Black Pearl 1:50 ZHL All-Scenario version

No Ken....said it was shipped last week! I think it was an EBay scammer for the price. Will have to get my money back from EBay and reorder from someone different! Several for under $25. Did you look up the factual Netflix documentary “The Lost Pirate Kingdom”?
I looked it up..... I found that the black sails was a little more authentic and didnt want to spend the $. I'm a bit of a cheap bastard.
 
No Ken....said it was shipped last week! I think it was an EBay scammer for the price. Will have to get my money back from EBay and reorder from someone different! Several for under $25. Did you look up the factual Netflix documentary “The Lost Pirate Kingdom”?
I am on the second season of Black Sails, good show. I am also going to watch The Lost Pirate Kingdom. Pirate Latitudes is a good read for people who like pirate lore.

Larry
 
The lights really complement the internal decorations and add to the atmosphere you're settling a high standard in build quality.
Thanks Tony! I guess what I find most confusing is how each part of the ship is supposed to line up....As a 1st time builder, I’m not really knowledgeable of the nomenclature and designs of how a ship is suppose to look. Like right now, I spent 3 hours playing around designing a cannon that no one will really see! Ha! At that rate, it would take me three days to finish them....so I justify that by saying, “What the hell, why not?” So much for the anal design with my lights, why not? Since the Pearl is a fictional ship, we can leave a lot to our imagination and justify by saying Captain’s choice...LOL!
 
Captain's Log ~~~April 16, 2021
Build time today: 4 hours
Total build time: 58 hours

Construction for the Black Pearl (All-Scenario version)

Build guidelines:
Steps 78-92

Secure the following parts.
Parts 15, 16, 22, 22A (attached to 22, Deck), 4B-15B, 20(2), Parts E3 & E4, K5 & J21, Z6, C4-C8 (2), C9-C11 (1)

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale.....
View attachment 228040
Murphy's law states..."Anything that can go wrong will go wrong". I am witness to this fact as I thought things were going along very good and that laying the gun deck would be a snap. I diligently filed the slots of the deck to fit the bulkheads and to my surprise after doing one final check before gluing, I realized that I put the two-piece deck upside down and backwards. I tried to blame the dog but the Admiral was not having any of it. Finally, I blamed the directions which show the ship one way and then another....why don't they keep things pointed one way...when explaining a new Step?

Between looking at pics from Step 74 to Step 93 the ship is in a whirlpool of configuration which would match any amusement park ride that spins you in a circle and when you got off you're wobbling like a top.
Filing this way will leave the following gaps when you flip the deck the right way with the smaller section on the starboard side.
View attachment 228041
So, now I get out the wood dough and hit it with super glue after it hardened....
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At this point I figure all will be OK because the deck is glued down and I'll just clean up the joint later after everything is dry and with some cleanup, stain and varnish....we can survive the f-up! Now, with a lot of weight on the deck, I figure all will be fine.
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I decided to glue in the deck with the "removable panel" out as one piece because I figure with my luck, there's no way I won't glue it down and I wanted to have a look of having it lay in or be able to lift it up for better viewing. Now, I should have left the weights well enough alone....no, I take one of the 5lb dumbbells and balance it off one of the stain tins...that pic has long been deleted for stupidity...
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Here's where the fun starts.....in San Diego, my home gets a nice breeze off the ocean. As the ocean winds blow inland, it creates a vacuum in my house like a portal between two dimensions. The kitchen slider when opened allows the breeze to enter the home and the kitchen door that leads to the garage will often slam if you have the garage door opened and you let go of the kitchen door. The draft is that strong, our own wind tunnel on select days.

I had the kitchen door propped open with a shoe and the garage door and kitchen slider was open...the perfect storm for a cataclysmic slam of the kitchen door if any variable changes the air flow too drastically...With the deck in place. I decided to close the kitchen slider a bit too fast, as my dog picked up the shoe holding the kitchen door open at the same time. The perfect storm for the kitchen door to slam shut as the air gets flushed out of the kitchen, into and out the garage door...BOOM!

I hear a crash in the garage and go OH $hit! As I run past my dog, who is holding my shoe in his mouth, I looked into the garage and there the Pearl was, tilted on its side, hanging onto dear life at the edge of my worktable....#10 Rib snapped like a wishbone and a piece of the lower deck ornaments on the floor....

SHIPWRECK!
View attachment 228044

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#10 broken rib, smashed by a 5lb dumbbell....call in the medic....

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Wood dough filled in after the super glue set.....
A couple hours later before the Admiral returned home from grocery shopping....
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Passed the Admiral's inspection....but she didn't have to deal with the frustration that I had to pull the deck and glue it all over because it popped in several places....I really was ready to give up for the day and perhaps a lesser Captain would have remained marooned by this type of disaster....but after a bit of consolation from my first mate (the dog) I tried again........
View attachment 228049
Hopefully, we can now continue on our voyage...leaving this island of foil and folly behind us.
With the gun deck firmly down and in place, a new day brings new hope.
View attachment 228050

I soaked the "removable deck" portion above in hot water for a 1/2 hour or so to let it dry out in place to better conform to the pitch of the deck. With Step 85, I set the posts and beams Parts 5B-15B and Parts C4-C11. I recall Jodie @MystRacing talking about rounding out the posts. I twirled the posts on the belt sander and put some knicks and notches into them before applying the Ebony stain.

View attachment 228051
The deck has two coats of Golden Oak Minwax stain and a coat of satin polyurethane. I plan to display the ship with the deck completely covered....when someone asks, "why two different deck colors"?, I'll flip it up and let them peek down to get a better look at the lower deck goodies. Under natural light, the difference is not as dramatic as it seems.
View attachment 228052
I now glued Parts K5 & J21 together to make Bulkhead #3. Also secured (2) parts #20 and dry fitted them to the keel after the glue set on Bulkhead #3. I did a little bit of sanding prior to placing the bulkhead, but since this is my first build ever, I'm not sure how much of a bevel is needed so I prefer to err on the side of caution.
View attachment 228053
In looking at the First Pole instructions, I see no mention of Bulkhead #16, until it is pictured in Step 101. Just more intrigue...so I decided to install it now. I beveled the edge to match the keel and did my best to not flatten it out as it has a natural curve to it.
View attachment 228054

In Step 88, you need bionic eyes to read the yellow text on a white background. I think it calls for Part #E4 to be placed. This requires you place the hinges and pins for the two doors as well. After I set the doors and did the appropriate staining, I glued part #E4 to the frontside of the #6 Bulkhead facing the bow.

Finally, after such a brutal start, avoiding disaster and sailing toward our final treasure, I jumped ahead and finished Step #99 and installed Part #E3 to the backside of Bulkhead #15 facing the bow. I also added a personal touch by revealing the location of the cursed Aztec treasure on a map I placed in the gun deck, between the stern doors.

View attachment 228055
Who left the doors open?
View attachment 228056

Well mates, we're finally back on course and its time for weekend shore duty.
Next week we secure the lanterns for the gun deck. A special shout out to Jodie @ MystRacing for mailing me his extra brass parts for the lanterns, since my kit only came with 24.

We have completed 94 of 268 Steps of the First Pole....for 35% completion of this part of the build.

Until next time....Ahoy all.

I hoped I don't run into these issues.
Not working in garage Thumbs-Up
No dog Thumbs-Up
No slipper propping up door Thumbs-Up

No wind tunnel Thumbsup

:p Good to go.

I must agree that the manual flips that ship around so it gets confusing as where stuff goes.
I was gluing in some decorations, after praising myself on a good job I realized they were on the wrong side of the ship :eek:.

Was able to fix that and now I pay real close attention to which way the bow and stern point in the pictures.

Keep on sailing Ship-1
 
Captain's Log ~~~ April 26, 2021
Build time today ~~~3 hours
Total build time~~~83 hours


I finished the prototype for my Pearl cannon. I know its not really too authentic when compared to many of the images I have seen but this is about the best that I can come up with without blowing my brains out. It'll take me a month of Sunday's to complete these if I go this route.
What do you think mates?

Cannon 1.jpg
Cannon 2.jpg
Cannon 3.jpg

Ahoy all.
 
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Captain's Log ~~~ April 26, 2021

I finished the prototype for my Pearl cannon. I know its not really too authentic when compared to many of the images I have seen but this is about the best that I can come up with without blowing my brains out. It'll take me a month of Sunday's to complete these if I go this route.
What do you think mates?

View attachment 229829
View attachment 229830
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Ahoy all.
Beautiful... how long did that take you,,, and how much hair?
 
Beautiful... how long did that take you,,, and how much hair?
Thanks Ken! I put about 3 hours into that little gizmo! From using scraps here and there! Wasn’t going to spend any more bucks on good rope so used some hemp that was laying around! I figure now that I did one, I can knock time down by doing four or five at a time! No more today! Will wait on other input before going forward! Heading out to my spa!
 
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I like it a lot!! I spent a good 1.5 hours on my prototype and it’s not done. Multiply that by how many more?? Oh well, it’s all good fun.
 
Are those fishing gear swivels?
Cut down earring hooks from kid’s jewelry! Rings on sides of cannon cut down earring posts & hoops...twisted wire where chains are! Got a couple thousand pieces on Amazon for less than $10
 
Couple thousand? good god.... In my Victory and a couple of other builds, they shorted me on the plate or chain that support the shrouds. I'll buy cheap costume jewelry chain. I keep a look out for various junk when garage sales also. these chains or what ever can be either blackened or painted.
 
Couple thousand? good god.... In my Victory and a couple of other builds, they shorted me on the plate or chain that support the shrouds. I'll buy cheap costume jewelry chain. I keep a look out for various junk when garage sales also. these chains or what ever can be either blackened or painted.
2350 to be exact...but it was 100’s of pieces that is costume jewelry for making bracelets, earrings etc...there were like 100 each of the parts I needed plus the chain for $10
 
Pirate Lore, Myths & Legends #5

Since many have enjoyed building the Black Pearl, I thought it would be nice to know a little bit more about the legend of The Curse of the Aztec. Source: Pirates.Fandom.com

"So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."―Hector Barbossa

The curse of the Aztec Gold, also known as the Aztec curse, was dark magic cast upon the treasure of Cortés, consisting of a stone chest with 882 pieces of Aztec gold. Having saw Cortés' greed he wreaked upon with his armies, the heathen gods placed a curse on the gold: any mortal who removed a piece from the chest would be punished for eternity. The only way to lift the curse was by returning all the pieces of the Aztec gold and payment in blood. Upon first hearing the tale, Hector Barbossa's crew laughed at the stories about the curse, with Barbossa himself believing it to be a ridiculous superstition. By the time they learned the truth, it was too late. It took ten years until the crew's curse was lifted.

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."
"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an island of dead what cannot be found, except for those who know where it is."
Elizabeth Swann and Hector Barbossa

The Aztec Empire delivered a stone chest with 882 pieces of Aztec gold to Hernán Cortés in an attempt to stop the slaughter of their people. But in his greed, Cortés refused to halt his conquest. In response, the heathen godsplaced a curse upon the gold, so that any mortal who removed a single coin from the chest would be punished for eternity. The only way to lift the curse was to return all the Aztec gold pieces to the chest and pay the heathen gods back in blood. Ultimately, the treasure of Cortés would end up in the caves of Isla de Muerta.

Captain Jack Sparrow, not swayed by the tales of the curse, intended on finding the Treasure of Cortés aboard the Black Pearl. Jack had heard rumors that the treasure was cursed, but luckily for him, Hector Barbossa and his crew marooned him before he could take his share of the gold. Upon first hearing about the curse from Jack, the crew ended up not believing in the curse, with Barbossa himself having said, "Ridiculous superstition".

"Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner. Compelled by greed, we were, but now...we are consumed by it."―Hector Barbossa to Elizabeth Swann

Using the bearings acquired from Jack Sparrow, Captain Hector Barbossa and his crew were able to find Isla de Muerta. There, they found the stone chest and summarily stole all 882 pieces of the Aztec gold, an act which the crew would later regret. Captain Barbossa and his crew then spent all 882 pieces of the Aztec gold on drink, food, and pleasurable company. Soon afterwards, the crew realized that they had fallen under the curse, suffering a living death in which they can't feel or taste anything, and when they step into the moonlight, their flesh vanish from their bones, and became walking skeletons. After figuring out that it was the Aztec gold pieces that placed the curse upon them, Barbossa's crew returned to Isla de Muerta to find a way to lift the curse and end their punishment. There, they found out that the curse could be reversed only when every last piece of the Aztec gold was returned to the stone chest from which it came.

It wasn't until Bootstrap Bill Turner was sent to the depths did the crew learned of an additional requirement: that all who stole from the chest had to pay the heathen gods in blood, which now seemed impossible with Bootstrap lost to them. But a chance of hope lay with Turner's child, who had both his gold medallion and Turner blood in his veins. Thus, Barbossa's crew set about, attempting to reclaim all 882 pieces of the treasure.

Lifting the Curse

"There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid."―Hector Barbossa

Ten years had already passed since the cursed crew started their quest, having collected all but one of the gold pieces and had already given their blood to the gold. However, the crew still needed the last coin as well as blood of their last crewmen, Bootstrap Bill Turner, who was lost to them, from his only child. Having sensed the final coin, Barbossa's crew led an attack on Port Royal. It was during this attack that Jack Sparrow, who was locked up in the town's prison, learns that the curse was real once Koehler grabbed him through the prison bars. As the moonlight falls on the pirates arm, Jack mutters "So there is a curse. That's interesting." Following the attack, Barbossa's men obtained the final Aztec gold medallion from Elizabeth Swann, whom they believed to be a descendant of Bootstrap Bill Turner. And so the Black Pearl set a course for Isla de Muerta.

While the Black Pearl sailed in the moonlit night, Barbossa had Elizabeth as his guest for a dinner in his cabin. It was here that Barbossa told Elizabeth the story of the curse, and how it had fallen upon the crew, rendering them unable to feel or taste. Barbossa also told her that her blood was the last ingredient needed to lift the curse. After that, Elizabeth leapt up and attempted to run out of the cabin, having stabbed Barbossa with a knife from the table. However, she was shocked to see that Barbossa was still alive and ran face-to-face with Barbossa's skeletal crew of the living dead. Barbossa explained the curse's effect on the crew, drinking wine as evidence. Elizabeth then ran back into the cabin, where she remained for the remainder of the voyage, terrified of what she had seen.

First Attempt​

"It didn't work."
"The curse it still upon us!
"―Ragetti and Twigg

Upon arriving to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa used Elizabeth to perform the blood ritual to lift the curse. However, although they performed the ritual, the entire crew didn't feel any different. As a test, Barbossa shot Pintel with his pistol to see if the curse was lifted; but Pintel didn't die. Barbossa confronted Elizabeth, realizing that Elizabeth was not the child of Bootstrap Bill. The crew then began to argue amongst themselves on their unsuccessful attempt to lift the curse until Barbossa realized that Elizabeth had taken the medallion and escaped to the Interceptor. But with the help of their old, left for dead captain Jack Sparrow, the crew was able to catch up with the Interceptor and retrieved the medallion. By the time the Black Pearl returned to Isla de Muerta, Barbossa's crew had Will Turner, the true descendant of Bootstrap Bill Turner, as their prisoner.

Second Attempt​

"Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment."―Jack Sparrow

Entering the caves of Isla de Muerta, Barbossa once again aimed to lift their curse, this time with the intention of killing Will and using his blood in the ritual. Barbossa and his crew prepared to perform the blood ritual once again, but was interrupted by Jack Sparrow, who warned Barbossa that the HMS Dauntless was offshore waiting for his crew. Upon this revelation, Barbossa, despite his desire to lift the curse, listened to Jack's proposal and agreed to it. And so Barbossa sent his crewmen for attack, save for three of his men. But to Jack's dismay, having planned on Barbossa's men using the longboats to attack the Dauntless crew, Barbossa ordered the crew to "take a walk". So as the pirates were indestructible beings, they staged a surprise attack on the Dauntless by simply walking on the sea bed and climbed up from the ship's anchor to ambush the Dauntless crew.

Barbossa, Will, and Jack waited in the caves for the slaughter to end, until Jack tossed Will a sword. With the tides turned, Will freed himself and fought Barbossa's men, while Jack and Barbossa pulled out their own swords and duel ensued. Jack and Barbossa fought a fierce battle around the treasure cave until Jack stabbed Barbossa, who then pulled the sword out and stabbed Jack with it. However, once Jack stepped into the moonlight, he turned into a skeleton, revealing that he was cursed; having secretly palmed a piece of the Aztec gold. Though they were both immortal, Jack and Barbossa continued their fight through the caves. Elizabeth later arrives to help Will fight the cursed pirates. They then teamed up to kill the pirates using one of Jacoby's grenades that were planted inside of him before he reverted to his human form; thereby blowing his body to pieces.

Witnessing this, Jack cuts his hand, putting his blood on his piece of the gold, and threw his coin to Will before shooting Barbossa in the heart. Believing he was invincible, Barbossa gloated at Jack, saying that he wasted his shot. However, Will dropped the last two gold pieces, with his blood on his coin, onto the chest, thereby lifting the Aztec curse. Barbossa then saw that his chest was bleeding. Human once more, Barbossa looked stated that he felt cold before falling to the cave floor, dead.

After the Curse was Lifted

"Scurvy cutthroats who turn into the bony undead under moonlight! Looks like your old crew is back from the grave again, Jack! Let's see to it that they rest in pieces, shall we?"

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid! It's bloody hard to kill something that's already dead!
"―Will Turner and Jack Sparrow

Back on the Dauntless, Barbossa's crew reverted to normal and surrendered to the Dauntless crew, who survived the battle in victory. Although the surviving members of Barbossa's crew were captured by the British Royal Navy, some would later escape and returned to Isla de Muerta, where they became cursed once more, vowing revenge against Jack Sparrow. At some point in time, Barbossa's pet monkey Jack would appear in the cave, where he would take a piece of the Aztec gold and became cursed once again.

Some time later, the entire island of the dead was swallowed into the sea, taking all the treasure along with it, effectively vanishing from the face of the earth. Only Jack the monkey survived this ordeal, because of the curse, and ended up aboard the Black Pearl, under the command of Jack Sparrow. It is unknown if Jack the monkey's curse was ever lifted, but as the destruction of the Trident of Poseidon broke all the curses of the sea, it is possible this curse was one of them.

The Curse

Legends tell that the Aztec curse bestowed by the Heathen Gods punished any who stole from the stone chest. Those who fell under the curse would have achieved immortality, thereby becoming invulnerable. Nevertheless, the curse deprived the greedy beholders of all feeling; pain or pleasure—food, drink or women. When the cursed individuals step into the moonlight, they turn into walking undead skeletons; in this state, they are particularly vulnerable to physical damage, with strong blows being enough to physically take them apart.

The curse only affected anyone who specifically took the coins from the stone chest; Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann each owned a piece of the treasure that had been taken out of the chest by Bootstrap Bill Turner and were never aware of the curse. When a cursed person takes a coin from the chest, no new curse has been given. This is particularly noted after Hector Barbossa used Elizabeth to lift the curse when, after returning the coin, he grabbed it straight from the chest and gave it to Elizabeth.
 
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