Heller 1/75 La Reale De France

jtilley

I'm afraid the best thing to do with the thread that came with the kit is to throw it in the waste basket.

I like the thought put into the flag direction. I've seen too many ship models with the ship under sail and the flags snapping happily astern.

I always look at the cost of supplies amortized over the time it takes to build the model. The armor and wing guys often complain about adding $ 50 in parts to a $ 40 model, which they build in 30 hours. I get it there. But a ship as you know takes hundreds and hundreds of hours, and upgrading the rigging supplies adds up to pennies per hour. Well worth it.

A really beautiful model.

Hi all back on this one too.

Hi all here is tonights little bit

Hi all I feel I'm getting there now (although this is the point at which it may get shelved (really not looking forward to the rigging) ) I'm sure you must all be getting bored of this by now.

Well I've done a bit on the rigging no pics as you wouldn't even notice what I've done, the instructions are so complex (even though I have English versions (I think that may even make it worse)) I have an idea I've gone as far as I want with this one. 

Hi all well I know some of you more used to rigging would probably have this much work don in ten mins but this represents several hours and lots of hair pulling and certain words of a not particularily pleasant nature.

http://i.imgur.com/X40fL7j.jpg

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Hi all here is where I am now.

Hi all as promised here are some pics

I couldnt find any gold thread to make the fringe round the canopy or the tassles at the end of the flags, so this will have to do

what swmbo dont know cant hurt her Te Hee Hee.
Now I just have to duplicate this on the other side do the rest of the rigging on the main sail then do exactly the same on the front mast and sail.

Hi all the flags on the main mast and the fore mast all have tassles on them, the instructions tell you to wind the gold thread round a rod or tube tie them then cut at the furthest point for the tie. well this is my best attempt out of ten

so, after hours of slaving at making a specialist tool for the job I came up with this.

yes I know it looks futuristic and exotic, and I know everyone will want one (especially at the special introductory offer of £50.00) I am expecting huge order numbers so please be patient, anyway here's how it works

Hi all yippee one mast and sail done.

Hi all I've just realised there are 24 more tassles to make for this kit, its becoming an epic build not sure I'm not sure it will be finished in my lifetime.

But they look really great. Keep it up.

I just spent six hours putting together 588 parts into a set of tank treads. They came out looking...like tank treads.

Stick with it! You're well past the halfway point, and it's going to be a spectacular model.

I've sat down at the table 3 times tonight and done nothing, is this what it feels like to lose your *** not felt like this before I love modeling but don't seem to have any interest when I sit down.

Might be burned out.You may have to pump the brakes and get back to it in a few days,it came out great so no bad feelings should ensue.

I know the feeling. That's a big project; if you're a little burned out, that's certainly understandable. But think what a beautiful thing the finished project will be - and you're so close to being done with it!

One point you might want to consider: the human brain and fingers are such that rigging the second mast probably won't be as difficult, or as time-consuming, as rigging the first one was.

Hi all well I'm back on it and here is todays offering

Hi all here is tonights episode

Hi all thought I would have a break from the rigging so decided to do the steps, they are supposed to have hand rails but they were so fine one was snapped on the sprue and one broke cutting it off the sprue so will have to make a couple out of copper wire

well this is on the back burner again

Hi all here is as far as i can go its the side arms for her

Hi all was looking at this today and noticed the mast was bent.

Well I'm not sure what's going to happen with the La Reale I've contacted heller several times but no reply, the 32 oars I do have couldn't go all on one side said some are different so I can't put them all on one side and display it that way. Not sure I can be bothered with displaying it in dry dock being refitted (lot of work involved and I will always know she's not complete) too big to keep hanging round, maybe time to bite the bullet and stick her in the spares drawer. All I know is she's taking up valuable room, not sure the missus will let me scrap her but, I am rapidly losing interest in her.

Hi all I've just emailed heller explaining to the person who dealt with the parts problem last time that I am a member of several forums that this build is posted on, and that it doesn't look good on Heller's part when I can't say when the build will restart.

But I've had a great idea, I love the sleek lines of the hull, what if I put some rockets on the side and turned her into a space galleon.

To answer your earlier question, I have not had that problem with Heller. But I have that problem all the time with kits I buy on eBay. Guy says "All the parts are there". Which translates to "All the parts that I can see are there".

Strange.  I've contacted Heller on 3 different occasions regarding lost or broken parts (twice for the Soleil Royal, once for the Victory)...each time they were quick to reply, and sent me replacement parts, lickety-split.  I have also had to request parts from Revell before, which took some time in shipping, but they were cool about it.  

The thing to remember about Heller is they are French, but apparently speak/read/write at least a little in English...it helps to use clear sentences, and stay to the point (i.e., I need parts # ___, ___, ___) and give your address.

I actually wrote my requests in English, then copied them into a French Translator in Google, then pasted the French translation below it in my message to them.  Maybe it helped, maybe it came off as an insult....but I got the parts I needed.

Anyway, your La Reale is looking good!  Hope you find the wherewithal to see her finished!  :)

Well I decided to have a go at making the missing parts and after 2 hrs and on my third attempt, this is what I have

Agree on all points, or at least don't spend too much on them. Or, impersonate David K when you write them.

Looking good, it'll be an achievement to get that done.

hi all well I'm as happy as a frog on a lilly pad the parts have arrived an idea can finally finish this build, thanks for sticking with it and giving me the enthusiasm to keep going. Hope you will all stay to the bitter end.

Hi all a small update, everyone was telling me the sails should not be billowing in different directions, contrary to the instructions and the fact that the sails are vac formed and can only but put on that way, I decided to make sure its right I would do the fore mast sail furled.