OK with gravity connections you can google methods for stud flipping and enjoy a feast of clever ideas. Let's quickly cover the terminology and then I'll get to showing you what I've got to offer. Those large holes in the deck which allow passage between levels are called hatch ways. Often, they can be covered with a hatch, which is a hinged or removable plank(s) that close them off. There can also be a number of different constructions, like skylights. Most commonly modeled, especially on men-o-war, are gratings which are a latticework of wooden bars which allow light and air to pass through, but still provide a platform so the deck space is not lost to the void. Around these hatch ways is a frame that called a coaming, which discourages water on the deck, from flowing through the hole to the deck below. These can also support such handy accessories as hand rails and shot garlands which are boards with carved depressions that hold cannon balls so they are ready and near by the guns. Ok, first, a really basic set, the likes of which I think you could work into most any kind of MOC. These are on Reckless and are made up mostly of 3005 on a plate(s) with a few 4070s and 87087s to hold tiles that make that coamings. These just plop down in the hatch way and rest on the frame below. Again, there are a number of ways you could flip studs to lock these in place, or prop them up the keep the removable, depending on your own build. This one is on the current iteration of Scorpion and is similar but needed to be tiles on the bottom so the coamings make up part of the structure. The all black looks neat in context, but makes it hard to see the detail of what parts were used, how. Tan or brown are definitely better and would look more realistic. These are on Snake, which I'm modeling on the historic HMS Snake. Here I changed up the coamings to include some 4865s and such which now act as shot garlands. You can also see how I used a combination of 4070s and 87087 to divide the forward hatch between a companion way and the open hatch, though which the chimney passes. The shot are actually air soft pellets I painted black. At 6mm they're a little over sized for a 3062b barrel, but what ever, they look neat. The little slip of card stock just props it up to be more level with the sloping deck. These are on a MOC I haven't revealed yet and go a step farther with alternative parts. The spacing of the deck precluded the usual tiles, so I used the 4856s as shot garlands again but to complete the coaming I slipped some rubber bands around each. They are Lego rubber bands but the shot are pin heads, I blacked with a Sharpie. So that's what I have so far, what have you got to offer? I know I'm not the only one to use this method, nor is it necessarily best, so let's make it a conversation. Add your clever solutions to the hive mind. Cheers! Dave P.S. Sorry for the dust and poor lighting. I had this idea and literally, just went around the room, snapping pictures with my phone where the ships lie as they are. There's definitely a dust problem down here

Here's a link which might be helpful (inkscape is on there). I use Illustrator, and at home print from there with no problem. When I want a really fine print I take my files to Staples. I give them PDFs and everything comes out high-rez and true to size. I get my sizing by, literally, measuring the bricks/minifig parts and making my own templates in Illustrator. Hope this helps. Dave