Heller 1/75 La Reale De France

Hi all here is one i've been working on for a while.

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







a vast improvement on this

I think you will agree.
I will be taking orders for my new tool which I will be calling the Prongy (catchy name dont you agree) I can see lots of other useful ideas for it too hair combing, lock picking, raking the grass just to mention a few So get in first to avoid the rush.

Lovely work some excellent improvisation. Ill order my tassels from you then!

Excellent work !

Hi all yippee one mast and sail done.

Lovely work.Looking good.

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.

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

Great work. Looks complete now.

Wow... Absolutely Brilliant work...........

No where near complete yet, but glad you're liking it.

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



as you can see from the parts list sprue 17 and 18 say 2 sprues sprue 9 and 9a are listed together with a sprue count of 2 I stupidly didnt count the number of oars on the sprues (there are 16 oars on each sprue) so the 2 on the parts list means 2 of each 9a and 9 (why didnt they list those to sprues separately or say 4 on the parts count, so now I have to go through the rigmarole of contacting heller again and waiting for the parts, this really is putting me off ever buying a heller kit again, I mean are all there kits like this, I dont think much of the're quality control if they dont even bother doing a sprue check on the contents of a kit.

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.

so I thought how can I fix that and a cunning plan developed.
first break the top of the mast off then drill out a hole in the top of the mast and insert brass rod then reglue the top on








since this pic I decided I dont like the fore mast sail so have removed it was thinking of removing the main sail as well but my missus says no, what do you think would they have had one sail down and not the other or would they both be up or down.

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



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

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.

Lovely effect i like what you did to that sail.

thanks. Hi all a little update on the Reale, I thought I would try to improve the way the rowers handles are depicted.









so, only 29 more to go

Lovely work my friend, it will be worth the effort.

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.







I've added all the cannons now as well.

very nice build
well done
Louis

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.



But as you can see they are too wide



so with my guage



I whittled them down a bit



cut to length



split



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

Hi all, well I think I'm on the last leg of this build, this is half way there with the oars

just these left to do

every single oar has this huge seam on it, so, only32 to sort


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.