Advice on SHIPs

My terrible youtube channel · Post by **Magic Soap** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 3:19 pm

Basically, what sets should I buy for building SHIPs?
Or, what parts should I get? I am really stuck, as I can't find any sets that will give me a decent amount of parts for a good price that can be used on spaceships.

Post by **Warhead** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:04 pm

How is your collection for basic parts, briks, flats and angled flats etc?

I think you can use just about anything your imagination can find a use for. For me that means what ever I have. I'm not sure sets are cost effective. It took me a lot of dosh over a lot of years to get what I now use. Maybe look to Briklink or Pick-A-Brik etc. Ebay?

Post by **Natalya** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:22 pm

You want lots of plates and slopes. Maybe some wedges too but they're more expensive. Also black technic pins and small (maybe 1 to 4 studs long) technic bricks are good if you're going for something like Retribution or Rhett Butler's Revenge. If you're instead opting for something like my Destroyer you want lots of bricks, and even more slopes, but this can get expensive. Plated hull construction is probably the cheapest way to go. Just try not to compromise structural integrity. Rhett Butler's Revenge has a weak hull and needs to be held with two hands or the front half could break off. But it's possible to make a strong plate-based ship. Retribution is larger than RBR but is also much more sturdy.

Post by **Strana** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 5:32 pm

well depending on your brik situation, and the type of ship your trying to make there are several lines of advice.

if your trying to build somethin mostly square like the hodgepodge, the lego store's pick-a-brik is fairly cheap way of building a ship, remember that for $60 dollars i built the wolde frigate.

if however your trying to build something like natalyas' revenge then a good set would be the twilight, it has a good selection of plates and beams and is built with the same basic technique, however this is a discontinued set and while you might be able to find it cheap (i found mine for $50) don't go overboard.

generally speaking a frigat type vessel shouldn't put you back more than $100 bucks (and this is near destroyer size), the kirkolkand was built using the twilight set the creator ferry set and 2 PAB Large buckets and cost around $130 total.

the republic attack shuttle has some decent parts for a ship, also in general the creator line has some of the creator line has some of the best peice to price ratio, and they put in a good selection of brick. in fact depending on the colors you want you ship buy multiples of a creator set to get the slope peices plates and joint peices

also briklink is always a good bet for multiple of something when you need it for something like engine( ie cylinders dishes etc)

Post by **IVhorseman** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:00 pm

If you have a LEGO store nearby, they'll usually sell you a box filled with hundreds of just one piece for relatively cheap.

I really would not recommend trying to find specific SHIP parts by buying a bunch of sets. you may get the parts you need, but you're also paying for TONS of parts that you don't.

Good pieces I'd reccommend are, as has been said, Technic beams, pins, and plates. I wouldn't say that slopes are a necessity since you can fudge them with clever hinging and SNOT, but the beams and pins ARE. If you try to build a SHIP around baseplates and bricks, the thin baseplates will bend, and your SHIP will snap apart at the spots where plates come together. Beams on the other hand are thicker, and can support more weight if you make your frame out of those, and then attach the non-structural plates and bricks on top of that. By non-structural, i mean anything that isn't actively playing a role in holding the ship together, such as decks, interior walls, computer terminals, and giant fuck-off lasers.

For actually connecting your beams together, use pins, not bricks! Bricks grip the studs on the top and bottom of a brick, and in some places only have contact with one surface of a beam. Technic beams are lined with pin slots, and you can use those to your advantage by holding beams together from WITHIN those holes by using pins. A good example of this shows up in the SPIII set Space Truck Getaway's frame. Notice that technic beams run the ENTIRE length of the ship!

Post by **Strana** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:10 pm

IVhorseman wrote:If you have a LEGO store nearby, they'll usually sell you a box filled with hundreds of just one piece for relatively cheap.

I really would not recommend trying to find specific SHIP parts by buying a bunch of sets. you may get the parts you need, but you're also paying for TONS of parts that you don't.

Good pieces I'd reccommend are, as has been said, Technic beams, pins, and plates. I wouldn't say that slopes are a necessity since you can fudge them with clever hinging and SNOT, but the beams and pins ARE. If you try to build a SHIP around baseplates and bricks, the thin baseplates will bend, and your SHIP will snap apart at the spots where plates come together. Beams on the other hand are thicker, and can support more weight if you make your frame out of those, and then attach the non-structural plates and bricks on top of that. By non-structural, I mean anything that isn't actively playing a role in holding the ship together, such as decks, interior walls, computer terminals, and giant fuck-off lasers.

For actually connecting your beams together, use pins, not bricks! Bricks grip the studs on the top and bottom of a brick, and in some places only have contact with one surface of a beam. Technic beams are lined with pin slots, and you can use those to your advantage by holding beams together from WITHIN those holes by using pins. A good example of this shows up in the SPIII set Space Truck Getaway's frame. Notice that technic beams run the ENTIRE length of the ship!

actually the whole forward nose of the Hodgepodge is nothing more than plating on the bottom with wall of 1x2's. they just need to be interwoven to provide maximum hold, the whole hodgepodge is built like this and theres no bend in it. and you must remember is that it carrys things on these plates. so obviously is more than a sturdy enough option

Post by **OneEye589** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:15 pm

Yea, but that leaves just one giant block. If you use Technic bricks you can add whatever you want on the sides; plate siding, gun emplacements, thrusters, etc. Imagine all the things you could add on the Hodgepodge if those 1x2s were Technic.

They are much stronger for the frame as well if you stagger them correctly. They're the longest bricks and that really makes a difference.

Post by **Strana** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:16 pm

im just pointing out that you can go just as far with smaller bricks

Post by **OneEye589** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:18 pm

Yea, you can, but it doesn't leave as much room for special add-ons.

Post by **warman45** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:21 pm

or you can try option 3.........

SUPER GLUE! (warning do not apply on hands or eat glue. in case of emergency.... we'll if you manage to create an emergency with this stuff you're pretty much fucked.)

Post by **Cpt. Zipps** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:52 pm

lots of slopes, even a box looks less boxy if there are slopes running along the top. If you change the colour and add a stripe it looks really pro.

Also lots of windows, This is a mistake I have made with my ships.

otherwise: Lots of controls, 1X4's with studs on the side, and lots of plates.

Post by **IVhorseman** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:51 pm

Strana wrote:actually the whole forward nose of the Hodgepodge is nothing more than plating on the bottom with wall of 1x2's. they just need to be interwoven to provide maximum hold, the whole hodgepodge is built like this and theres no bend in it. and you must remember is that it carrys things on these plates. so obviously is more than a sturdy enough option

It works, bit it is insanely innefficient. You need several times more baseplates than beams to get the same effect going, but if you stagger them correctly then yes, it should hold.

Post by **Strana** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 9:38 pm

the main reason i build like this is tht i get my legos new from the pab section in store and consequently the most common units to build from are 4x12 plates and 1x2's. is also why i have the really bright foliages.

My terrible youtube channel · Post by **Magic Soap** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:38 am

I'm buying a UFO set, and I reckon I shoould have enough plates and briks. I'm thinking of basing it on a smaller ship I saw, the Juno Explorer Craft.

I might make some smaller fighters first, then frigates,
THEN a Capital Ship.