Le Soleil Royal by Bill97 - FINISHED - Heller - 1/100

[Bill97]

Have the 16 small cannons built to include 3 eyebolts in each for the haul tackles. Also the holes for the breeching rope. I have the breeching rope in each one tied up out of the way until I am ready to rig them to the bulwark eyebolts. My plan is to position the cannons hauled in so as to display more space between the out-hauler blocks. In the picture I have them dry fitted about where I think I will glue them. Curious and studying the possible position of the ring bolts in the deck that will except the in-hauler hook. Some areas are tight for available space. 

[Bill97]

Happy Kentucky Derby weekend.  Wish all my MSW friends were in town to enjoy this incredible tradition. Marc most of these beautiful horses will be up your way soon. 

[Bill97]

In to the mind numbing process of making the tackles for the 16 small cannons I am working on. This will require 3 tackles for each cannon, 2 out-haulers and 1 in-hauler. That makes 48 total tackles. Each tackle needs two blocks, each with a hook attached (which I have made) and one of the blocks in each tackle having a lanyard attached. So let’s see that is 96 blocks, 96 hooks, and 48 lanyards. But whose counting!😵‍💫

[Bill97]

As I get the tackles constructed I am starting to glue in place and rig the small cannons. Have the out-hauls and breeching ropes done for 6 so far. Once I get all 16 in and rigged I will make a determination about the placement of the in-haulers. With the cannons hauled in I have more space between the blocks. 

[Bill97]

Small cannons on the two decks in the back in and rigged except for the in-hauls and fall coils. Now back to machine shop to make more hooks and eyebolts. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Bill97

[Bill97]

I know this is a continuation of the issue of using 2.5mm blocks for the out-haul and in-haul tackles. I set the small cannons in so as to give some space between the front and rear blocks on the out-hauls. On the in-hauls I brought the blocks together and eliminated the planned ring in the deck ring bolt all in an attempt to get the in-haul tackle as short as possible. Even with doing that the eye bolt in the deck to accept the in-haul still needed to be placed very close to the hatch. Is this OK or would I be better served just eliminating the in-hauls?  I am thinking since I have the out-hauls on the cannons I should have the in-haul. 

[Ian_Grant]

Hi Bill, on Victory those eyebolts are very near the hatches too. I don't think you have an issue. I've seen those in-hauls called "steady tackles" too, somewhere.

[Bill97]

Woo!  Good. Thank you Ian. Glad it is OK. I checked my Victory and saw I do not have in-hauls on my cannons. May have to get it out of the case and correct this error 😊

[Bill97]

OK the small cannons on the back decks installed and rigged.  Now to the remaining 6 on the forecastle. Wow I hope I don’t see another cannon for a while. 😊

[Bill97]

Ladies and gentlemen ring the bells!  All the cannons are installed and fully rigged!  Wow what a voyage that was. For anyone building this kit who has yet to reach the cannon installation steps be advised this upgrade to what the Heller instructions direct is intense and time consuming, especially if you make all your own eyebolts and hooks and work with blocks absolutely no larger than 2.5mm. 2.5mm is actually a tiny bit to large. However the result of the upgrade is so worth it. 
 

I am now getting ready to start two different tasks, both of which will also be time consuming but very enjoyable. After my experience with the cannon rigging I have to work on these two tasks concurrently so as to take a break from one and work on the other, and back and forth. My next two tasks are painting all the stern and side galleries pieces to include all the decorations and figures. These will all be blue, gold, and gold leaf as is other parts of the ship. I opened the side galleries so I want to fabricate floors inside each where appropriate. My other task is constructing, painting, installing, and rigging the cannon hatch covers. Following Marc’s lead I will add an evergreen piece to the back of each scored vertically to resemble planks. The backs will be painted red with a fluer-de-lies placed in the center of each. The fluer-de-lies will be placed such that when the hatch is fully opened the fluer-de-lies will be right side up. Marc I have to admit I tried to mold and cast my own fluer-de-lies as you did but failed to come up with anything acceptable. Instead I was able to find gold 5mm fluer-de-lies appliqués on line I will be using. I will also attach two eyebolts to each cover which I will rig to the ropes already in place. 
 

[Bill97]

Henry I have a parts inventory issue. In the instructions the knee supports for the stern balconies are shown as 12 parts #150. I have scoured through my kit parts and only find 8 part #150 and 4 part #151. Looking through the instructions I don’t find where I would have, or will use 4 parts #151. The total of parts 150 and 151 is correct at 12 but 150 and 151 are slightly different in size. Did you have this same issue?  If so what was your remedy?  Also the two small statues shown in the instructions are numbered part #156. Did you have those. I have a pair that I think are those but they are numbered #63?

Edited May 16, 2023 by Bill97

[Hubac's Historian]

It looks as though there are some mis-print issues with those instructions, Bill.  Yes, you have two different sizes of balcony corbels.  The shorter ones are for the upper stern balcony.  The longer ones are for the middle stern balcony.  Actual part #63 is shown as part # 156, in the instructions, but they are one and the same.

 

I like the fleurs you sourced for the gun port lids!

[Bill97]

Marc do I just use the 4 longer ones (all I have is 4 #151) or do I attempt to try to make 2 more, or use 4 long and two short?  I have 8 of the small and 4 of the large. I going to recheck the sizes. 

[Bill97]

Definitely 8 and 4. 

[Hubac's Historian]

Check all you sprue trees.  Heller likes to divide the total number of like-parts over many sprues.  If you are short, let me know, and I will mail you my spares.  I‘m pretty sure I have extras.

[Baker]

i think the 4 long ones come in the middle (blue)
the shorter ones in the other places.
I'm not sure, this build happened a very long time ago.

[Hubac's Historian]

You know, you might be right about that Baker.  It’s a long time since I built my first one out of the box, and for this version, I had to make a bunch if them from scratch so that they’d fit my new balconies, which are more shallow than stock.

 

In any case, it is easy to just check the corbels to the underside of the balconies to see what the fit looks like.

[Bill97]

Excellent job men. Yeah Marc I went over the sprue trees several times. I have come to expect that with Heller. I really liked how with my Victory there was a parts list in the instructions as to which tree each part was as on. Thanks very much for the offer of mailing me a couple if needed. Baker I think you may be right and after I finish my morning coffee I am going to check to see if the 2 and 4 arrangement like your picture fits properly. I am sure it will. Thanks again. MSW comes through as always. 

[Bill97]

Gentlemen I checked your recommendation Baker and the 2-4 arrangement works fine. Problem solved. Since they are added under the balconies after the balconies are in place, I think I will go ahead and mark the undersides wherever the corbels go and scratch off a good line of paint so as to allow good adhesion. 
 

Thanks again 

Bill

[Bill97]

Baker I don’t know if I ever mentioned it to you but my daughter and son-in-law lived for 5 years about 3-4 hours south of you in Jurbeze. Little town outside of Mons. Three of our grandchildren were born there and hold dual citizenship. Visited them many times while they lived there. Absolutely love Belgium!  

[Baker]

Thanks. 

if there is no traffic jam.then you are there in an hour and a half.

and no speed cameras....☹️

 

PS.

we have been to the usa a few times, much nicer than here

[Bill97]

Thank you but I am not convinced that is completely true. 😊

We have our issues as well. 
 

This is a place you must visit if you have not already, and if it is still there!
Have a great day. 

 

[popeye2sea]

Bill,

 

If you ever need spare parts, I have almost an entire second kit worth.

 

Regards,

 

Henry

[Bill97]

Thanks Henry. Will surly let you know.  Is that the way your kit corbels are as well?

Edited May 17, 2023 by Bill97

[Bill97]

Marc or Henry did either of you add any material to improve the cannon hatch cover glue service at the hull?

[Hubac's Historian]

Although not technically correct, I plan to display my port lids fully up and against the hull: not correct because the geometry of the lid lanyards would not allow for the lids to be raised this high.

 

My rationale is that I spent a lot of time on those lid ornaments, and I want them to be visible.  They are, after all, complimentary to the frieze.

 

I will have two glue points: at the hinge barrel and where the outside face of the lid meets the edge of a wale.  Because these parts are vulnerable and probe to breaking off, I won’t bother installing them until the end of the build.

[Ferrus Manus]

On 5/16/2023 at 7:03 AM, Baker said:

we have been to the usa a few times, much nicer than here

You simply went to the right places in the US. Our nation ranges a lot in quality of life. If you go to the big cities, you see the filthiness and homelessness problems. The suburbs and countryside is nicer, though. All in all, i assume Belgium is much the same. I would say, it takes a frame of reference. 

[Bill97]

Marc that is my plan as well. Of course my plan very much resembles your’s! 😊

Hope you don’t mind my plagiarism!

 

Here are my hatch covers so far with a couple fluer-de-leis appliqués setting in place. Still need some touch up painting and my making 112 tiny hatch eyebolts. I too plan to attach them much later in my build. 

[popeye2sea]

1 hour ago, Bill97 said:

Marc or Henry did either of you add any material to improve the cannon hatch cover glue service at the hull?

My starboard side ports are all closed. For the port side gun ports I intend to add hinges to attach the lids that I purchased from Syren.  I have not tried them yet. Debating whether to add fleurs-de-lys.

 

4 hours ago, Bill97 said:

Thanks Henry. Will surly let you know.  Is that the way your kit corbels are as well?

My corbels were numbered 150 (8 shorter) and 151 (4 longer).  The four longer corbels were positioned 2 under the center of the 2nd battery balcony and 2 under the center of the 3rd battery balcony. The eight shorter ones went to either side of both balconies.

 

Regards,

 

Henry

[Ian_Grant]

Bill, you're right port lids are a challenge on plastic Heller kits. The way they're hinged in reality, when open the outer edge of the top of the lid would just be kissing the outer edge of the top of the opening ie nothing overlaps. On my Victory I added small styrene strips along the top edge of the port lids and left them unpainted. When gluing these strips were aligned with the unpainted top surfaces of the openings, giving a solid glued joint with the lids in exactly the position they would be in when open and the unpainted strips hidden in the hull. Hard to describe in words but I hope you see.