La Reale De France by kpnuts - FINISHED - Heller - PLASTIC - 1/75

[kpnuts]

Hi all well since I've nearly finished the Spits and the Lanc I thought it was time to start back on the Corvette and this little beauty that I've just taken delivery of, I must say I thought the 1/6 bikes box were huge but even they pale into insignificance when compared to this beast.

 

 

That said the box could be half this size

 

 

 

 

 

The moulding detail is beautiful

 

 

 

 

 

 

The instructions however could do with some work, one written page in english everything else is in French.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and why put these on the top where they could get creased like this, if theyed been on the bottom this would not have happened

 

Hopefully I can iron them out.

 

I have taken a very stupid chance and bought a very (well I think its very expensive) guilding kit just for this. I gulp, am going to try useing real gold leaf wherever the ship has gold. I have never guilded anything in my life so we will see, have I wasted my money, am I going to ruin this kit, stay tunefor the next exciting episode.

[CPS_skybolt]

good luck with the ship .

[Salty Dog]

This turns out to be a nice ship when complete. I built it a long time ago. Have no idea where it ended up. It comes in different colors too. You got the white hull and cream colored "gold" parts. My hull was a blue and gold parts were actually metallic gold plastic.

I would really like to build the Corel version!

Have fun building!

[kpnuts]

Well here is my first attempt at guilding.

 

 

 

 

not sure wether to do a wash to highlight the detail or not, dont know if it will kill the shine on the gold, and if I did what colour should i use.

[kpnuts]

well I've got to the first problem with guilding, getting a crisp line, mind you I still yhink it looks good

 

 

[docidle]

Kp,

She is looking good so far. I know how tough it is to paint the tiny details on the Reale or any plastic ship. Have you tried Tamiya's tape? It lays down really nice and when burnished keeps paint from creeping under it. Just lay your first coat lightly along the edge to seal it. I also lay it over what I am going to paint and then use a sharp hobby knife to cut along the edge so as to get a clean edge. I used Tamiya tape to get the painted line on the U-Boat I did a couple of years ago.

Steve

I also have the Aurora/Heller English instructions in .pdf form if you need them. It makes building the Reale a whole lot easier.

Edited April 11, 2015 by docidle

[kpnuts]

thats a good idea vsjerome, the masking tape idea won't work with gold leaf. The trouble I am having is getting rid of the loose bits that have not stuck to the size, I tried a stiff brush but the gold is so soft (its 9 carats I don't know if that's the softest or hardest grade, maybe if it's the softest I should get a harder grade) it takes all the gold off not just the whispy bits at the edges.

[kpnuts]

Well here is todays efforts, got to say this will be a long long build, but unless I ruin it, it will be a beautiful ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Can somebody help me on this I've tried searching here and on Google for a build log on this and all I can find is someone on finescale modeler asking if anyone's built it or my build log (which is obviously rubbish) I know this kit has been built by other people where are the build logs.

[mtaylor]

KP,

 

There's no builds of the Heller kit.  Several of the Corel which might give you ideas, etc., but the Corel kit is wood.

 

Edit:  Thought I'd add this.. I used Reale France as search terms here on MSW.  Gave me the kits and the scratch project.

Edited April 12, 2015 by mtaylor

[docidle]

KP,

There is a great build log on this German forum of the Reale by Schmidt. It goes through pretty much the whole build and he is a really fine modeler. If you use Google translate it makes a bit of sense, although the translator has difficulties with some words. I hope it helps.

 

http://www.wettringer-modellbauforum.de/forum/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=34914

 

Steve

Edited April 13, 2015 by docidle

[dafi]

Hy Steve, that would have been my hint too. For better understanding, he is working on two hulls there: one fresh one that he basically pimps up and one already build oob from E-Bay as reference - so do not get confused, he is comparing them quite often :-)

 

XXXDAn

Edited April 13, 2015 by dafi

[kpnuts]

thanks for the info very useful

[kpnuts]

Hi all here is a bit of an update. I have a big problem with this kit and dont know how much further I can go with it. there is supposed to be 2 sprues number 17 and 2 number 18 but there is only 1 of each, I have emailed Heller and asked for the missing sprues to be sent but have no idea what their customer service is like I'm hopeing they will send them as the kit is useless without them and I will have to bin it otherwise. so will do what I can and hope they will send the parts sooner rather than later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[docidle]

Hy Steve, that would have been my hint too. For better understanding, he is working on two hulls there: one fresh one that he basically pimps up and one already build oob from E-Bay as reference - so do not get confused, he is comparing them quite often :-)

 

XXXDAn

Dan,

Thanks for clearing that up, I have wondered at times why it seemed he was working on two models at once. The OOB was very nice but the pimped out one was REALLY nice. I know at the time, he was using an oil wash on his models but now has come around to the way I use oils, straight out of the tube and wipe after a time. Although I do tend to use a number of oil colors for my aging process instead of one. I really like his, Chris (Drake), and your modeling.

 

Thanks again,

Steve

Edited April 14, 2015 by docidle

[docidle]

KP,

Your Reale is really coming along nicely. About the missing sprues, I have never had to deal with Heller's Customer Service, but I have heard that they are helping customers out with these issues fairly well, although there might be a lag time.

 

I will need to pull my Reale out now and check if it is missing any sprues. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Steve

Edited April 14, 2015 by docidle

[kpnuts]

Hi thanks for the replys I am going to continue to build what I can on it in the hopes the parts will come I know it could be wasted work but if the parts dont come, maybe I could put it in some sort of dio in dry dock for a refit or something

[kpnuts]

Here is an update these rib bits are very confusing, dosnt help ther are no english instructions for this bit.

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

I am having all sorts of problems getting rid of the loose flakey bits that you just cant seem to brush off, so I've decided to try guilding the whole part then painting over the guilding.

I've started by sizing all the parts for guilding

 

 

 

then guilding the whole lot

 

 

 

Now painting it

 

 

 

also I decide to put a wash over some of the solid gold parts to highlight some of the detail

 

 

[Lukasvdb]

I think the wash makes it so much better! Looking good I hope Heller will send you the missing sprues!

[kpnuts]

Hi all here is last nights work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Hi all here is todays efforts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Hi all well I've done all the flure de lys on one side (think I've gone cross eyed doing them)

 

 

[Ship Shape]

Impressive, very.  I built this many years ago and it never occurred to gild all the gold areas.  Looks great and look forward to more.

Rick

[kpnuts]

Hi all good news heller emailed me and said if the parts are in stock they will send them out this week, if not when they next do a run of this model.

[kpnuts]

Hi all here is tonight's bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Hi all well I'm afraid this is as far as I can go till the parts come so hopefully they will be here soon.

I cant glue the two boxes on yet as I would not be able to get the other cannons in so this is it for now.

 

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Emailed Heller and have been told the parts were shipped on the 23rd so hopefully not long to wait.  Still won't get much done as off on hols in a fortnight.

[kpnuts]

woo hoo the sprues have arrived (that was quick, quicker than the actual  model arrived they was only dispatched on the 23rd)

[kpnuts]

Hi all well I'm back on this one again.