Heller kits

If you search this Forum you'll find several threads that deal with these two kits - including the paintwork.  Regarding primer - the short answer is that a sailing ship kit is no different than any other.  Modern hobby paints do not require a primer to make them stick to styrene plastic.  A light grey primer can be useful, though, to provide a single, neutral color base, so a thin finish coat can cover any differences in the molded plastic colors.

There are lots of brands of paint, and different modelers have their own individual preferences.  My personal favorite is the PolyScale brand of acrylics, which have an excellent brushing consistency (I'm a die-hard fan of brush painting when it comes to sailing ship models), dry fast (maybe too fast sometimes), and are available in a vast range of colors.

I agree with John Tilley, because of the  many subtle forms of the hulls, particularly of 18c vessels, brush painting is my preferred way. It seems to me to give a more authentic finish in keeping with the period.

I did not prime my Heller Victory hull although I did use Humbrol grey primer for the masts once they had been cleaned up.

My own preference for 'Victory' colours here in the UK is the 'Admiralty' range of paints produced by Jotika. In my opinion their red and yellow ochres are about spot on. I use the enamel version.

I have both kits also.   I have finished the initial hull work on the Royal.  I'll post a pic soon.  I just got my Victory.

I do prime parts.  Some people don't, but I do.  To me, the colors seem richer when I prime.  I use Citadel primers and paints, along with a variety of other companies.  Whatever looks best and flows best for me.  Now, I brush paint as much as I can.  The Royal was brush painted and looks very nice.  But, I have an airbrush handy for tiny details and when I have a lot of small parts to paint.  Take the cannons for example.  Between the two kits, that's around 214 guns to paint.  Imagine hand-painting all those parts.  So I airbrush to save time.

There are a lot of references for painting the Victory on the web, or if possible, just visit her yourself.  I envy you that you have an easier time to get to her since you're in the UK.  But there are a lot references on the web.

Send me a private message if you like.  I'd love to compare notes while we build.

Grymm amd George W:

You just might be intrested in this site. They are doing some very impressive work on their kits, and have a depth of knowledge on the Victory.

http://www.chumster.co.uk/forum/index.php?mforum=bobbie

This site id decited on building the Heller 1:100 H.M.S. Victory

 

I hope this helps guys

 

Dick Wood

You rock.  I've been collecting sites for the builds of both kits and this is very nice.

Thanks.

Uncle Grymm

Grymm, you don't happen to know a few sites about building the Soleil Royal!? Would be nice.

Thanks,

 

I have been searching and searching and I've only been able to find a scant few photos of builds in progress and some completed photos.   I would kill to find someone who had some good detailed photos of their entire build.

The problem is the complexity of the build.  The hull is simple enough, just a lot of painstaking painting, especially around the sterncastle.  But, the rigging is another story.  The rigging, especially if your instructions are in french, are a nightmare, having to flip back and forth furiously in order to figure out where a line ties off at.  Then you're left with "how the heck do you put the yards on?"

So, I will keep trying to find sites or photos, or anything I can on it.  If I do, I'll post the links here.  If you like, send me an email and I'll send you what I've got.  We'll figure this out somehow.  I've been busy doing some translating, in order to make the instructions a little easier for me to run through.  I've also started the unenviable task of putting together over 100 guns.   ooooooo, what fun...

Uncle Grymm

<BLOCKQUOTE><table class="quoteOuterTable"><tr><td class="txt4"><img src="/FSM/CS/Themes/default/images/icon-quote.gif">&nbsp;<strong>z00mie wrote:</strong></td></tr><tr><td class="quoteTable"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top" class="txt4"><font size="3">I have both Heller royal sun and hms victory. Do I use primer? What color? Which paint manufacturer do I use? Its been a long time since I did plastic ships.<br><br>David<br></font></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hello: Personally I like the enamels from Heller sometimes labelled as "Humbrol" enamels.

They dry within 6 hours! Enamels from Revell for example will take 24 hours for its trying process.

Enamels from "Model Master" (distributed in Europe via "Italery") are also good bet.

You will quickly figure out that brush painting is a welcome method while building historic sailing ships especially in the light of weathering your model.

Regards,
Kater Felix

For me it depends on the plastic as too wether or not to prime. Revell-Monogram plastic usually doesn't need to be primered, neither does Tamiya. But Lindbergh (not all of them) and AMT do. If the plastic is slick and shiny right out of the box is my gauge as to primer or not. As far as primer goes, I've used Krylon and the Wal-Mart store brand with good results. I don't know if either is available in the UK, but a friend of mine from the UK says that Halfords Flat White is a pretty good primer.