Converting the Mega Bloks Predator - WIP

[Astor]

I've had one of these 'Predators' (or whatever they're being called now) on my desk for about two months now, waiting to be started on, and seeing as our group will be starting our LOTOHS game any time now, I figured it was about time I got my backside into gear. Although we won't be using this in games for a while, it'll make a great centrepiece in a port scene.

So, i've stripped the pegs from the rear and a few other places and have just started to make templates for the plastic card decks I plan to use (in a similar way to uti's 'Stygian Swine'). This is proving rather difficult, but hopefully i'm not too far off of a solution. I've decided that i'm not going to try and keep the hold doors visible, so I can make full use of the deck that will eventually cover the lego-y bits. I've also decided to close off the cabin - which can be seen below.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/Craig_Bean05/leeuw_cabin.jpg

I've seen it mentioned around here that a ship this size really needs at least another mast, and I definitely agree with that - it looks too bare with only one. My plan is to remove the cannon mount at the front of the ship, and use the upper part of the mast (which would ordinarily go on top of the crow's nest) there, and move the main mast back a little to stop the front of the ship looking too crowded, and to make it easier to move miniatures about without knocking either mast.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/Craig_Bean05/leeuw_two_masts.jpg

As you can see, this is still in the really early stages, but it's more than i've done in the two months since buying it. 

If anyone has any experience with converting this type of toy, or general advice, it'd be most welcome.

Also, I hope this is the right place for this. 

[richarDISNEY]

Looking great so far! 
How do you plan on filling in the holes from the Lego knobs??

[Astor]

I had thought about filling in the holes (at least the ones on the decks), but i'm not going to, as I'm not confident that I could fill them in and keep it looking like a deck, so the aft deck will be covered by plasticard like the rest of the ship.

And i've finally, after more than an hour of messing about with it, managed to make a template for the main deck.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/Craig_Bean05/leeuw_main_deck.jpg

[Ray Rivers]

Ohhh...

That looks quite nice.

What was your technique for clipping off the pegs?

[Astor]

Just a good pair of clippers and a spare half hour - I'd thought it would have been difficult, but it proved to be the most hasslefree phase so far.

As i'm getting ever closer to placing a proper deck, does anyone have any ideas what I should use for the deck? I had thought about using plank-effect plasticard, but this is the first time i've attempted anything like this, so i'm not sure if there would be anything better out there.

[richarDISNEY]

Yea...  The plank deck plasticard is yer best bet.  Its easy and quick.  Just cut it and glue it in.

Unless you want to do some work.  You can lay a 'underdecking' and then go buy some "O" or "HO" scale boards from a train shop and lay/glue each individual board down.   This will give you a better look, as all of the boards are of a different length, not looking like something that was made by a machine.

OR....  You could do the plasticard decking sheet, and make lateral cuts in random places to make it look like individual boards...

Either way, it should look great.

[Astor]

I had thought about laying the deck with individual pieces, but I'm not that confident in my skills to attempt that yet (although I do still have a Playmobil 'Pirate Dinghy' that is awaiting conversion, so that might end up being a guinea pig for that technique), so I think plank effect plasticard is looking like the best option - as soon as Antenociti's Workshop gets some in stock i'll order a few sheets (as well as some plain plasticard for miscellaneous bits) and then work can begin properly. I had looked on other sites for it, but the postage was more than the sheets!

I was also looking for some extra decorations, which led me to Cornwall Model boats, which have a huge selection of cast metal ornaments for scale ships, so I ordered some of their cannon (40mm with carriage) and decorations to really make her stand out when she's finished.

I just hope those cannon are the right size...

[warrenpeace]

Sinewgrab converted four of those Mega Bloks ships for me (in exchange for a lot of Bronze Age Miniatures).  Because he was doing that in a tight time block with all four models available he was able to swap some masts around.  He reduced the Black Pearl and Empress Junk to only two masts, because three seemed like too many for ships of that length and because I wanted area for fighting melees on deck.  He used one of the masts from the Empress Junk as a second mast on the Stormstalker, because it really needed a second mast, and having the second mast the same thickness really does help the looks. (Not entirely successful result for the Empress though, as having three sails did balance the original model's looks, at the expense of deck space for fighting.)

Sinewgrab also cut out that wacky revolving cylinder in the bow of the Stormstalker, which helped get a little more deck space. (The cylinder will probably show up in one of his VSF projects.) An alternative that I was considering was to build a fore castle over that revolving cylinder using foamcore and/or basswood, but that would have required a bit more work.

Sinewgrab extended the after cabin at my request, because it didn't look right to have those two windows looking out from the deck instead of from an enclosed cabin.  He cut a piece of wood or foamcore to use as a forward bulkhead, and he extended the deck of the stern castle to cover it. This extended deck is removable, and it's decked inside, so there's enough space to fight inside. I'll just have to make some furnishings for the captain's cabin.

[warrenpeace]

Forgot to mention that Sinewgrab used both grooved basswood and grooved plastic styrene sheets for decking, and it came out great.  The plastic is slightly cheaper, and can be given some grain and texture by scrapping it a bit with a piece of sandpaper.  The advantage of the basswood (called something different on your side of the pond - see thread under Workbench) is that it could be used unpainted because it's the perfect color and already has beautiful grain and texture.  Sinewgrab painted the decks on my ships because he thinks the wood needs to be protected under paint and floor wax.  Some paint in a couple of shades, a wash, and the floor wax do produce a nice look.  But when I scratchbuild or convert some other ships myself, I intend to use the grooved basswood without paint or coating.  The grooved basswood is available from ship model supply specialists.

The sails that came with the Stormstalker were pretty good, but adding a second tall mast required more sails, and changed the angle on the jib sail, had to go buy some cheap linen cloth in various light brown shades to make a whole new set of sails.

By the way, I think the deck on the Playmobile pirate dingy looks pretty good as is.  However, I suppose one could add decking to give it a flush deck.

[Astor]

Thanks for the information, warren.

I've been looking at the cabin, and you're right, it doesn't look right with two 'false' windows, so i've started to work on extending it - which has made me realise that the aft deck then has almost double the space it would have had originally. - which means I can mount extra guns there as well.

I've been thinking about creating a forecastle myself, And i'm going to make mock-up to see whether it looks alright - but it would certainly make it look more realistic (i'm aiming for a mix of realism and fantasy).

I've finally managed to order the plastic sheets, so hopefully by the weekend i'll be able to start construction properly.

 

[Astor]

Apologies for the double post, but i've managed to mock up a forecastle and extended cabin. Apologies for the picture quality -



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/Craig_Bean05/leeuw_fore_3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/Craig_Bean05/leeuw_fore_4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v734/Craig_Bean05/leeuw_fore_5.jpg

[Ray Rivers]

Coming along very nicely.

Looking forward to further progress!

[warrenpeace]

Fabulous, Astor!  That fore castle looks excellent!  And your extended stern castle is just right also.

Another tip: if you don't want to mess with cutting the bumps off that ladder, you might be able to find plastic stairs at a hobby store that specializes in model trains.  A long piece of that would provide bump free ladders for more than one ship, and for multiple ladders on each ship.  It gives a balanced look to have one on either side of the deck, and also provides a second path for melee action.  Your hero would have to pick which ladder to defend or attack.  And you could use one up to the fore castle.  You can get sizes that would allow your bases to fit into the ladder.

If you use both grates it will cut into your melee area, or block placement of a central ladder to the fore castle (ladders on the sides would block placement of cannon).  I think the grates look better if placed on a shallow rectangular box, rather than level with the deck.

[Astor]

Thanks warren, on your advice i've ordered some ship's ladders/stairs (two for the stern, and one for the forecastle) which should be arriving any day now (along with some windows for the front part of the cabin). And those cannon I was worried about because of their size are not only perfect, but beautiful, even if the wooden carriages were a pain to glue together. 

I've managed to make both the main and poop decks with the plasticard i'd ordered, although the construction of the forecastle has been stalled because I ordered the wrong thickness (far too thin), but it's already starting to look a lot better - less and less like a toy, which must mean i'm doing something right.



If only I could master photography!

[warrenpeace]

Comment on deck color:  This is purely a matter of aethetics and choice.  My personal preference is for light tan or grayish tan decks.  This is based on the practice on sailing ships of holystoning (sanding) the decks to keep them clean and prevent splinters, and also on being on the Lynx and Endeavor, modern replicas of 18th Century ships.  Modern sailing yachts with wooden decks often seem to have darker decks, perhaps varnished teak or other dark tropical wood.

Sinewgrab doesn't agree with me on this, and when he painted up my version of the ship you are doing he initially painted the decks as virtually a match with the color of the sides.  If you look at movies such as the Pirates of the Carribean series, you'll often see darker decks.  I even saw darker decks in a movie that was authentic looking about a long sea voyage in the late 1700's.  The decks looked dark when they were wet and in dim light.  During the bright dry days in the tropics the decks looked lighter on the same ship.  The decks on the Victory in Portsmouth also look dark, but I wonder whether those are painted or oiled in some way to preserve them on a museum ship.

I personally like the contrast between a dark hull and light decks.  Others may like the ship all one color.  If you do lighten yours, you could start with a dark brown or dark gray wash (to fill the seams), then drybrush with light grayish tan, and finish up with some floorwax or something to preserve the paint.