Three-part foam inserts for rough water sailing: one piece remains in the bow portion of the hull at all times and is never removed. A smaller second piece of the bow section is removeable along with the rest of the hull foam so that the stock gundeck and captain's quarters can be replaced and used for play on land, swimming pool, or for display.
Extra gun ports have been cut, and then framing was built to match the stock gunport frames using styrene strips:
After the extra gunports were done, I took sheet styrene to create framing inserts for 6 faux-cannons for use with the foam inserts during sailing in rough waters. The real playmo cannons can be used with the gundeck on land and in calm waters, but since I have to use the foam for rough waters (which eliminates room for the real playmo cannons, some faux-cannons had to be fashioned to take their place. Still fully interchangeable with the real cannons.
Foam and inserts being test-fit before painting:
Test fit of the foam inserts, the faux cannon frames and faux cannons:
The hull and styrene gunport frames get a new coat of black paint. So do the the styrofoam inserts, cannon backings, and 12 faux cannons (made from 3/8" dia PVC tubing cut to size):
The components:
Faux Cannons get some bronzing/weathering treatment and copper tips:
One more gunport frame is fabricated on the main deck. This is to create the illusion of having a fourth cannon on the maindeck on each side (totalling 8). I sacrificed two genuine playmobil cannons and cut off their tips to make it look like they were protruding out of the side of the ship.
Now, the cannons, faux cannons, and frames all done on the starboard battery, guns ready for battle!
I still have to fashion at least one working gunport hatch for one of the gunports on the gundeck, and have to still do the port side battery as well. I would have used real playmobil cannons instead of the faux ones, but I'm on a budget for now and chose not to sacrifice cutting the tips of 12 playmobil cannons off for now, considering they run about US$9 per pair! Later, when I'm rich, I'll replace with real playmobil cannons instead of PVC tubing.
more to come
