Pirate Ship Doll House or minature

[Black Syren]

Ok I was looking about today at some really cool minature items for doll houses and such. But...I did not see anything for Pirate ships..Has anyone ever thought of creating a ship so that it opens up and a child can play with it as one does a doll house? Or as a collectible? Im probably crazy for even posting this..but it seems intresting and I know we have very talented people here.

[Silkie McDonough]

hmmm, I think it is a fine idea lass. Pirates are quite popular these days. Would be a grand collectible to have ...if I didn't have too much "stuff" already!

[LongTom]

Something like this?

It appears to open up, but I can't tell what belowdecks looks like.

[Silkie McDonough]

Yes but I want more detail!

I want the cannons. The windows in the captains quarters. I want the ornate carving of the woodwork in the ward room.

The hammocks, the ropes and sails on the berth deck. Stores of barrals and crates!

[LongTom]

In that case, maybe what you want comes from these people. I'm currently building this ship. Probably a mistake to start with one of the intermediate models, but I've managed not to completely ruin it so far. (shades of Calvin and Hobbes and the airplane model...)

These definitely do not open up, unless you count this cross section model. They also are sufficiently small scale that dollhouse-style operation is not practical. But they are mighty pretty!

[Silkie McDonough]

"Let me splain"

When I say doll house I am talking about a toy that is say ...oh, at least 3 feet wide and maybe that high not including the roof.

You have that?

[LongTom]

Hmmmm.... so if I'm reading you right, a pirate ship scaled to take "standard" dollhouse furniture...okay, yes... three feet long... implies something like ten inches wide... probably would imply a hull that opens on one side like a cupboard door, rather than splitting open at the keel line (that also would make the standing and running rigging much less of a nightmare, since the top deck could be permanent...sounds like a two-master at most, at that scale... probably one deck of belowdecks, probably flat bottomed, though some sort of stand could be incorporated, if a full keel is desired... some necessary distortions of scale of the parts, for sturdiness, and simplification of rigging, just to keep it manageable for a kid...still, definitely go to the trouble of tapering the masts and spars, for appearance...

Yup. Could be done. (Not likely by me. I haven't the woodworking skills.)

That ship model company has some ships on roughly that size (though not necessarily that scale), by the way, like this one, if you have 7 or 8 hundred to spend on it. (I know, still not the right thing...but nice to drool over anyway...)

[Red Cat Jenny]

ok ok well now I am drooling...

You just HAD t post this aye?

Now I've got one more thing on my to do list

Oh well..maybe increase the scale an sail away on one!

[Silkie McDonough]

ooooh! I likey!

Now, if I could just find that sugar daddy.

[Patrick Hand]

OK... this isn't a doll house ship......

But my Boss gave me an old porciline doll she had when she was a kid....Its a bit over a foot tall..... the body is in good shape, but the clothing is a bit ragged.... I figure it's over 50 years old......

When I have some free time (Yah right.....) I want to re-dress it (her) into a Pyrate ..... figure I will do it to eventully sell (Making cloths for a doll is one thing.... keeping it gets a bit wierd.....) But I am good enough at sewing, that I might be able to make some money offa the project........

[LongTom]

Google tells me that the most common scales associated with dollhouses (search terms: dollhouse furniture scale) are 1" (one-inch, or 1:12) and 1/2" (half-inch, or 1:24). That ought to tell you what sort of ship can be built to the size of a reasonable dollhouse. By way of comparison, that four-foot-plus HMS Surprise is 1:48, so building the equivalent ship at dollhouse scale would be either nine feet or seventeen feet long. (you say that like there is some problem, tom... )

[Silkie McDonough]

Save the original clothing Patrick. Could someday be the difference between $50.00 and $500.00 dollars.

[PyratePhil]

Too bad this topic wasn't here years ago. I had made a doll house for the wife from scratch, based on actual plans for a Victorian mansion.

I made it to 1:12 scale and started by making a 4' x 6' table that hinged open into three sections. The house itself I made of hand-hewn basswood, cherry, oak, pine and mahogany. Scale framing with individual 2"x6" 's for that puppy! Hand-turned stairway banister and railings...the house was made to open exactly along the lines of the tables' opening seams, but the division of the house itself I wanted to be perfectly invisible when closed.

Running water, electrified, real stained glass - you name it. At the time I was producing custom doll-houses for clients that were similar, so I was already set up with a "micro workshop" - miniature lathes, shapers, table saws, etc.

From conception to finish it took slightly less than two years, at an average of 2-3 hours per day work on it. When I brought it to several miniature shows in NY at the time as an attention-grabber for my work, I was made some interesting offers.

Never thought of a pirate ship at the time - might have been interesting. It's definitely doable by several workers in the doll house field today, but if you're looking for something for kids to play with I daresay you wouldn't want to go through the time, trouble - or expense - of having one custom-made like my doll houses. Stick with Playmobile or Lego - much easier on your wallet and psyche!

[Silkie McDonough]

If I had the funds I would want it for myself! Alas, I do not have such an amount of cash flow to justify such a frivolous expense.

Your mansion sounds divine! I'd add that one to my collection also.

[gryffin]

Not’ that it would help you now, but as a kid I had the Fighting Furies pirate dolls and ship. They where about 8” talland the ship was a carrying case/ play set. It was bigger then dollhouse scale but fun.

Here’s a link about them:

Fighting Furies Info

[LongTom]

If you aren't concerned with accuracy, MegaBloks makes some pretty nice ship toys in several of their toy series.

Captain Cutlass' Stormstalker from the Pyrates toy series.

Man O'War, from the Dragons toy series. This is my favorite of the MegaBloks ships. Nice lines, and big!

And of course, the Black Pearl, the Flying Dutchman, and a number of other increasingly fantastical ships, which you can find on their website. I called the first two out as being in my opinion their best representation of a wooden ship.

[LongTom]

Not a ship, but a lighthouse.

[LongTom]

Sorry to harp on it, but this idea of scale has caught my imagination. The HMS Rose, which portrayed the HMS Surprise in Master and Commander, has a Length Over All of 179 feet, and a beam of 32 feet. (Here is her specs page)

That means that were she placed on my 0.2 acre lot (50'x150'), she would be just slightly wider than my house, her length on deck would be roughly two of my house, and the bowsprit would hang over the neighbor's yard by some 29 feet.

Big ship.

[PyratePhil]

...and in 1:12 scale you'd have a still-impressive model roughly 15' long and a bit under 3' wide!

[Black Syren]

Ok..LOL Aye I was thinking something like the 700.00 ship..But maybe for those who wish to just collect just have half a ship and then you could show the furniture and stuff in minitaure down to the brigs..lol

I don't know..I just wondered if one had ever been done as I saw a doll house that was made like a tree house..It was unique and really stood out.

Though I'd settle for a Pirate Ceiling Fan too..

[PyratePhil]

Though I'd settle for a Pirate Ceiling Fan too..  

What, like this?

[NVBarbossa]

ahh forget the doll house, here try this

http://www.danielswoodland.com/index.php?o...d=35&Itemid=119

[Caraccioli]

Though I'd settle for a Pirate Ceiling Fan too..  

What, like this?

Probably more like this:

(Here's a gratuitous link to my Pirate Living Room Page with the explanation of the building of that fan on it:

http://www.markck.com/images/My%20House/Li...oom%20lamps.htm )

Say, anyone who wants hand-made Jack Sparrow dangles for fan pulls like the ones used on the fan can do a trade with me through the plunder exchange. (Although not quite as accurate - those shown in the photo below cost me nearly $100 to complete when I was done with them - those Kuchi coins with the dangles are damned expensive if you want one accurate to the film.) If you really want to use them as fan pulls, tell me that and I'll use fan pull strands to make them. See the plunder exchange post for more on the exchange (which is really cool):

https://pyracy.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=10175

[Black Syren]

Wow..this thread keeps getting better and better..Aye something similar..

I had a dream a few nights back that I was staring up at a ceiling fan..but the fan was like Caraccioli's but diffrent.

The blades were fastened on with skulls and crossbones. But the unique thing about the fan was the metal cap at the very bottom of the fan that holds the lights on? That was another skull and crossbones.

Weird dreams I know..

And I love the fan pulls...If I could afford it I'd have one on each of my fans..lol

[Rumba Rue]

I'm afraid if I made bead fan pulls, my cats would never get off the dining table....