WIP Fort Monck

[Commodore Hornbricker]

Post 25 on second page contains an Update on August 31, 2009

Post 38 on third page contains update on January 6, 2010

Well since I have been talking about it for a while, I thought I'd give you a glimps of what I am working on as it will most likely be some time and many changes later before it is done. Fort Monk sits on 15 48x48 plates. This will give you some idea where I am headed. It will be home to 40 guns and hundreds of Redcoats.

Edited January 6, 2010 by Commodore Hornbricker

[Rick]

There are quite some forts being built lately. Yours* looks huge and very promising. You have some seriously yellowed bricks there, which I am not a fan of, but it sure makes it look more realistic.

* 'Fort' that is.

[frontbeast]

thats huge, how do you start, by drawing and or figuring out what you need. ive been trying, but cant figure out what to buy. and where to start with large models. it looks really awesome

[Commodore Hornbricker]

I knew the main elements I wanted to build would each be on one 48x48 plate. Those being the four corner batteries with sloped walls. I knew I wanted to use the technique from Fort Branco to build the sloped walls. I knew I wanted the walls in between the batteries to be made from 2x2 bricks. I did a few sketches to get a rough idea of the overall layout. Originally I thought it would be on 9 plates (making it square) but once I started I realized I wasn't going to be able to include everything I wanted so I expanded it to 15 and made it rectangular. Basically I knew early on I was going to needs thousands of 1x2 and 2x2 and 2x3 in white. I took me several months of dwelling on the idea before I began to actually build.

The yellower the better when it comes to building old pirate building with white bricks...In my opinion.

[frontbeast]

okay, thanks, ill just have to youse my head then, and start drawing.

[Joey Lock]

Very Nice Fort mate!

I visited Chatham Dockyard (Were the HMS Victory was built) today and I also visited Fort Amherst today which used sloped walls such as yourself, good thing is that we mate a man called Ben and he gave us a special tour, just me and my dad around the fort, in the tunnels and everything. Are you planning on making angled cannon ports like they had:

Or these:

I am actually going to start a Minifigure sized Fort Amherst. Which I could auction to raise money for the Fort.

[Brickvergnugen]

Gotta love the decaying white for things like this.

Is the open middle perhaps being left as a 'parade grounds' for marching the redcoats up and down the square? (a Monty Python sketch just came to mind)

[Lt. Col. Thok]

Excellently done! I cannot wait to see the finished product!

Now, is this a colonial fort or a "motherland"(for lack of a better word) fort? Cause I can get you some great pics of colonial forts if you want.

[Captain Blackmoor]

Awesome epicly big thus far Commodore! I'm curious how this nice fort will turn out.

There are a lot of bricks on that table.

I think a trip to a fortress like Joey did is a very nice source of inspiration. I hope you had a nice day Joey.

I wish you all the best with the fort Commodore, and might her progress be smooth.

[Commodore Hornbricker]

Are you planning on making angled cannon ports like they had:

Yes the walls will be angled in at the guns. The battlements futherthest away in the photo are already done that way but they are hard to see from that far.

Is the open middle perhaps being left as a 'parade grounds' for marching the redcoats up and down the square?

Funny...But yes there will be large open area in the center for the troops to muster. Not nearly as open as it is now as most of the interior walls aren't in yet. The straight walls will all have battlements as well so they'll come in 10-12 studs when completed. There will be stables. A roomy prison (think Horatio Hornblower the Dutchess and the Devil). A few more buildings. Finished barracks. A magazine, storeroom, mess hall, and of course my office and quarters which will come last.

Excellently done! I cannot wait to see the finished product!

Now, is this a colonial fort or a "motherland"(for lack of a better word) fort? Cause I can get you some great pics of colonial forts if you want.

That would be great. It is a caribbean fort.

[Derfel Cadarn]

Thats one big project u have embarked on. Its deffinitly going to be the mightiest fort aound. Makes me realise just how big your whole port is going to be, truely epic. I have to agree that faded white looks so much better for that detailed weathered look. Good luck with the rest of the build and remember to spend a bit of time on the details, cause i know how easy it is to rush final stages when you want to hurry up and get it posted. Keep up the good work!

[Lt. Col. Thok]

That would be great. It is a caribbean fort.

Hmmm...Have you considered the exact location of this fort? (beach, hillsude, etc.)

[Paul cantu]

This is a monster fort! People use awesome a lot but this truely is awesome! I can't wait until all the buildings and interior are put in. I really like the yellowed white it looks great in this huge fort. When you get your whole port completed where are you going to put it? Now I am inspired to add more interior in my fort.

[Joey Lock]

Hmmm...Have you considered the exact location of this fort? (beach, hillsude, etc.)

I believe it would be Hillside fort above a town. It just looks more like a defense fort of a port or town, rather than a Control fort (To keep the island).

[Norro]

Scale credit! Looks like a massive project, and a grim one for any pirates out there...

God Bless and looking forward to more,

Nathan

[Joey Lock]

Scale credit! Looks like a massive project, and a grim one for any pirates out there...

God Bless and looking forward to more,

Nathan

More Grim for Bluecoats!

[General Armendariz]

Very nice Commodore! I will follow this topic until its finished

[Ratshot]

You have done a great job on this Mr.Hornbricker.Im clearly looking forward to the finnished result.

Edited August 14, 2009 by Ratshot

[Commander Flash]

That is a marvelous fort

Although I don't have any Blue/Red Coat allegiance, that will sure help your cause

[Kaptein Rob]

fifteen 48 plates... that's just epic

keep on the good work!

[Edgehead]

This is huge!!!!!!!!!! I dont want to even begin to imagine the cost involved once its finished. Taking on such a huge project show great dedication and i cant wait to see the finished product.

Just a question, how do u get the yellowed finish on the white bricks? Do you have a technique you use to "weather" them or do you just buy craploads of bricks and hope that they arrive in various states of wear and tear?

[martinsuper]

Ok, I don't understand why you said my port is so huge when your fort is about as big as my whole port up until now?

-Super

[Commodore Hornbricker]

This is huge!!!!!!!!!! I dont want to even begin to imagine the cost involved once its finished.

Just a question, how do u get the yellowed finish on the white bricks? Do you have a technique you use to "weather" them or do you just buy craploads of bricks and hope that they arrive in various states of wear and tear?

I don't want to imagin the cost either!

I have found when you buy big orders of white bricks from BL you can be sure that you will get plenty of yellowed, chewed on narled white bricks in your order. Some folks go to great lengths to clean up their bricks to make them look new again. I love a little distress in my white, especially when you use a lot of white together. It provides some contrast and realism especially for a caribbean setting of the pirate age. Finally I have been known to chew a brick and hack a brick a little when needed and to leave them outside in the dirt and sun for a few weeks!

Ok, I don't understand why you said my port is so huge when your fort is about as big as my whole port up until now?

-Super

Well your port is huge. Mine is massive My plan is to have the port on three 4'x8' sheets of plywood and then have a forth that is painted blue (like you did) that I can pull out just when I want to take photo's of ships and such. I'll save my blue plates for inland water ways. I had planned to have some docks as you do (not nearly as big) that I can set on the water but then put away in a box so as to save on room. It will take up half my garage when it is finished. But I hope to be working on the port for the rest of my days!

[Hound Knight]

F-f-f-f-f-fifteen baseplates? You have waaaaay to much LEGO and skill Commodore. It looks marvelous, I too will be following this topic.

[Commodore Hornbricker]

Here is my rough draft on the fort's citadel/gatehouse. It is rather large and I am happy with the overall design but I just don't like the red edging pattern so I am going to remove that. It just looks to busy to me.

The first photo shows the front view, the second shows the rear which overlooks the center of the fort. The next is a shot of the roofs (almost completed). Finally a side view. The roofs come off and the citadel is modular so each floor can be pulled off to get at the inside (which is quite large).

Lots of details to be added yet and I have to fix the red issue. If you look at the previous photos you'll notice the gap on the left side /middle. That is where the Cidael sits (you'd be seeing it from the side view in those first photos - had it been there). The rest of the fort has made great strides, infact the rough build is nearly complete. The details and interiors will take a lot of time just because of the size but my next post should show you what the fort really looks like in its final layout.

Let me know what you think so far!