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Heller 1/75 La Reale De France


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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
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I'm quite pleased with it, its a bit crude but when its installed I dont think it will notice too much.
I know one thing I will never buy another heller kit. its not the kits (the kwak apart) they are great kits I've loved the La Reale, its their complete ignorance I've sent 2 emails just asking would they let me know even if they are going to send the parts, not one single reply to 8 emails, now I call that down right rude. I intend to send one more email informing them that they are not the only kit manufacturer out there and if they treat all their customers the way they have treated me I wont be the only customer they loose.(since they obviously ignore emails it probably wont do any good but it will make me feel better) You don't buy model kit and expect to have to make the parts yourself. Rant over so only 15 more of these babys to make
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  • 3 weeks later...

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.

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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.
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Hi all well here is an update on this build someone told me the clew? was missing, well apparently this is it (the loose flap of sail from the furled sail)in the first picture.

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I've added all the cannons now as well.

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Hi all didn't like the oar handle, too irregular, so browsing the net I found these, they are OO gauge steps (1/87) so near enough.

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But as you can see they are too wide

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so with my guage 

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I whittled them down a bit

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cut to length

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split

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and with a little bit of fettling they will all look the same now

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Hi all, well I'm deffnitley on the last leg with this one 

this is half way there with the oars

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just these left to do

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every single oar has this huge mould seam on it, so thats just 32 to sort out

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and here they all are with the seams removed and the white paint applied.

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I really feel this is nearing the end now, once I add the oars it will be huge, no idea what I will do with it when done, I had my warspite dio in the local library, but now thats back due to the library re-utilising the areas and no longer having room for it (a polite way of saying no one was interested in it) so now I've got that back too. argh I have no room.

Edited by kpnuts
missed out last pic
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Well I am so annoyed I thought I had some oars over and I had finished them but no, stupid idiot there are 32 PAIRS of oars, not 32 oars, now I have to order more of the steps to cut down for the handles, or I display it from one side only.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks Skip glad you like it.

Well I've got to do all 64 oars again, I ordered some more ladders to do the handles with ( ordered more than I needed as I could see them being usefull for other things) luckily I ordered the wrong bits.

 

 

now when you compare them, I just have to redo all of them

 

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Well I am so annoyed I thought I had some oars over and I had finished them but no, stupid idiot there are 32 PAIRS of oars, not 32 oars, now I have to order more of the steps to cut down for the handles, or I display it from one side only.

I did that with a 1:72 Type VIIC U-Boat that I built. The back half was left in mostly bare plastic, as I knew that once in my case, that side would never be seen. Saved me a fair amount of work too.

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Hi all I've been racking my brains trying to think of a way to do the tassels round the canopy, I cant find any which match the cord I've done the flags on the mast with, so,came up with this.
take a piece of double sided tape and stick it to a piece of paper

tack that each end to a lollipop stick

wind the gold thread round the lollipop stick

Cut along the edge

then glue in place

 

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Dun da da da,da its finished
I will post better pics tomorrow but here she is.
I few suggestions for anyone building this, don't glue the trumpets on the angels on the stern till the kit is finished( cant count the number of times I've knocked them off). do not glue the side railings on till the end they were constantly getting in the way making it difficult on numerous occasions, and most annoyingly including the rigging stage, I know you tie some of the rigging off onto it but you could always tie off to the framework some where temporarily.
other than that it is a great kit and all goes together well.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to thank everyone for keeping me motivated on this kit, as without you I would have given up at the first hurdle.

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

Hi all just a quick update,my bosses husband said he would buy the Royal Sovereign but that this was too big was talking to him the other day and mentioned the Greenwich maritime museum said they wanted it but did not have the room, but would I resubmit it next year as they are constantly changing their displays. He told me today he will buy it (no mention of price), what would I ask for I can't keep it for a year, don't have the room (incidentally i told my boss I had got the Airfix Wasa off ebay and she wants me to build that for her. Actually as I was typing this he came up they've both gone for £400.00 I am well chuffed, I'm sure I could have got more but hey, two models out of the way and money for more, still have to finish the Sovriegn, and of course, start a finish the Wasa, I love modeling 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi all well getting this one back in a sorry state, went down to feed the birds and empty the bins this morning. Rolf tried to take it to his house in frinton yesterday, didn't even get it out of the hall broke lots of oars off the anchor post lots of railings, a lot of the rigging is slack so he's busted something there as well, he thinks I will just go down with a tube of superglue and stick it all back on, not that simple a lot of the guilding was pulled off when the oars and railings came off so that will have to be redone(a real pain as lots of bits were stuck on after the guilding ) I will take some pics when I get it home.

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Ok so I've reguilded the damaged guilding and the actual damage is not as bad as I feared the worst bit being he broke one of the side arms off and I cant find it anywhere os will have to try and scratch one(those canons are tiny, maybe a stretched sprue or a matchstick in the lathe, it's also now missing one of the flags (which I also cant find) nothing I can do about that so will just touch up the paint where it was snapped off .
here is the damage.
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