Topic: Heller 1/75 La Reale De France (Read 56145 times)

kpnuts · « **on:** April 07, 2015, 07:13:42 pm »

Hi all well since I've nearly finished the Spits and the Lanc I thought it was time to start back on the Corvette and this little beauty that I've just taken delivery of, I must say I thought the 1/6 bikes box were huge but even they pale into insignificance when compared to this beast.

That said the box could be half this size

The moulding detail is beautiful

The instructions however could do with some work, one written page in english everything else is in French.

and why put these on the top where they could get creased like this, if theyed been on the bottom this would not have happened

Hopefully I can iron them out.

I have taken a very stupid chance and bought a very (well I think its very expensive) guilding kit just for this. I gulp, am going to try useing real gold leaf wherever the ship has gold. I have never guilded anything in my life so we will see, have I wasted my money, am I going to ruin this kit, stay tunefor the next exciting episode.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #1 on:** April 07, 2015, 07:30:06 pm »

Ooh cool. I bought four of the 1:400th scale kits for my French Tudor fleet but they were a bit small. I salute you for giving gold leaf a go.

I am sure you have thunked of it before, but pop on Youtube and see how the experts do gilding.

warspite · « **Reply #2 on:** April 07, 2015, 11:24:48 pm »

do you think the box is actually bigger than it really needs to be - it seems like it, i take it is going to be static as well, not much space to rc it, unless a deans mini 24ghz system could be fitted, i'd love to do a version of the heller 1:100 victory - now thats got space compared to the standard airfix 1:180 or even the hellers 1:225

ballastanksian · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2015, 08:47:15 am »

Heller probably decided to save money by not having another size box stamped/printed with the inherrant set up costs, and just went for an existing box. Several companies design their kits to a scale that fits a minimum number of boxes, Revell is a case in point with ship kits in some interesting scales!

kpnuts · « **Reply #4 on:** April 09, 2015, 08:25:17 pm »

Well here is my first attempt at guilding.

not sure wether to do a wash to highlight the detail or not, dont know if it will kill the shine on the gold, and if I did what colour should i use.

kpnuts · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2015, 06:16:21 pm »

Hi all here is a bit of an update. I have a big problem with this kit and dont know how much further I can go with it. there is supposed to be 2 sprues number 17 and 2 number 18 but there is only 1 of each, I have emailed Heller and asked for the missing sprues to be sent but have no idea what their customer service is like I'm hopeing they will send them as the kit is useless without them and I will have to bin it otherwise. so will do what I can and hope they will send the parts sooner rather than later.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2015, 09:10:21 pm »

I thought they had dissapeared after Airfix went belly up a few years back, so as long as they are producing the kit (Manufacturers re-release kits from time to time) they should have the sprues.

Did you buy the kit new or second hand? If the latter, it may be some time since they ran the moulds. Can you copy the parts by scratch building?

kpnuts · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2015, 09:24:44 pm »

Hi I bought it direct from Heller in France so hopefully should get a reply

ballastanksian · « **Reply #8 on:** April 13, 2015, 09:27:03 pm »

That is good, they then are obliged to sort out your lack of sprues.

kpnuts · « **Reply #9 on:** April 13, 2015, 09:42:11 pm »

I hope so as there are loads of parts on those two sprue's and yes maybe I could scratch build a couple of the bits but not all of them. There must be sixty odd bits on those two sprue's.

kpnuts · « **Reply #10 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:22:00 pm »

Here is an update these rib bits are very confusing, doesn't help there are no english instructions for this bit.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #11 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:34:03 pm »

Crikey, you have become quite the dab hand at gold leaf work. The intricacy of the build is really starting to show.

Does she come with a crew?

kpnuts · « **Reply #12 on:** April 16, 2015, 06:57:12 am »

Hi no mate, thank god 427 galley slaves at 1/75, that's not counting the rest of the crew, don't fancy painting that lot. Struggling with the instructions 17 written in french and one in English, I would seriously suggest anyone contemplating building this kit learns to read french first, or they may end up bald like me.

warspite · « **Reply #13 on:** April 16, 2015, 10:05:06 am »

or type the instructions into outlook and translate - pigeon style

kpnuts · « **Reply #14 on:** April 16, 2015, 06:28:44 pm »

will have to look into that one, do you mean outlook as in the email prog.

I am having all sorts of problems getting rid of the loose flakey bits that you just cant seem to brush off, so I've decided to try guilding the whole part then painting over the guilding.
I've started by sizing all the parts for guilding

then guilding the whole lot

Now painting it

also I decide to put a wash over some of the solid gold parts to highlight some of the detail

essex2visuvesi · « **Reply #15 on:** April 16, 2015, 07:56:20 pm »

Have to say the wash certainly makes a difference, really brings out the high spots and adds some nice shadowing

ballastanksian · « **Reply #16 on:** April 16, 2015, 09:10:17 pm »

She will be a wonderful sight on the pond when complete!

kpnuts · « **Reply #17 on:** April 18, 2015, 03:28:55 pm »

Hi all here is last nights work.

warspite · « **Reply #18 on:** April 18, 2015, 04:04:30 pm »

Yes the e-mail program - select the text and right click - about 2/3rds the way down is translate - just change the settings French to English.

I don't think he intents to sail her, unless it is in the bath, it looks like a static model, especially with that free board.

ballastanksian · « **Reply #19 on:** April 18, 2015, 05:50:42 pm »

That is a shame, but it will look splendid on the mantelpiece!

kpnuts · « **Reply #20 on:** April 19, 2015, 06:15:25 pm »

Hi all here is todays efforts

ballastanksian · « **Reply #21 on:** April 19, 2015, 08:30:03 pm »

Gorgeous work! I love that blue you are using, it reminds me of the Humbrol shade.

kpnuts · « **Reply #22 on:** April 19, 2015, 08:34:25 pm »

Glad you like it unfortunately I won't be going much further with this unless the parts come through, I will probably end up putting itvin a dio of dry dock having a refit if the parts don't turn up, which is looking quite likely.

Brian60 · « **Reply #23 on:** April 19, 2015, 09:12:27 pm »

That's a fair sized craft. I love the gilding work especially the wash to bring out the shadows better. Forget using Outlook for translation. If you are using google chrome as a browser it will do it automatically for you. If not the google homepage has its own translator anyway. All you need to do is copy and paste any words or paragraphs into it and it will translate- it is pretty accurate with it as well.

I'm not too sure it would make a good pond sailer though, the freeboard is much too low due to the oar ports for the slaves.

kpnuts · « **Reply #24 on:** April 20, 2015, 07:48:11 pm »

Hi all well I've done all the flure de lys on one side (think I've gone cross eyed doing them)

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Author Topic: Heller 1/75 La Reale De France (Read 56145 times)