The pirated Black Pearl
- Thread starter matweaver
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- 1:50 black pearl
Haha!! It worked, thanks a ton man. Thats going to help alot when I get to mine. Since it's such a horrible rendition of the BP
I plan to build it as though it's my pirate ship. I spent 20 years jamming gears in an 18 wheeler, so dont be surprised if you
see air horns on the beakhead and some cb antenna's waving off the top mast
Gee, I wonder where I can sneak some chrome
into that build.
Thank you
I plan to build it as though it's my pirate ship. I spent 20 years jamming gears in an 18 wheeler, so dont be surprised if you
see air horns on the beakhead and some cb antenna's waving off the top mast
Gee, I wonder where I can sneak some chromeinto that build.
Thank you
What is the length of the keel from the far back to the frame with the hole for the bow sprit. I think I might have the same pirated version. I also have the real ZHL kit and it's huge in comparison.
The Hull.
The kit came with 3mm thick strips of 5mm Balsa, pretty brittle but all in all quite standard stuff. This needs to be run along the length of the ship from the lower half to the keel. I'm guessing it may have been better to soak it first, the stress on the strip is pretty intense.
One thing that certainly should have been done was painting the strip black first.
I had spent a couple of hours glueing and clamping before I realised....
The internal wall was plain balsa and therefore ruining the essence that is the Black Pearl.. Blackness.
I decided not to use a paintbrush and delicately paint the inside black, instead I would spray paint it.
Starting with a quick squirt through the gap, I found that it wasn't really reaching the places other methods would.. I needed the Toilet Duck of spray cans.
So Matt Black spray can and a PVC tube in hand, I toilet ducked the sh1t out of it!
and then proceed to paint (ink) each strip from there on.
But this is going to be a slow an painful process.
You may not be able to see, but the Aft/ Captains quarters wall (far left) is not going to be able to ben around the hull's profile. The Ply has been cut at a tangent to the grain direction thus not allowing it to bend. Means I'm going to need to change the back end slightly and shape the hull to fit.... at some point.
The kit came with 3mm thick strips of 5mm Balsa, pretty brittle but all in all quite standard stuff. This needs to be run along the length of the ship from the lower half to the keel. I'm guessing it may have been better to soak it first, the stress on the strip is pretty intense.
One thing that certainly should have been done was painting the strip black first.
I had spent a couple of hours glueing and clamping before I realised....
The internal wall was plain balsa and therefore ruining the essence that is the Black Pearl.. Blackness.
I decided not to use a paintbrush and delicately paint the inside black, instead I would spray paint it.
Starting with a quick squirt through the gap, I found that it wasn't really reaching the places other methods would.. I needed the Toilet Duck of spray cans.
So Matt Black spray can and a PVC tube in hand, I toilet ducked the sh1t out of it!
and then proceed to paint (ink) each strip from there on.
But this is going to be a slow an painful process.
You may not be able to see, but the Aft/ Captains quarters wall (far left) is not going to be able to ben around the hull's profile. The Ply has been cut at a tangent to the grain direction thus not allowing it to bend. Means I'm going to need to change the back end slightly and shape the hull to fit.... at some point.
Attachments
The hull continues...
This has been the longest yet most rewarding part so far.. The balsa is almost off cut standard, the knots make bending dry almost a gamble. Beams are snapping and cracking throughout the hull.
The instructions are wild, the photos show what looks to be paint or plaster..? And the translations are strange.
But the shape is taking place, the positive is that the balsa is about 3 mm thick, so any lumps and bumps can be sanded out easily. In some areas I've had to almost patch it up, but as long as the grain's in the the right direction I'm hoping it will add to the feel.
Important.. If I had to start this again, I would have boiled the kettle and steamed the living shit out of the beams.
This has been the longest yet most rewarding part so far.. The balsa is almost off cut standard, the knots make bending dry almost a gamble. Beams are snapping and cracking throughout the hull.
The instructions are wild, the photos show what looks to be paint or plaster..? And the translations are strange.
But the shape is taking place, the positive is that the balsa is about 3 mm thick, so any lumps and bumps can be sanded out easily. In some areas I've had to almost patch it up, but as long as the grain's in the the right direction I'm hoping it will add to the feel.
Important.. If I had to start this again, I would have boiled the kettle and steamed the living shit out of the beams.
And we draw to a close..
The photos (in this instance only) don't really do the build state justice, although the ship has been properly stress and manhandled over the last couple of weeks, the beams/ planks have been forced into shapes, nooks and crannies. If you eye the hull from Bow to Stern the profile is pretty shapely.
The office is awash with bent modelling pins and splinters. It's as though The Kraken itself had awoken whilst on crack and gone on a bender.
Luckily the Gorilla helped tame the beast.
Honestly, this glue has been outstanding.
The photos (in this instance only) don't really do the build state justice, although the ship has been properly stress and manhandled over the last couple of weeks, the beams/ planks have been forced into shapes, nooks and crannies. If you eye the hull from Bow to Stern the profile is pretty shapely.
The office is awash with bent modelling pins and splinters. It's as though The Kraken itself had awoken whilst on crack and gone on a bender.
Luckily the Gorilla helped tame the beast.
Honestly, this glue has been outstanding.
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You might like to check out this You tube channel, not sure if is the same kit as yours, there is a whole build series which may or may not be helpful.
I'm interested in this model so I'm eagerly following your work.
Very impressed with your lighting work-around
Very impressed with your lighting work-around
Love the humor, "Kraken itself had awoken whilst on crack and gone on a bender"
Still on the hull but at least not still in Hull.. (I've never actually been to Hull so apologies if you're from there and it's nice, I've been to Gateshead though and it looks pretty similar, so once again apologies)
So I'm looking at the Stern of the ship, and as I had guessed, they'd given me a slab of chargrilled Ply with the grain in the wrong direction, It is as though they are doing this on purpose, and most likely pissing themselves whilst doing it. I imagine a factory floor in Guangzhou or somewhere, where everyone is laughing and sitting around, picking up random pieces of off cuts and throwing them into random boxes.
There are two pieces, one that bends around from port to starboard and the other that sweeps from the deck to the keel.
And you can see that the bend is a proper 80 degs and there is no way that this 'ply' is going to bend more than 2 degs.
So out with the 0.8 mm 'hoop' Ply from Bagpress UK..
Check the curve on THAT!!
This can be cut with a scalpel pretty quickly and the grain is tight enough not to splinter when doing so.
So tracing around the copy of a copy of the original (That lets be honest, ZHL probably copied themselves... and BTW ZHL come at me, search around, your cover was blown years ago.. and I said "probably")
The next part was to trim the hull's planks, seeing as these were going to get a proper sanding and face lift, I wasn't too concerned with the delicacy.
I know I know!
Bare with me, it's going to get covered..
I know I know, the glue will dry clear and I'll be covering that too.
and as I'm here I may as well finish the hull
Ok done!
Next up, the Captain's Table.
So I'm looking at the Stern of the ship, and as I had guessed, they'd given me a slab of chargrilled Ply with the grain in the wrong direction, It is as though they are doing this on purpose, and most likely pissing themselves whilst doing it. I imagine a factory floor in Guangzhou or somewhere, where everyone is laughing and sitting around, picking up random pieces of off cuts and throwing them into random boxes.
There are two pieces, one that bends around from port to starboard and the other that sweeps from the deck to the keel.
And you can see that the bend is a proper 80 degs and there is no way that this 'ply' is going to bend more than 2 degs.
So out with the 0.8 mm 'hoop' Ply from Bagpress UK..
Check the curve on THAT!!
This can be cut with a scalpel pretty quickly and the grain is tight enough not to splinter when doing so.
So tracing around the copy of a copy of the original (That lets be honest, ZHL probably copied themselves... and BTW ZHL come at me, search around, your cover was blown years ago.. and I said "probably")
The next part was to trim the hull's planks, seeing as these were going to get a proper sanding and face lift, I wasn't too concerned with the delicacy.
I know I know!
Bare with me, it's going to get covered..
I know I know, the glue will dry clear and I'll be covering that too.
and as I'm here I may as well finish the hull
Ok done!
Next up, the Captain's Table.
Love your sense of humor about the build. I think I would have returned it and got my money back. The kits are hard enough with the regular mistakes found in the plans. You have a jigsaw puzzle without a picture and some parts missing. you are a braver man than I.
That looks great!
Having fun yet? LMAO
It was time to start focusing on the captains quarters. In the ZHL kit instructions, the windows appear to be constructed from 3 layers; 2 wood and a centre of brass. The metal provides the leaded lines decoration. Now obviously there was no trace of any brass, just 3 layers of burnt out ply all the same thickness.
The first stage was too thin out the centre piece, this was whittled... badly.
With regards to the back windows (array of 5) the ply needed to bend to the profile, and here we have our first issue. I couldn't be arsed creating the laser cut lines to re burn into a better sample of ply. So I gouged it.
Gluing the layers together led to the realisation that neither this 'kit' nor the ZHL referred to any 'glass like material, and knowing that I had already placed the LED chandelier in the cabin, I need a diffuser of sorts.
So cutting up and scratching up an old ID pouch, I set to work making glass.
There were diagonal plates that joined the main hull profile to the overhanging bay windows.
I felt the need to redo these, a Captain needs to see where he's (or she, they, xem, they're) going, not just where he's (or she, they, xem, they've) been.
The first stage was too thin out the centre piece, this was whittled... badly.
With regards to the back windows (array of 5) the ply needed to bend to the profile, and here we have our first issue. I couldn't be arsed creating the laser cut lines to re burn into a better sample of ply. So I gouged it.
Gluing the layers together led to the realisation that neither this 'kit' nor the ZHL referred to any 'glass like material, and knowing that I had already placed the LED chandelier in the cabin, I need a diffuser of sorts.
So cutting up and scratching up an old ID pouch, I set to work making glass.
There were diagonal plates that joined the main hull profile to the overhanging bay windows.
I felt the need to redo these, a Captain needs to see where he's (or she, they, xem, they're) going, not just where he's (or she, they, xem, they've) been.
Attachments
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Catch up Session
Placing the back half to the cabin, This was the thicker, non bending ply, I had to gouge strips out just to get it to bend.
Next came the door to the cabin, 4 windows and a double door. I followed the previous ideas, added hinges made from split pins. Glass from plastic ID card wallets. I still had a bit of stained Ash, so I cladded the wall and sliced out the windows after.
Next up a trip to Ikea.
As you can only really see the cabin through scratched windows, the furniture is only really used to provide silhouettes. Basically put, I'm not decorating them.
Placing the back half to the cabin, This was the thicker, non bending ply, I had to gouge strips out just to get it to bend.
Next came the door to the cabin, 4 windows and a double door. I followed the previous ideas, added hinges made from split pins. Glass from plastic ID card wallets. I still had a bit of stained Ash, so I cladded the wall and sliced out the windows after.
Next up a trip to Ikea.
As you can only really see the cabin through scratched windows, the furniture is only really used to provide silhouettes. Basically put, I'm not decorating them.
Attachments
Glad to see you back again. This is a really entertaining build log and I love the idea of building one of these cheap rip off kits with bad parts and worse instructions. It shows you have a real sense of adventure as well as a sense of the ridiculous. 
Ok so now it's time to make this Pearl 'Black'!
Using rock hard plaster for walls and not lovely soft, powdery plaster for models, I proceeded to fill in the gaps at the bow and aft and the holes caused by the pins through out the hull.
This dried straight away and became an absolute nightmare to sand down. Using the only Black Paint I could get my lazy hands on (Some filthy oil/ solvent based Black paint used to seal car radiators) I doused it in thinners then took to the hull with a very very small brush.
Two coats to the lot, using the #2 brush gave the desired effect. Small brush strokes as if made by tiny little 'men'.
And the job was a goodun.
Now I'd like to share some proper sexy shot of my back aft!
Noticed the two side glass panels? I left one clear so as to allow the viewer to see right inside the Captain Quarters. Sometimes it just works out.
Using rock hard plaster for walls and not lovely soft, powdery plaster for models, I proceeded to fill in the gaps at the bow and aft and the holes caused by the pins through out the hull.
This dried straight away and became an absolute nightmare to sand down. Using the only Black Paint I could get my lazy hands on (Some filthy oil/ solvent based Black paint used to seal car radiators) I doused it in thinners then took to the hull with a very very small brush.
Two coats to the lot, using the #2 brush gave the desired effect. Small brush strokes as if made by tiny little 'men'.
And the job was a goodun.
Now I'd like to share some proper sexy shot of my back aft!
Noticed the two side glass panels? I left one clear so as to allow the viewer to see right inside the Captain Quarters. Sometimes it just works out.
Oooopps.. catch up time again.
Everyday, I do a tiny amount, but after a month or so it builds up, trouble is I forget to put the fruits of my labours up here!
So sit back and take a bite of my fruits.
Decking and work of the captains quarters.
The planks were the last of the Ash stained black, laser scored and snapped material from the beginning of the build. I'm running out of this and getting the same level of stain on a new piece is going to be tough. I'm trying to save as many resources as possible here, thus the diagonal layout, I'm be able to use the off cuts to fill in the gaps.
Now the mismatched captains quarters needed filling in, the upper deck size and mid deck sizes weren't completely correct, as in they obviously weren't going to fit because this entire kit has been taken from the offcuts of various different scale models.
So out with the balsa, scalpel and glue.
As long as I can get the layers to the same size, I should be able to fill later. Next up the lip, or curved roof? This was a block of Pine, shaped and cut then glued to make a U shape lip around the roof of the Captain area. The wires to the main Aft lamps were extended and run through the block on the side.
Everyday, I do a tiny amount, but after a month or so it builds up, trouble is I forget to put the fruits of my labours up here!
So sit back and take a bite of my fruits.
Decking and work of the captains quarters.
The planks were the last of the Ash stained black, laser scored and snapped material from the beginning of the build. I'm running out of this and getting the same level of stain on a new piece is going to be tough. I'm trying to save as many resources as possible here, thus the diagonal layout, I'm be able to use the off cuts to fill in the gaps.
Now the mismatched captains quarters needed filling in, the upper deck size and mid deck sizes weren't completely correct, as in they obviously weren't going to fit because this entire kit has been taken from the offcuts of various different scale models.
So out with the balsa, scalpel and glue.
As long as I can get the layers to the same size, I should be able to fill later. Next up the lip, or curved roof? This was a block of Pine, shaped and cut then glued to make a U shape lip around the roof of the Captain area. The wires to the main Aft lamps were extended and run through the block on the side.
