My Royal built

I have a spool of black tread provided by the Admiral, is very thin and I think it will go very well with the thicker shroud rope ( about 1 mm ) that I will be using.

Thanks

Joe

I went to Hobby Lobby today, I found several treads of different sizes, but, I had to choose them by sight, because, since sizing of treads is not standardized, I could not match what the kit needs and what was available, so, I may have to guess as to the size of tread needed for the model.

The store paint selection was limited to mostly Testor paint of which they had a a good variety of colors, they also had about 20 bottles of Vallejo, but, they did not had any Tamiya paints. Tomorrow I am planning to go to Michael's to see what I can find there.

My daughter found out that I went to the store and got very angry with me, what can I tell you, apparently she loves her daddy a lot.

Joe

I was about to start installing the lower eyeballs for the shrouds when I noticed something, I do not think there are sufficient eyeballs of the appropriate sizes to complete the model. There are 3 sizes of eyeballs, since I could not find what size belongs were on the instructions, I went by the logic that the bottom shrouds go with the bigger eyeballs, apparently it depends on which mast you are working with. Anyhow has anyone that have done this model have run into this problem? Are there sufficient eyeballs for each area?

Maybe they are right in from of me and I am unable to see them.

Also, I am on page 15 of the instructions, what a nightmare, many of the lines do not show were they are supposed to end, they are all numbered, however, I am unable to find the termination of some of the numbers. If this is an example of Heller instructions, I do not think I will be buying another Heller product.

Thanks

Joe

PD.  Yes, I know, you guys warned me about this model.

Having-fun

Also, I am on page 15 of the instructions, what a nightmare, many of the lines do not show were they are supposed to end, they are all numbered, however, I am unable to find the termination of some of the numbers. If this is an example of Heller instructions, I do not think I will be buying another Heller product.

Heller rigging instructions are on a par with Trumpeter color callouts--largely imaginary.

I strongly suspect all Heller rigging instructions were written by the same author, while drinking absinthe and chain-smoking clove Galois while contemplating going on strike.  All while being no closer to the sea than some bistro in St Dennis.

That sample text then being edited to specific kit by some intern using a "model" built in Spain for the Tourist trade as a guide.  The sort of thing carved from a single plank of wood and rigged in coarse Jute twine.

Ok, I'm biased.  I view Heller kits as bases for semi-scratch building.  The hulls are ok, the detailing reasonable; but all the spars and rigging are toast, and you want you refernce material to size things correctly.

That's my doux sou, and ought be spent appropriately.

having fun , I have the imai rigging instructions , which are japanese , but alot better . if you PM me , I can send them to you if you want .

Hello! I have not been posting updates on the build due to reaching a point were I did not know how to proceed due to the confusing drawings on the french version of the instructions, but, thanks to Steve9, who send to me the Japanese instructions of the same ship, I was able to continue, attached is were I stand today, about to start doing the shrouds.

Hoping I can work with the dead eyes provided by the model, they are very small and do not have a channel to keep the rope in its place.

Until next time

Joe

 Update: The member who send me the Japanese instructions was Steve5, not Steve9. Sorry Steve! I am a lousy typest.

Joe

Well , this is my next update. After several days of doing the shrouds, I finally did the 6 in lowest area of the mast, I had run into several problems and, at one point, I got so frustrated that I was about to put the model in the garage and forget about it. Instead I drop the project for a couple of days, which let me to come up with ways I could solve my problems, then I continue and finally I have the 6 shrouds made.
I still have to do the rat lines, but, before I start I have to put back all the parts that came unglued while doing the shrouds, if you shake the ship it sounds louder that a baby's rattle. Following are 2 photos showing my progress.

Well until next time.

Joe

Looking great!  You've passed me by!  Your build is an inspriration to get mine into my rigging stand and do the mainmast shrouds and ratlines.

Don Stauffer

Looking great!  You've passed me by!  Your build is an inspriration to get mine into my rigging stand and do the mainmast shrouds and ratlines.

 

Thank you, your comments are helping me get motivated to continue with this built until it is done, I give myself another 3 to 4 month to complete the built. I hope that this time period is a reasonable one.

Joe

I have started to add the rag lines, so far I have completed 2 and working on the third one. As you all know it is a slow tedious process and I only can work on it for a short time before the antiquated computer system that resides in my head starts failing, so rest in between sessions is a most.

You may also notice that I am adding ropes to the doors of the gun ports, This is an addition to the model since the kit does not calls for it. I have not finish them because I, so far, broken off 4 drill bits, so I am waiting for some new ones to arrive. These drill bits will break at the minor provocation, they have to go in straight or they will break on you. Well here is the photo:

Until next time

Joe

Hi Joe;

  Oh Good Heavens, Don't shake the ship! The crew will think they are in the Grips of a Leviathon of the Deep ! Nice work. Yes, I buy a tube or two of drill bits every three months or so. I seem to break more at 77 than I did at 37!

  I just absolutely love your paint work. I have the same ship in stash. I dunno, Room is at a premium right now.

Ok, next update. I have completed all the shrouds and rat lines on the lower section of the 3 masts and the little mast on the front, I also added ropes to the gun ports doors. Adding the ropes was not as bad as I imagined, I have a small electric drill and I did have to order more drill bits ( I broke 4 of them) but I was able to do the work.

I also attached all the parts that have the bright gold colors, the ship is looking pretty good, if I may say so. Attached are some photos:

In this photo you can see that I have attached the anchors and I also made a part with Styrofoam to put in the area just below the figurehead, I painted the part black and hand painted some fancy lines in gold.

In here you can see the gun ports ropes.

Showing the bright work.

Well, here is were I stand, next will be the schrouds for the second set of masts.

Joe

Hello again!

I have completed the shrouds and rat lines, as you know this part of the build is very tedious, at one time I was almost ready to put away the model and forget about it. But, with a little push from the Admiral, I went ahead and completed this part.

Attached there are 3 photos on how the ship looks like, I know my shrouds and rat lines are not as good as some of you guys, but, remember this is the first time I do them.

Well, there they are. My next step is to start getting ready the cross members and then installing then on the ship.

Until next time!

Joe

Looking good, Joe.  Remember, Joe- your camera can focus much closer than the human eye, so the ratlines will look better than the photos.  Still, for a first attempt they look fine- I complement you for taclkling the effort.  The SR deserves the effort.

So,Joe;

  Whattya moanin about? Them there ratlines and stuff look okay ta me. That view from the stern makes it look like an overdecorated old apartment building. 

Thank you guys for your comments, I am fully aware that there are a lot of errors in the shrouds and rat lines, but, I did not realized that doing them was so tedious and so prom to errors. If it was not for the Admiral to threatened me to lock the bedroom door if I did not continue, the model would now be sitting somewhere in the garage.

She know I tend to get discourage easily, so from time to time, she has to push me. I did learn a lot doing them, so, on the next project, I hope to do better.

Joe

Having-fun

 

Thank you guys for your comments, I am fully aware that there are a lot of errors in the shrouds and rat lines, but, I did not realized that doing them was so tedious and so prom to errors. If it was not for the Admiral to threatened me to lock the bedroom door if I did not continue, the model would now be sitting somewhere in the garage.

She know I tend to get discourage easily, so from time to time, she has to push me. I did learn a lot doing them, so, on the next project, I hope to do better.

Joe

 

It is nice that your wife follows your build.  My wife has no interest in my models, neither knows nor cares what I am working on, and constantly criticises the size of my stash.

Joe,

Have you checked out a build log of this ship by David_K?  He did a wonderful job of this kit!  It might give you some great ideas.

You are doing a nice job on this difficult model.  I can send you a copy of the Imai version of their instructions, which are much better than those by Heller.  Please let me know.  There are also several references about rigging that can help you. If you like, I will send you a list of them.

Bill

warshipguy

Joe,

Have you checked out a build log of this ship by David_K?  He did a wonderful job of this kit!  It might give you some great ideas.

You are doing a nice job on this difficult model.  I can send you a copy of the Imai version of their instructions, which are much better than those by Heller.  Please let me know.  There are also several references about rigging that can help you. If you like, I will send you a list of them.

Bill

 

I have the Heller instructions in French and Steve5 was kind enough to send me the Japanese instructions which have helped me  a lot. However I do not speak French or Japanese. Yes, I would be interested in the Imai instructions, could you please tell me what I need to do to get them?

Thanks

Joe

Don Stauffer

 

 

Having-fun

 

Thank you guys for your comments, I am fully aware that there are a lot of errors in the shrouds and rat lines, but, I did not realized that doing them was so tedious and so prom to errors. If it was not for the Admiral to threatened me to lock the bedroom door if I did not continue, the model would now be sitting somewhere in the garage.

She know I tend to get discourage easily, so from time to time, she has to push me. I did learn a lot doing them, so, on the next project, I hope to do better.

Joe

 

 

 

 

It is nice that your wife follows your build.  My wife has no interest in my models, neither knows nor cares what I am working on, and constantly criticises the size of my stash.

 

 

Yes, I am lucky, she actually helps me selects the next project and helps me determined the proper colors to use on the model. In this build, she worked with me in searching for the proper paper to use on the sails. Her only complain is about the mess I create while building it.

Joe

Send me your email address and I'll forward the Heller instructions in English

jeffpez

Send me your email address and I'll forward the Heller instructions in English

 

The e-mail is jmarnett@att.net

And thanks

Joe

I just sent 3 emails with the English instructions (the last one is for a missing page in the first email). Let me know if it all shows up properly.

jeffpez

I just sent 3 emails with the English instructions (the last one is for a missing page in the first email). Let me know if it all shows up properly.

 

I have received your 3 e-mails. After looking at the instructions I can only think how much frustrations I would have saved and how easier the building of the ship would have been if I had these instructions sooner. At first impression, it appears that these instructions are very clear and well designed, I most definable will use them to correctly finish the kit.

I want to thanks you for taking the time to send these instructions to me, it will surely make the completion of the kit a fun project instead of a punishment.

Thanks again

Joe

Well, here I am again. I have completed the preliminary rigging of the ship and getting ready to add the sails. I will be using parchment paper (The admiral uses it in the kitchen) for the sails, I cut the paper in strips  about 3/4 of a inch wide then I glue them together to obtain the looks of a sails, see the sample sail in this tread.

I still have not decided of what color I going to use, but, after looking closely at the paper, I am playing with the idea of leaving the sails with the color of the paper since it is like an off white. Will see. Attached is a photo of the ship as it stands now.

Please feel free to criticize, talk, converse, and even object to what I am doing, I am not easily offended so be honest. I promise that if I do not like a comment, I will not call the PC police on you.

Until next time

Joe

Well, here I am again. I have started to install the sails, I had originally stated that I was going to make my own sails, but, after I painting my sails, I did not like the results, they did not looked like sails and the overall looks and texture did not resemble real sails.

I had a pow wow with the Admiral and, after checking the plastic sails that came with the ship, we realized that they were sufficiently decent after properly painting them. I used deck paint from Tamiya heavily mixed with white at the ration of about 7 to 1 then retouch the rest with a wash of the same undiluted paint.

See the results in the following photo. Maybe in my next ships I would dedicate more time to find a better substitute for the plastic sails.

The ship is coming along, I am hoping to finish it by the end of March.

Thanks to every one, until next time.

Joe

You are doing nice work there.

Those sails look nice and painting them worked.

The footropes on the port side of both the course and the topsail should be on the back of the sails, not the front.

Well done,

Bill

GMorrison

You are doing nice work there.

Those sails look nice and painting them worked.

The footropes on the port side of both the course and the topsail should be on the back of the sails, not the front.

Well done,

 

Bill

 

As you may be aware, the instructions for this kit are not very clear, thanks Bill, for bringing this to my attention, I will fix them so they are in the rear of the sails.

Joe

Looking great!

It is finished !!!!!!! I just finished the build, the only thing left are the flags. Attached are several photos of the completed model (sans the flags ).

I would like to thanks everyone in this blog for the help I received while building it, specially to steve5, who provided me with the Japanese instructions and jeffpez who provided the English instructions, without these additional documentation, I believe I would not have been able to complete the model.

I know this model is not to the high standards of some of the experienced modelers in this blog, but, while building it, I learned a lot of new techniques and obtained an inside of how the rigging on these vessels is to be done.

My son-in-law want me to build a Black Pearl pirate ship, the one he wants is one that has lights and it is a wood model, I have warned him that I have never build a wood ship, but he is willing to risk it (He is buying it )

One thing for sure, I will think twice before purchasing another Heller model.

Here are the photos:

Bow

Front life boat

Rear life boat

Midle sails

In here I changed the background to allow the ringing to be more noticeable. This in the midle of the ship.

Front ringing

Sitting in its final location

 Well, here it is. Now to the next model!

Thanks

Joe