La Reale by Schmidt - Heller - converted for a "Galley Festival"

[Schmidt]

I have just discovered the excellent and highly informative construction report from safemaster about the "Real" from Heller. Since I am currently working on the same model but have quite a different display intent, it might be interesting for some if I post a construction report here.

I built the model about ten years ago, and since then I have actually managed to save the extremely fragile ship undamaged through several moves. In the meantime, however, I've seen myself a little fed up with it, and while researching the Internet, I had an idea for a far-reaching modification. Here are some pictures of the model as I built it ten years ago.

 

It can be clearly seen that I have chosen much paler colors than safemaster. Otherwise, in my opinion, the similarities between our models predominate. I'll go into that later.

 

Schmidt

[72Nova]

Hi Schmidt,

Thanks for sharing pictures of your stunning model, just beautiful! and  I do like the somewhat weathered look and contemplated that for mine, but decided to go with a more pristine/new look, I'm looking forward on your progress.

Michael D.

[Schmidt]

@safemaster Thank you for your comment. While reading your built log I learned a lot about further possibilities to upgrade my model. I will refer to that later.

And now for the results of my internet research. Here are two contemporary images showing comparable galleys in port or in rest. They have put up “sunsails” or “nightsails” , which I find highly decorative, especially on the second image.

Schmidt

 

[Schmidt]

And here are two pictures that show a so-called Galley Festival (Fête de Galeres). That was certainly not an amusement for the poor galley convicts, but partys for an aristocratic audience. In fact, around 1700 the galleys were less of an effective weapon and more of a kind of royal yacht fleet, which is especially true for the "Real" as their flagship, whose ornaments were designed by a famous sculpturer. From these illustrations and further research I have drawn some suggestions that I would now like to implement.

Schmidt

[Schmidt]

The first change is that I put self-made windows in the structure at the rear. There are models for this in historical illustrations and plans. In my eyes, the structure looks more closed and somehow more "homely".

In addition to the windows in the rear, I covered the "pergola" above with a cloth in the same red. The same I did with the small open rear platform. I built a rack to hold the covers. The golden fringes create a special effect and harmonize with the colour style of the hull.

Schmidt

[72Nova]

That's an interesting canopy setup you added along with the windows , well done👍. Also I see you added some kind of cover on the deck?

 

Michael D.

Edited June 7, 2021 by safemaster

[Schmidt]

In fact there are two major manipulations on the deck. The first one:

The aft deck of the Heller galley is very simply designed with transverse planks.

 

 

The original occupies a kind of chess pattern parquet here. The cover for access to the lower deck was let into it. I tried to recreate this with strips of polystyrene. I muliplied the completed puzzled part several times with silicone and resin in order to be able to do several color tests on them.

 

 

Here is the winner. Cut into pieces and relocated, the parquet part also forms the floor inside the pergola. 

 

 

I know the original deck shows an even more complicated pattern, but I was so far content with my work.

 

Schmidt

Edited June 11, 2021 by Schmidt

[Schmidt]

I had big problems with the input of text and images, which I couldn't get under control. That's why there has been a break here. I will try to continue the construction report of the model that has been further completed in the meantime.

 

Of course, one cannot expect the noble ladies and gentlemen of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to step over the row benches on which the galley slaves were chained. For this reason, the crew laid planks over the rear row benches, which form a flat surface on both sides of the running track (coursie).

 

 

In the photo you can already see the supports for the awning. But its construction is a chapter in itself that I will deal with later.

Schmidt

[Hubac's Historian]

I love your willingness to revisit and revise an earlier model, Schmidt.  This is moving in a great new direction!

[Schmidt]

It was not easy to build an awning with the upper edge forming a harmonious line, as can be seen in contemporary illustrations, even if they are somewhat idealized. The structure of the scaffolding consists of wooden sticks with a diameter of 2 mm. Less was measured than tried and discarded and tried again. The awning itself is made of paper handkerchief that has been treated with a mixture of white glue and water. The handkerchief is roughly cut and moistened in place. The process is very delicate because the material tends to tear when treated carelessly or with a too sharp tool. I was genuinely surprised that no particular disasters happened. But then there was one, because when I wanted to paint the awning after it was dry, ugly dirty clouds appeared on the inside, which did not disappear through several coats of paint. Here some pictures of the process:

 

Building up the awning. Everything seemed fine.

 

[img]https://up.picr.de/48048096rs.jpg[/img]

[img]https://up.picr.de/48048097vd.jpg[/img]

 

But then, after painting, the ugly clouds appeared on the inside. God knows why.

 

[img]https://up.picr.de/48048099sv.jpg[/img]

 

Nothing to see from the outside. A miracle, but not a good one.

 

[img]https://up.picr.de/48048100ww.jpg[/img]

 

Because I could not stand the clouds (on the awning), I broke up everything. No fun either, for the handkerchief awning stuck to the supports and I had to build up everything for a second time.

 

[img]https://up.picr.de/48048098fr.jpg[/img]

 

Schmidt

[Schmidt]

Sorry. I think I still have to learn how to insert photos to my build log.

Schmidt

One step further. I hope you can see now what I tried to discribe in the post above.

[Schmidt]

Clouds, not in my coffee but on the inside of my awning.

Schmidt

[Schmidt]

Broke up everything, hoping to find a solution.

.

Schmidt

[Schmidt]

I set up a Lab for model awnings and found out that I could solve the problems with the ugly clouds by adding white wall paint ands Earl Grey Tea to the water-glue-mixture. Thus the dried awnings no longer need to be painted and have a uniform color.

 

Schmidt