So, I've been looking at my BBB and my IF side-by-side, and it occurs to me that each is missing a few things the other has. I'm posting this to throw out some ideas and see what everybody thinks...

Bounty:

->Coffee-stirrer yardarms suck, so I'm gonna see about getting parts from Bricklink to build up real IF-style yardarms for the sails (reducing the yards by one axle-joiner on each side.)

->Forward gun positions are impossible to fire from with no deck behind, so I've built up a whole new foredeck from surplus Cannon Battle parts. (Pics later... I wanna see if I can build up both Original and Modded bow-sections in MLCAD to show the difference side-by-side first.)

->Towing that little boat is awkward, so the plank has been reinforced to pull double-duty as a launch rail.

Flagship:

->Needs a way to unload heavy cargo like field artillery without shore-based cranes. Solution: Add loading hoists like on BB.

->That other unused hawser begs for a second anchor to starboard.

->Needs MUCH more ammo available for the cannons. This is a freakin' WARSHIP, not a pleasure-cruiser or a merchie, fer cryin' out loud!

->Needs some small main-deck guns. Solution: build several like the cannon in the Brickmaster Pirate book. QUESTION 1: How Many? QUESTION 2: Add to Bounty also, and if so how many?

->Boat storage. Man-powered rowboats have short range, especially the "Harbor Sentry reboot"--they need either towing or on-deck. I'd assume leave one back at the dock as a "yard hack", or the Darwinian (fire that, and you'll experience "natural selection" firsthand) gunboat for port defense.

->(Considering) Reverse galley and brig, and install a pair of bow chasers after reinforcing the forecastle?

->(Considering) Soldier's Arsenal gear-racks in the spce between cannons?

Both:

->Swivel cannons for close-in work, mounted on the quarters. Solution: Advent Calendar-design mini-cannons. QUESTION: Just 4 each, or more on IF?

->Additional main-battery guns on both. Men-o'-war were by nature well-armed, after all... and thus pirates tried to be as well, even though their primary weapon was the combo of stealth on approach and aggression upon strike-decision.

So, how many small-bores do y'all think I should add to IF, and how many of each type of gun on each ship across-the-board?

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Now playing: John Williams - Raiders March

via FoxyTunes

Edited January 25, 201015 yr by Diamondback

Bounty:

->Forward gun positions are impossible to fire from with no deck behind, so I've built up a whole new foredeck from surplus Cannon Battle parts. (Pics later... I wanna see if I can build up both Original and Modded bow-sections in MLCAD to show the difference side-by-side first.)

I just got my BBB yesterday ! (I am a new AFOL) It's a beautiful ship but it certainly has room for improvement.

All your points are very valid. But I wanted to emphasize the lack of deck which was truly a bad design move from the creators of the set. The existence of those forward guns highlight the need for a deck even more. I even wonder if initially BBB was supposed to have a deck, but due to pricing/part count limitations they were forced to remove it and just left the two guns there.

I like your ideas, I would like to see a thread where everyone can post their MOD's to these two fine ships. I am planning to overhall my IFS soon. I will post some pics when I am done

Those all sound like good MOD ideas. I finally built my IFS. She is a very cool ship. Rather than MOD her I am going to use her parts for another custom ship.

I went to LEGOland in San Diego and bought the pieces to replace my stirrer stick booms and fix the Bounty to have awesome looking booms like the Imp Flagship and it makes a huge difference. It only cost a little more that $4 but lots of time to dig through the 12 or so buckets to find the pieces, 91 technic barrel connecters, about the same amount 2 stud technic bars and 4 stud bars. I do the shopping pass there ever 6 or so months. The have so many more elements to PAB that any of the stores. It does look much better. I promise to post pictures soon.

As much as I love the IF it seems like they planned to do things but never really did them, or left them to us to decide. For example the helm has two wheel hubs but only one wheel, so the side that faces forward looks a little odd. By simply adding another wheel I think it makes a big improvement like this:

Same with adding swivel guns, theres lots of places they look like they could logically go on the quarterdeck and forcastle but didnt include them like on BBB. I suppose this is to save cost, but its fun to add little things like this to make the ship seem more complete!

Dread Pirate Wesley

Status updates (all IF):

2 Soldier's Arsenal gear-racks modded and installed around midpoint crossbeam. (Now just need to find 8 more, and same with the ammo-boxes...)

Brig and Galley positions reversed, and new bow-chaser cannons installed with "mini gun decks" to facilitate access. (Loading 'em would be a neat trick though.)

Boat davits prototyped on starboard-forward and port-aft quarters, and aft of sterncastle.

Cellphone-pics tomorrow, if the office cooperates... (or I hit the point where I'm ready to tell 'em "take that foot outta my butt before I pry it out myself , take it off and feed it to you".)

DPW, I think that huge housing is designed to imply the presence of steering-gear not actually modeled. Be glad they provided a wheel... I've seen diagrams of 80' Spanish treasure-galleons where the helmsman had to reef on a tiller arm with everything he had to try and steer the ship.

Trivial note, a medium- to low-large-size galleon was actually smaller in top-view area than a WWII PT boat. It's like an even more pronounced version of how we with our F-22s and other metal-and-plastic monsters look at the stick-and-string WWI aircraft and say "People went to war in THAT?!"... which also means this big beast, if undergunned, is pretty close to the right space-footprint to be a scale 1600s-1700s man-o'-war.

Another thing I note a problem with from mine...the captains cabin where it attaches on the BBB is annoying loose, falls off instantly with how they supply attaching it, thinking of taking mien apart and just making a new ship, lol

Fires-storm, you can add two more studs under the stern at the far rear to have a little more connection. On mine I changed a lot around and ended up adding a longer inverted slope so the underneath has longer support in the rear and more studs for connection. Are we talking about breeding horses now? Sorry.

anyway here are some Booms like the Imp has but in black.

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/brithead...II/100_5173.jpg

and

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/brithead...II/100_5174.jpg

and

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/brithead...II/100_5170.jpg

I believe these are deeplinks otherwise they will be available tomorrow.

Edited January 27, 201015 yr by Blackheart Brit

Another thing I note a problem with from mine...the captains cabin where it attaches on the BBB is annoying loose, falls off instantly with how they supply attaching it, thinking of taking mien apart and just making a new ship, lol

Blackheart Brit's suggestion sounds like the way to go to really reinforce the BBB.

However, I wanna point out that initially I had the same problem as you, Firestorm.

I fixed it by just pressing a little harder on the center on the cabin. If you look at your BBB (or the manual) you'll notice that the cabin rests on top of a hull piece as well as a pair of 2x1 tiles and a pair of 1x1 round plates.

Since the latter two pairs of parts are raised compared to the hull, when you first attach the cabin they somewhat keep the bottom of the cabin from attaching to the hull studs. You just need to apply a little pressure over the right spot to make it happen though.

If that doesn't help, a little reinforcement should do it.

Alright, thats actually what I ended up doing before reading this, because I was tired of trying to press it and it popping apart But thanks for the tips!

Blackheart Brit--

I Bricklink'd the parts to booms like yours yesterday, right before I found this thread! I've also been looking for another BBB on discount to mod...well, something along the lines of what you've done! Thanks for posting the pics, it looks great!

One thing that really bothers me with both the Imperial Flagship and the Brickbeards Bounty and just about every other big pirate ship from Lego is how high the quarter deck is to the main deck. The quarter deck should be lowerd and the main deck raised. If that was done the ship would look a lot better. Also I would have used a different color for the ammunician crates and the windows. The white color just clashes with the dark brown.

Some pics:

IF Center Crossbeam Equipment Rack:

If it looks familiar, it should--8396 Soldier's Arsenal, lightly-modded to lock in top and bottom

IF Bow Chasers and Relocated Galley:

The removed hull-bricks were used to build a gangway back to the new stern lifeboat--these cannons' carriages are assumed to be now an integral part of the hull-structure, as they're a fixed battery

Bounty's Boat:

BB Relocated Flag:

If you were a pirate, would YOU wanna advertise it until you were right on top of your prey? I think not... besides, the late-1500s on saw a gradual move to stern-mounted flagstaffs.

More pics later, as I have a chance to upload 'em off my cellphone. If you have something you'd like a better view of, ask and I'll see what I can do. Phot gallery at http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l119/Dia...02K9%20Pirates/ .

Edited January 29, 201015 yr by Diamondback

I like the cannons up on the bow. Looking good!

Thanks, Doc--they overlap on the side clips, connected to the hull by a single stud each and to each other by a 1.5L Bar w/Clip like the one pinning the anchor and chain together.

Guess I'm gonna have to order a bunch of those and muskets for 'em to hold to give BB and IF an antipersonnel battery... of course, additional deck guns mean rethinking the boat-racks too.

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Now playing: John Williams - Desert Chase

via FoxyTunes

Yeah, the bow chasers are in a great place. I never would have thought of there, and it was probably fairly simple to do. I imagine you can even cover them up if you wanted to.

Actually, BHB, the hardest part was getting everything to stay put as I reassembled the bow around them. Concealed weaponry? Not quite as I've done 'em here, but an inventive sort could probably evolve the MOD further and make it work. Personally, I like the effect where you see this ship approaching and it's like two huge black eyes of Death staring at you... but that's just me.

You could also do what I did to my Imperial Flagship; by doubling the size and integrating the cabin into the hull you could build a frigate. I like the bow chasers. They are so cool. I would also like to see someone put a pair of cannons on the stern right around where the headlamps are.

BG, I actually have a 39-gun "Maximum Gunship" concept in MLCAD which adds a complete stem-to-stern second gun deck including three stern-chasers. The extreme ends need some work, and I'm burned out on it, so if anybody wants it I'd be glad to email 'em the .LDR file, which includes a stock IFS and my own "HMS Sawfish" (which I actually am in the process of converting, as parts come in) for reference.

Basically, the MG knocks every hole possible in the hull for gunports, taking Sawfish's pair of bow-chasers, adding two more in the lower-deck on each side (new total 12 on the lower deck), a ten-gun Forward Gun Deck, a 12-gun Aft Gun Deck and the triple-pack of stern-chasers. And then the existing IFS upper decks just drop on top, aside from eliminating the arced "fairings" behind the forecastle. (Those aren't modeled, you'll have to build your own if you snag the file; due to limited parts rendered--the new bow/stern base and "wall" aren't available in LDraw yet--I haven't done anything on the lower deck past the galley and brig bulkheads.)