"Pirate problem!" Topic

All,
So, I recently purchased three 3D printed ships, two sloops and a skiff in 15mm. They arrived today, and my Blue Moon minis tower over the ship sides. Help!

Blue Moon 15mm are tall. I have a few. They're more like 1/72 scale. I don't know why they call them 15mm.

Actually 18mm, but my problem remains. I'm hoping the guy will take them back.

I'm guessing the situation is made worse by basing. I suspect the 3D print design didn't account for the height of any base— so in effect, your minis are not just 3mm taller, they're more likely 6mm taller— so compared to a "true scale" ship, your figures are effectively 24mm— and even a true 15mm figure, once based, would appear to be 18mm.
Is cutting down the basing possible?

Parzival, no because the figures will be used for land actions primarily.

Blue Moon minis are "heroic" 25s. Closer to 18mm. You can ignore the problem since ships had sideboards of widely varying sizes. Alternatively, you could purchase the very nice Peter Pig pirates which are true 15mm size and use your Blue Moon pirates for land actions. Either way, good hunting for treasure matey!

I have a few Peter Pig AWI figures, and tried them. To my eye them seem big as well. They'd work if I sliced off their bases.

What scale were the ships printed in?

Supposedly 15mm, but to my eye they are smaller.

Some people do underscale their vessels and buildings, so I can see this being a problem.

I don't know if this link to my Photobucket album will work anymore (multiple photos of PP 15mm pirates on the Disney Pirate ships), but they look nice together.

link

I imagine the PP pirates will be best with many 15mm pirate ships.

If I recall correctly, they are mounted on 10mm – 12mm wide washers.

Would adding a base under the ships help? Maybe disguise it with some waves lapping at their sides.

Try running a balsa strip on top of the railing to add some height to it? Shouldn't look too out of place, once painted…

I also own Blue Moon and they are certainly not 1/72 scale which runs 22-25mm. I wish they were but not even close.

Thanks

John

The cannon even look too small.

Worth a thousand words, right? My flickr page with two photos -

link

15mm is a wildly inconsistent scale. Has been ever since Anthony Barton started sculpting. There's been quite a lot of discussion of the Blue Moon range being at the 18mm end of things. Also basing is always a problem that way, since your castings are now even taller relative to whatever they're hiding behind. (I've had to put earthworks and fences on bases for just that reason.)
I'd say (1) try steel bases for your pirates to get them as low as you can and still be based. (2) Talk to your 3D printer about an 18mm ship. People keep telling me 3D printers will make any size you want, and I'd like to see at least one example of it in real life. Buy one for a sample if postage isn't prohibitive. (3) If you don't like the balsa solution, sell the existing ships. Don't persist with something which is going to go on bothering you.

Robert, the figures are on steel washers. I'm waiting to hear from the seller to see what he suggests.

Nick, I was asking what scale it was printed at, suck as 1:100, etc. If PP is too big, I really wonder about the scale.

He scale was simply 15mm, I don't know beyond that. 1/100 th would have been fine.

The figure in my photo is an 18mm Blue Moon pirate.

*such*

Maybe a cautionary tale for everyone. "Mr. 3D printer person, what scale is 15mm to you?"

79th,
Sadly true. I have yet to get a response from him.

I asked if he could print the ships at 20mm.

Replacing a washer with sheet steel will save at least a millimeter. When you only have 15 (or 18) to play with, that counts. But 20mm ships may be the best solution. Our castings, being based, always take up more room than they should.

Robert, for the moment, I'm going to stick with these ships. They will be used more for offshore support than ship to ship action. If I decide to go that route, definitely 20mm ships.