La Real by Rossi46 - Dusek - scale 1/72

[Rossi46]

I am finally ready to get stuck in on the Dusek La Real build.  This is a very interesting build and one im very excited to document.  My first build was the 1/48 scale HMS Surprise, whicjh was a monumental overreach for a first build, but it turned out better than i ever imagined, and i learned a ton along the way. 

 

My second build was a model airways Wright Flyer, a model that was fun but much less intensive.  Now im ready and excited for more planking and rigging lol.

 

The Real is a row galley famous for the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. 

[Rossi46]

The kit is of a good quality, and Daniel Dusek was a real pro to work with.  There are alot of resin cast parts with this model, which feels a bit cheaper than the metal castings, but is actually far high quality and infinitely more detailed. 

 

The keel and bulkheads went together very nicely and everything fit well.  Here are some pics with the first layer of planking.  There is a second layer of planking on top.  I will be painting the hull, my first time doing that.

[Rossi46]

[AntonyUK]

Hi Rossi.

Looking forward to you building this kit. 

Quite a size in length.

 

Regards Antony

[Rossi46]

Thanks Antony, and yes it is very long proportionately. 

[Rossi46]

[Brucealanevans]

 

Hi Rossi:

Really glad to see you doing La Real. This will be my next build, somewhat modified to represent a Maltese Knights of St. John war galley. 

I’m pulling up a chair to watch and learn. I haven’t opened the box yet as I need to plan the modifications but will extract the plans soon to compare to my "target" vessel.  Great to have one to watch. 

Bruce

Edited December 8, 2017 by Brucealanevans

[Rossi46]

Hey Bruce.  Its a nice little kit, im enjoying it so far and am fortunate to a have a full size replica to use as photographic reference.  I couldnt find another row galley kit build on the forum, but will surely provide you with plenty of lessons learned 🍻 lol.  The smallest scale ive built to date is 1/48, so working with the 1/72 scale is different.

[Rossi46]

[Blighty]

Looking good!

[donrobinson]

Off to a great start and you have my attention. Looking forward to seeing more

[Rossi46]

I chose to use the softer, thinner wood for the planking at the back as there are some pretty extreme bends.  It will all be painted anyways, so no harm. 

[Rossi46]

One side of planking done, finish the other and give it a good going over with sandpaper. 

[Rossi46]

[Blighty]

Very nice, this looks a really fun build, looking forward to seeing it up close.

[Rossi46]

It is a lot of fun.  Going to be a cool looking boat when its done.

[Rossi46]

Finished one side, now on to the other.  There are so many layers to the deck that these ribs will hardly be visible. 

[donrobinson]

Looks like so much fun! Keep it coming

[Rossi46]

Added planking to the underside.

[Rossi46]

Lots of work done on the benches and pdestal at front, plus flooring at the stern.

[Rossi46]

[Rossi46]

[donrobinson]

The flooring looks great, how did you manage to do the blackened areas?

[Rossi46]

Hi Don.  I used a dark mahogany stain and hand painted the dark areas.  Then used a danish oil wash over that.  Here is a pic of the flooring in its finished state.  Its not actually secured yet though. 

[Blighty]

That will display very nicely when finished, tempted to get a similar style for my next build.

[donrobinson]

You did an excellent job on the painting!! I would have been scared of the stain bleeding though to other areas, but your lines all look sharp with no bleeding, again, great work. 

[Rossi46]

I was worried about the stain bleeding, but scored the edges which formed a "moat" lol, and kept the stain contained for the most part.

Edited January 5, 2018 by Rossi46

[Oliver24]

Congratulations for choosing this model. I have a huge crush on this galley. I had the pleasure seeing the replica in Barcelona`s Shipyard Museum. This thing is huuuge measuring 60 meters. Funny thing is they have a wooden ship model of the La Real at the museum. It left such a deep impression on me that after coming home I decided to start this hobby... 

 

I will check your build log with great interest since I am planning to buy this kit as well after gaining some experience. What is you general impression about Dusek kits? I heard the wood is excellent. What about the instruction manual? Is it sufficiently detailed for a beginner-intermediate ship builder? Thank you and good luck on your journey!

Edited January 4, 2018 by Oliver24

[Rossi46]

Thanks oliver, i reference pics of the replica quite often, what a stunning boat.  Would love to see it some day.  This is only my second build, so not much reference.  Because of the scale there are some very thin veneer pieces which are of good quality, for what they are, but i dont particularly like working with it.  But i would say the dusek kit is of a much higher quality than the artesania latina kit of my first build.  I would def recommend.  The instruction dont really provide you step by step guidance, but gives you full scale images of the sections and you have to use those to figure out the way.  But i would be happy to help you out if you do build it.  I would suggest just jumping in at the deep end now, and just take your time and ask questions.🍻

[Rossi46]