Lead Adventure Forum
Other Stuff => Workbench => Topic started by: Sinewgrab on January 24, 2010, 11:56:38 PM
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In the Swashbuckling thread, a gentleman is doing a Megabloks Predator, and that reminded me that I should share the fact that I am working on 3 megabloks ships myself right now - the ones I built the colonial gunship in trade for.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_25_01_10_12_46_52.jpg)
We have, left to right, the Flying Dutchman, the Black Pearl, and the Dread Eye Phantom
2 of the 3 I have done before, for Warrenbruhn, but I was lazy and did not take photos of anything. Having done these before, these went a bit quicker, as I knew where I would want to make cuts, and add subdecking to hold up spots. I decided against any sort of entry into the hold, as the cages were a pain to build, and to me, add very little to the gaming experience for which they would be used. It just was more work (to me) then it was worth. I will probably add some form of grill to the deck, but I didn't feel a need to have them open to the hold.
The exception, of course, is the Dread Eye. it has holes in the sides where the massively oversized cannon fired through, and rather than close them off, I left the top grills in place, and will let them be openable.
I plan on doing closeups of the decks and such when I work on each one. For now, though, I am just finishing the prep work. Nubs have been cut off, decks have been installed, and now I am just waiting for my bank account to allow me to get either basswood or styrene decking to finish them off with before painting.
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Mega-Blocks? Wow - I like those.
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Nice. I always see those in stores, and think "Somebody could work one of them up into a great gaming ship".
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Take a look at this thread, then, and see someone doing far more than I will, as I am too lazy to go through that much effort.
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=15285.0;topicseen
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And progress is made! Here, we have the subdecking built and all the nubs cut off.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_26_01_10_1_41_22_4.JPG)
And we add in all the decking...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_26_01_10_1_41_22_2.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_26_01_10_1_41_22_1.JPG)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_26_01_10_1_41_22_0.JPG)
And she is ready for paint! Well, okay, she will be once I get a ship's wheel to put on her. My local hobby store was out of them. Again.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_26_01_10_1_41_22_3.JPG)
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I am sure this will be an inspiration to many. Kudos!
(it looks really nice so far!)
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I have two 16mm metal ships wheels, and one 14mm metal wheel stand. You could either buy them from me at the Sudan game this coming Saturday, or trade a little more work for them in the form of installing and painting a flat waist deck on the Black Pearl you previously completed for me. I've got a piece of plastic styrene and a bit of foam core that would make that work. Not sure it would be worth it to you just for those ship's wheels, though, as all three metal bits only cost $5.50 total. That's not even an hour's minimum wage in our state anymore. But $5.50 would buy lunch...
Do you still have the three photos of the completed Flying Dutchman that you took on your back porch in the summer sunlight? You could post those. If you don't have them anymore, I'll email you the copies of the photos that you previously sent to me, so that you can post them here.
Really looking forward to seeing that Dread Eye's Phantom up close. That is the ship that was the original inspiration for me to collect Mega Bloks ships. I saw that one assembled in a display case at Toys-R-Us a few years ago around Christmas time. Should have bought it then, because I've never seen another one since. The Moonlight Miniatures skeletal ship wheel with skeletal helmsman would be perfect for the Dread Eye's Phantom.
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I may have the ships done by the end of the week, so I'll bring them with me if I do. I may take you up that - the only wheels at Tammies were the much larger scale ones...
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Wow, they look really great! and thanks for the extra publicity for my own conversion. ;)
I never realised how big the Dread Eye was until seeing it compared to those other two - it's HUGE! Although, it's a little too much fantasy for my own tastes - Although the Black Pearl is certainly a beautiful ship, especially with those figures and lanterns on the stern, and it certainly looks bigger than Mega Bloks' generic 'Pyrates' range (so maybe it's a good thing I didn't get the Pearl after all).
I can't wait to see the next steps!
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I never realised how big the Dread Eye was until seeing it compared to those other two - it's HUGE! Although, it's a little too much fantasy for my own tastes - Although the Black Pearl is certainly a beautiful ship, especially with those figures and lanterns on the stern, and it certainly looks bigger than Mega Bloks' generic 'Pyrates' range (so maybe it's a good thing I didn't get the Pearl after all).
I can't wait to see the next steps!
Actually, I can tell you that the Pearl is somewhat shorter than the Stormstalker, which is the same base ship as the Predator, with a different paint scheme and figurehead, but also a bit taller. The Dread Eye is huge in comparison, and will hold many many undead or demonic pirates.
And I linked to your thread because you are doing things with the ship that I frankly will not, because I tend to look at things like these as terrain, and I have always had an attitude of gameplay before realism. I dropped the Pearl and the Dutchman to two masts each, because otherwise the damned things are in the way when you are playing...and that's just how I roll.
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Actually, I can tell you that the Pearl is somewhat shorter than the Stormstalker
It must be the height of the Pearl that makes it looks so large, then, as it certainly looks a little taller than the Pyrates range of ships.
And I linked to your thread because you are doing things with the ship that I frankly will not, because I tend to look at things like these as terrain, and I have always had an attitude of gameplay before realism. I dropped the Pearl and the Dutchman to two masts each, because otherwise the damned things are in the way when you are playing...and that's just how I roll.
I imagine that I wouldn't have done as much to my one ship if i'd been working on three at the same time (and I almost ended up with three for the price they were going for). I'm with you on the gameplay before realism thing - I think i've managed a fair balance with my own - although some of the choices I made were to cover up the more problematic areas of the ship (like the large barrel at the front). And I fully agree with you regarding the masts - three would not only hinder gamplay, as you say, and I think it'd look far too crowded once there miniatures and guns aboard.
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Well, the Pearl is done, and now I move onto the Dutchman, and then the Dread Eye Phantom.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_4_05_08_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_4_05_08_1.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_4_05_08_2.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_4_05_08_3.jpg)
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Very cool - how about some figures to show size comparison?
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Very cool - how about some figures to show size comparison?
Oh, for crying out loud...you people. It's all me me me, can I have this, can I have that....
;)
From left to right: Reaper Pirate Bathalion (sp?), Warhammer, Foundry, Black Cat Bases, Reaper, Warmachine
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_8_08_46_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_8_08_46_1.jpg)
And on the Crow's Nest, the Mind Flayer screams...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_02_02_10_8_08_47_2.jpg)
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:-*
Very cool!
How many ships do you all put together to play a game?
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:-*
Very cool!
How many ships do you all put together to play a game?
None, so far. I haven't actually run a Pirate game yet. I am considering, due to the look of the Phantom and Dutchman, of taking the time and effort to go "piratize" my Vampire Count army for Warhammer...
Once I have the masts added to my scratchbuilt steam Pirate ship, I will have the 3 Megabloks ships, a scratchbuilt Orc Pirate Heavy Cruiser, and a Steampunk Pirate all available, as well as access to Warrenbruhn's 3 Megabloks ships I did for him, and a 70-odd model Empire Pirate army to man them...
Woot! :D
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And now, minus only the ship's wheel, the Flying Dutchman. I am waiting on the wheel due to two issues - 1) I don't have one the size I want, and the hobby shop is out of them and having issues with their supplier, and 2) I may want to use a more fantastical one than a standard wheel. I certainly will for the Phantom.
I put the same figures on for size, so that you guys will quit whining... :D
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_12_25_45_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_12_25_45_1.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_12_25_45_2.jpg)
And the crows nests really are too small, but they look good, so figures will just have to balance...
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_12_25_45_3.jpg)
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Sinewgrab, I hope you aren't totally done with that Black Pearl. My brother suggested that the name be changed to "The Black Squirrel." I'm sure a squirrel figurehead could be found! ;)
Hey! You lost count! You modified 4 Mega Bloks ships for me, not 3. Give yourself more credit...
I've also got two Playmobil ships put together besides those 4 Mega Blocks that you built, and the Playmobil dinghy would go together in a snap, literally...
Why haven't we played pirates? Well, there was a guy in our group who has maybe 120 to 150 Foundry pirates painted up, but he quit playing with us eight months ago. Probably my fault,... :(
Another reason is that I've only painted up maybe 9 pirate figures. The plan is to paint about 150 Euro pirates from Foundry, 100 Zanzibari & Baluchi pirates from Foundry with a few Reaper Arab figures as leaders, 60 Chinese, a mix of Foundry and Pulp Figures, and 80 skeletal and undead pirates from Old Glory, Reaper, and Moonlight Minis. Real life and pathological procrastination get in the way...
Note: Sinewgrab built the Mega Blocks for me using much higher main decks, at my request, not the deep well decks that you see on his own versions.
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Sinewgrab, I hope you aren't totally done with that Black Pearl. My brother suggested that the name be changed to "The Black Squirrel." I'm sure a squirrel figurehead could be found! ;)
Hey! You lost count! You modified 4 Mega Bloks ships for me, not 3. Give yourself more credit...
Huh? No, I think I am done with the Pearl. I don't really see anything else I need to do to her right now - I may change my mind in the future, but at the moment, she's done.
And 4? Hmm...Pearl, FD, Junk...oh, right, the Stormstalker. I forgot that one. I think we should try and get a large block of time in April and do a pirate game...
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Are you going to give them rigging?
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If you guys would bring them up for Enfalade in May, I can provide 180 Euro pirate crew & many more Chinese. I even have some Moro/Indonisians.
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Are you going to give them rigging?
No. As I had brought up earlier in this thread, I feel that these need to be usable terrain, and rigging, while it adds to the look, does absolutely nothing but cause trouble for hamfisted gamers (such as myself) attempting to move minis on the deck. So, no rigging.
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If you guys would bring them up for Enfalade in May, I can provide 180 Euro pirate crew & many more Chinese. I even have some Moro/Indonisians.
I had never even considered trying to do something at Enfilade...it is a bit too close and I am a bit too poor to make that a very viable plan - although if someone else has something set up, I'd probably be willing to add them to the pot.
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And the final craft, Dread Eye's Phantom. This one took abit more work, and isn't quite as clean as the other decks, as I decided to muddle my way through with the dregs of the styrene decking I had left from the others. Some people may not taht I left the deck underneath the poop in the orginal form - there is a hole in the center that is for throwing prisoners into that causes the ship to glow, and it was far too complicated to cut a piece to fit the little skeletons around it, so I just plugged those holes and painted it to match the rest of the deck. It actually was textured well enough to look better, I think...
The same figures are on the deck to give you scale.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_6_17_11_0.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_6_17_11_1.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_6_17_11_2.jpg)
Ooo, pretty!
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_6_17_11_3.jpg)
And we have the same problem that we have with Dutchman - a very cool looking Crow's Nest that is too small for the figure bases. Oh well.
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/5/1352_03_02_10_6_17_11_4.jpg)
And, voila! We are done...for now at least.
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8) Very cool work Sinewgrab. Thanks for sharing.
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HerbyF, have been at Enfilade the last six years. Not sure I can make it this year. Must devote more effort to business/work. If I do decide to go I assume I could contact you via the NHMGS Yahoo Group about a big pirate game. Definately have the ships available. But 2011 might be a better year to do something with them. I won't forget that you and others up north have the figures painted.
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8) Very cool work Sinewgrab. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the props. If nothing else, I figure this should get some other people on board for converting ships.
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Thank you for the props. If nothing else, I figure this should get some other people on board for converting ships.
Props? Am not sure what you mean, sir! ??? Thanks are always appreciated but I suspect another LAFer, rather than me, is deserving of this. :)
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2011 would be good for me too. I might get some of my ships done by then. Right now I only have a couple of small 4 gunners & a bunch of rowboats. I do have several ships including a couple of junks that are all still W.I.P.s. PM me or let me know if you plan a big pirate game there in Portland. I might be able to come down.
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Props? Am not sure what you mean, sir! ??? Thanks are always appreciated but I suspect another LAFer, rather than me, is deserving of this. :)
Sorry, american english slang...as per the Urban Dictionary:
PROPS: short for proper respect.
So as you can see, I meant you. ;)
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2011 would be good for me too. I might get some of my ships done by then. Right now I only have a couple of small 4 gunners & a bunch of rowboats. I do have several ships including a couple of junks that are all still W.I.P.s. PM me or let me know if you plan a big pirate game there in Portland. I might be able to come down.
We'll do that.
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Sorry, american english slang...as per the Urban Dictionary:
PROPS: short for proper respect.
lol I need to spend more time getting down with the young folks (though that would terrify my teenage daughters!)
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Getting down with the young folks- :o Pervert! lol
love the ships though.