SBCMayor Posted March 24 Posted March 24 When I discovered this site last year I was blown away by how talented some of the members here are with their MOCs. I've seen plenty of mind blowing MOCs on YouTube as well. I am nowhere close to that level of clever so I have to settle for combining what's available. In a relatively short time I've been able to assemble a pretty respectable collection of vintage pirate legos, and as I've indicated in other conversations, I focus on the sets released from 1989-1993. I have always loved those old catalogue displays too, and have always wanted to create my own version of them. Thankfully my home has just the place for such a display, albeit not quite large enough to fit it all. Still, I have a countertop that is just shy of 2' by 11' and 5". So I am developing a setup that will have some permanent "background features" but the center is modular enough to remove all the sets and insert other sets. The idea is to maintain a rotation of Bluecoats vs Redbeard, Redcoats vs Ironhook (who has a pretty sizable fleet) and Bluecoats vs Redcoats (this last one dates back to my childhood when I always considered these two rival imperial forces. To start things off though I have to stick to the classic: Bluecoats vs Redbeard. And this version of my display is probably about 75-80% complete. I need to fill in some spaces with "sand" and "water" but I think sharing some in-progress pics now will give you an idea of where I am heading. I hope you enjoy! Eldorado Fortress/Lagoon Lockup: Sabre (not) Island: (Notice the modified Renegade Runner in the background! More on that later!) Sabre Island: Carribean Clipper: Something tells me this sailor was press-ganged. The Bluecoats Flagship: This is obviously a modified BSB, and I love the way it turned out! Carribean Clipper vs Black Seas Barracuda: Despite converting a BSB into a Bluecoat ship that could match the BSB, for the actual sea battle I have to stick to the classic showdown between these two! Some thoughts: I am taking these pics with an iPhone. I'm learning taking good pics of Lego sets is a lot harder than it sounds! Also, as stated already I am going to be filling in some of the counter top with some blue and yellow pieces I have on order. Speaking of yellow, I love the way the color pallet has expanded in recent years, but for this display I have decided to keep it true to form and stick with the classic yellow pieces to represent sand. The only exceptions are some pieces I ordered not knowing they were a lighter shade of yellow (colorblind). They still function well enough and I can cover them with sets, trees, etc. I also want to eventually put up a background that resembles the original sky of the box art from that initial wave that way the background isn't just white wall. That is a long term goal, and my girlfriend may have something to say about that. I'll follow up soon with some photos of the pirate side of the display, some additional thoughts on the counter space itself. As I finish out this version of the display, I'll add some additional action pieces. Maybe some pirates busting a mate out, or making off with some treasure. Maybe a bluecoat incursion into the pirate's bay. I welcome your thoughts and if you have any suggestions, I welcome them! Pirate side of the display coming soon! Also, I wanted to share a quick shoutout to a great YouTube channel, Bricks Planet. My son and I really enjoy his stop motion reviews, they are just so fun! The backgrounds on his sets have significantly influenced the direction I want to take the background on my own display, though I'll never be able to replicate the pure awesomeness on his set. Still wanted to share. Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 Here are some initial pics so you can all see what Captain Redbeard and his filthy bilge rats are up to! Rum Cay: This is just a work in progress and "proof of concept" for how I will fill in empty space along the back wall of the display. This version may not survive the final development, but some version of it will! Shipwreck Island 1: Probably a good thing the Bluecoats haven't mounted an offensive yet! Redbeard's Renegade Runner: If you look closely you'll see this is a modified version of set 6268 Renegade Runner. This is one of my favorite ships and I actually own 5 of them now. Two have been converted into Bluecoat ships, two have retained their original form and serve in Captain Ironhook's fleet, and this one belongs to Captain Redbeard. I will share additional pics and details on what I did to modify them on another thread! Rock Island Refuge: I found this set on Ebay and all it was missing was the raft build. I guess that significantly undercut the value, but since I didn't like that part of the set I didn't care. Got this for under $50 USD and can't believe how lucky I was! I'll get a few additional pics loaded later. Also notice Captain Jack Sparrow! Shipwreck Island 2: Now if the Bluecoats attack in this direction they won't get past these hardened buccaneers! Forbidden Island and Cutthroat Clipper: Forbidden Island is easily one of my favorite sets! My son appropriated the canon along with the cannon on Rock Island Refuge to give his Black Pearl a full compliment but I have replacements coming! In the lagoon behind Forbidden Island sits the Cutthroat Clipper, a modified Carribean Clipper I converted into a pirate ship by basically swapping out anything blue for red. I'll share additional pics on that soon. Cutthroat Clipper: One more of this awesome set! In addition to converting this into a pirate ship I made some small modifications to the cabin area, as I did with both of my Carribean Clippers. I'll share those mods on the review thread for the Carribean Clipper. Burried Treasure: Easily the most basic set from the 1989 introduction to the Pirate theme, but this small set will always hold a special place in my heart! Ironhook and Barnacle Bay: I consider Redbeard and Ironhook to be rival pirate captains who work together out of common interest. With two imperial forces in these waters, they need all the cooperation they can get! So if Ironhook makes an appearance at Redbeard's hideout that shouldn't be too big a surprise. Smuggler's Shanty, Tortuga/Nassau concept: Of all the pictures so far this is probably the least exciting. Obviously this entire display is a work in progress. But as I go I'm also tinkering with ways to help preserve the illusion of depth on the back end of the display. One way to do it is to put rocks and cliffs, and jungle. Another way is to but the facade of structures in, as if they are the first row of buildings in a small settlement. This is one I threw together out of leftover pieces and as you can see it's pretty spartan. But this is something I'll continue to develop as I finish out this display. With this version being on the pirate side, it suggests it's one of the known pirate havens such as Tortuga or Nassau. So that's my first round of pictures. I'll share updates as they develop! One of the challenges is the walls are not quite 90 degrees all the way around, so that requires a little finesse with the pieces, and absent a true background, some visual points of interest near the corners to draw attention away from the gap areas and toward the activity, structures, etc. Another consideration is how will some of these background structures fit when I swap out the pirate cove for the Redcoats? Or for that matter, how readily will the Redcoats replace the Bluecoats if I rotate them in on the Bluecoat side of the display. But that is part of what makes this so fun to me. I really am enjoying the possibilities I have here and the rotational aspect of it keeps it interesting to me. I'll share some updates once I've been able to fill in some of these gaps. Meanwhile if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them! Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 26 Author Posted March 26 On 3/25/2025 at 9:52 AM, SpacePolice89 said: Very nice to see all these great sets together! Expand It's so fun to do it! I am also thinking I might be able to do a more "fort/hideout" themed display by taking the ships off, which will give me room to squeeze the Imperial Trading Post into place. I'd include 1 Carribean Clipper, The Black Seas Barracuda, the Imperial Flagship, and the Renegade Runner, again, if I can fit them all in without overcrowding the display. And there's always the possibility of removing all the forts and hideouts and focussing on one epic sea battle too. So many possibilities! Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted March 26 Governor Posted March 26 On 3/24/2025 at 6:03 PM, SBCMayor said: I am taking these pics with an iPhone. I'm learning taking good pics of Lego sets is a lot harder than it sounds! Expand Indeed it is! Half the battle is having a decent lighting setup so you can achieve nice, clear images. Whereas, dark, grainy and/or out focus photos tend to lower the over presentation not matter how well the shots are framed. And therein lies the other half of the battle... Framing the shots so they hone in on the details and look captivating. The shot below stands out because it's a close-up one particular detail/set, while effectively utilizing depth of field to render the remaining display as a backdrop. A recommendation I would make... if within the realm of possibility... is to mount a blue sheet (or something similar) to the white wall at the rear, the create the illusion of sky. Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 26 Author Posted March 26 On 3/26/2025 at 4:13 AM, Mister Phes said: Indeed it is! Half the battle is having a decent lighting setup so you can achieve nice, clear images. Whereas, dark, grainy and/or out focus photos tend to lower the over presentation not matter how well the shots are framed. And therein lies the other half of the battle... Framing the shots so they hone in on the details and look captivating. The shot below stands out because it's a close-up one particular detail/set, while effectively utilizing depth of field to render the remaining display as a backdrop. A recommendation I would make... if within the realm of possibility... is to mount a blue sheet (or something similar) to the white wall at the rear, the create the illusion of sky. Expand That shot is one of my favorites too. The goal with this round is to give an idea of the size and scope of the display, and then really capture more shots like this one after the additional levels of detail are laid in. As for the recommendation for a background, I've considered poster board too. If I can find it in light blue. I think that would be an inexpensive way to give that illusion of sky. Like I said above, I really wish I could find a printout of that sky in the background of the original pirate sets. The light blue with the pink wispy clouds...that would make this display so much more awesome. Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 26 Author Posted March 26 On 3/26/2025 at 6:15 AM, SpacePolice89 said: I recently made something similar. Expand It looks great. I like the small forts in the middle. Quote
SpacePolice89 Posted March 26 Posted March 26 On 3/26/2025 at 12:51 PM, SBCMayor said: It looks great. I like the small forts in the middle Expand Thanks! The forts are made with instructions from the idea books. After seeing your display I want to include a Sabre Island in my display as well. Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 26 Author Posted March 26 On 3/26/2025 at 1:27 PM, SpacePolice89 said: Thanks! The forts are made with instructions from the idea books. After seeing your display I want to include a Sabre Island in my display as well. Expand I’ve seen that set before and actually recently saw a you tube review on it. So I recognize it, and if I ever have the extra pieces I may build it and find a spot for it. Sabre Island is a great set. I have a few of them because it’s a fantastic outpost to put outside Eldorado. I’ve also used it with my Redcoats setup. Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 26 Author Posted March 26 Some updates and additional experimenting with how to transition the display into the background. This one is another very basic proof of concept. I've taken the tavern side of my Redcoats' Lagoon Lockup and one of the structures from the Imperial Trading Post. I think the more visual focal points along the background the better. @Mister Phes, to your point about a sheet or something similar to give the illusion of sky, these white structures really underscore the need for that. But again, this is a somewhat long term goal for the display. Just playing around with picture angles, etc. Sabre Island is one of my favorite sets, so I wanted to make sure I feature it prominently in the display. This spot has always been one of my favorite places to pose a character. This one is another pic where I tried to really use the other sets as a functional background. Again, a "blue sky" would be nice, but I like the way this turned out. Having a lot of fun with this and with the initial pattern of what goes where laid in, I am going to work on rotating out the pirates and rotating in the Redcoats. I'll share a few pics once I do! Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 (edited) Here are a few pics of what the display will look like when I rotate the pirates out and the Redcoats in. So this version is Bluecoats vs Redcoats. Overall view of what the Redcoat side of the display looks like: Carribean Clipper vs Imperial Flagship: Despite his crew being engaged in battle, our fearless leader has other priorities. It seems rum and gold rank higher than dealing with an enemy warship... I love the blue rowboats for the Redcoats. The red flag looks great on the blue boat, similar to how the Bluecoats blue flag looks great on their red boats! Cannon Cove: I wasn't a fan of this set until I decided I didn't have to keep it on the original baseplate it came on. I like it as an outpost on this sand bar. I've also used it on the larger printed island baseplate, where my son and I incorporated it into a run down, abandoned fort that pre-dates the Imperial Trading Post. In our lore the Redcoats rebuilt a portion of the original fort into what we recognize as Cannon Cove before establishing the trading post on the rock formation behind it. Of course that was before I rearranged it all and put it on the sand bar here. Stand off at the Twin Palm Islands: This picture also involves my son and how we play with these sets together. There's a level of comic absurdity and this scenario is one of them. The "Twin Palm Islands" are otherwise insignificant and useless sand bars on a vast sea. But both the Bluecoats and the Redcoats consider them key terrain, likely out of sheer ego of their respective leaders. So the entire war between these factions is centered on these two islands. They could just agree that one belongs to one side and the other to the other side. Or they could split them both down the middle. But these aren't good enough, both sides want both islands! As absurd as it is, I suppose it's not all that far-fetched from real world scenarios that have led to wars... So there's that update. I'll be rotating the pirates back in soon. After that I will rotate the Bluecoats out and the Redcoats onto that side of the display, so I'll have Redcoats vs Pirates too. The next big step is going to be filling in the surface and surface level background elements along the display. That is likely going to take me a few months to complete, because there will no doubt be some trial and error. But I'm a grown man playing with Legos, so I suppose that's fine. Edited March 27 by SBCMayor Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted March 27 Governor Posted March 27 On 3/26/2025 at 7:55 PM, SBCMayor said: . @Mister Phes, to your point about a sheet or something similar to give the illusion of sky, these white structures really underscore the need for that. But again, this is a somewhat long term goal for the display. Expand Here's an even crazier suggestion... Paint the back wall sky blue! Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 On 3/27/2025 at 3:21 AM, Mister Phes said: Here's an even crazier suggestion... Paint the back wall sky blue! Expand I haven't ruled it out! Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted March 27 Governor Posted March 27 On 3/26/2025 at 12:12 PM, SBCMayor said: I really wish I could find a printout of that sky in the background of the original pirate sets. The light blue with the pink wispy clouds...that would make this display so much more awesome. Expand That would be absolutely fantastic! But where could such a large scale printout be found? It's something that may only have ever been produced for store displays... if it even exists at all. Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 On 3/27/2025 at 3:30 AM, Mister Phes said: That would be absolutely fantastic! But where could such a large scale printout be found? It's something that may only have ever been produced for store displays... if it even exists at all. Expand I'm guessing it doesn't exist, I'd need to essentially recreate it in the dimensions needed for my display. I think it can be done. I have a tattoo artist who I show a picture and a few days later it's artwork on my shoulder. So if I showed a sample of the background art I know someone out there can design a background. Then I'd need to find a place to print it. And that wouldn't be cheap. So it's likely going to be a blue sheet or a poster board background. But man...that original artwork would be money! Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted March 27 Governor Posted March 27 I've been using AI tools to tidy up and expand the classic artwork for web use - like you see in the banner at the top of this forum. Don't think it would hold up to large-scale print standards though On 3/27/2025 at 3:35 AM, SBCMayor said: I think it can be done. I have a tattoo artist who I show a picture and a few days later it's artwork on my shoulder. So if I showed a sample of the background art I know someone out there can design a background. Expand That's an interesting approach - could they achieve the correct style without it looking as though it was created by a different artist? On 3/27/2025 at 3:35 AM, SBCMayor said: I'd need to essentially recreate it in the dimensions needed for my display. Then I'd need to find a place to print it. And that wouldn't be cheap. Expand And therein lies the next challenge... the artwork in print resolution, at a size large to accommodate your display. That would probably cost thousands! Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 On 3/27/2025 at 5:10 AM, Mister Phes said: I've been using AI tools to tidy up and expand the classic artwork for web use - like you see in the banner at the top of this forum. Don't think it would hold up to large-scale print standards though Expand Something like that could be good for sharing photos on the forum though. Obviously since that's how you use it. If I wanted to experiment with ways to make the photos look more complete I can do something similar for sharing purposes. On 3/27/2025 at 5:10 AM, Mister Phes said: That's an interesting approach - could they achieve the correct style without it looking as though it was created by a different artist? Expand My point is that I can probably find someone to replicate the basic look. I would even be ok with a field that was a fraction of what I needed and sort of keep reusing it. It wouldn't be the first element like this in the display, since all the little islands are identical! On 3/27/2025 at 5:10 AM, Mister Phes said: And therein lies the next challenge... the artwork in print resolution, at a size large to accommodate your display. That would probably cost thousands! Expand I am guessing you are right about the cost too. It wouldn't be cheap. Maybe the right answer is to get some poster board and water colors and see what I can come up with on my own! The background is still a few steps away though. I have some infill on the display surface to tackle first, and while I have the pieces on order to cover the actual surface area, I am also in the process of developing ideas for the back ends of the display, where they transition into the walls behind them. That's why some of these pictures have included small buildings, like the one I threw together from leftover pieces or experimenting with some of the structures from other sets. Other ideas are going to be rock formations, sand dunes, all brick built. Even though this remaining space is small relative to the overall size of the display, it's a lot of ground to cover with Lego pieces, so this is actually going to take me a long time to fully build out. Quote
Governor Mister Phes Posted March 28 Governor Posted March 28 On 3/27/2025 at 12:44 PM, SBCMayor said: Maybe the right answer is to get some poster board and water colors and see what I can come up with on my own! Expand Give it a try and see what you can come up with! On 3/27/2025 at 12:44 PM, SBCMayor said: The background is still a few steps away though. I have some infill on the display surface to tackle first Expand Then good look in your noble quest! The display looks awesome in its present state with just the assortment of class sets. 💯 Quote
SBCMayor Posted March 29 Author Posted March 29 On 3/28/2025 at 12:27 PM, Mister Phes said: The display looks awesome in its present state with just the assortment of class sets. 💯 Expand Thank you! I love the way they all look when arranged together like this! Quote
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