Soleil Royal - Heller 1/100 Back to work!

Hello all,

First of all and I apologize for the huge delay, happy birthday Slawomir84!! I wish you all the best.

All my modeling activity is stopped at the moment! The reason is that I’m moving from one house to another and in the mean time I have to live without my workshop… not easy being away of my models, but it makes me more and more motivated to keep going.

I’m at the moment setting up my new workshop, I guess I’ll have it ready within a couple of weeks at the latest.

I let you know by the time I resume works…

All the best and enjoy the summer!
 
Hello all,

First of all and I apologize for the huge delay, happy birthday Slawomir84!! I wish you all the best.

All my modeling activity is stopped at the moment! The reason is that I’m moving from one house to another and in the mean time I have to live without my workshop… not easy being away of my models, but it makes me more and more motivated to keep going.

I’m at the moment setting up my new workshop, I guess I’ll have it ready within a couple of weeks at the latest.

I let you know by the time I resume works…

All the best and enjoy the summer!
Thank you so much ⚓
 
Saw your rigging works, with net - looks very nice and accurate, however I would like to advice to use one string from your thinest thread for imitation of rope splicing...
for small scale it could be aceptable as imitation of splicing I think, and will look more accurate compare to using just whole thinest thread as You did For the same purposes....
run thread over block, secure running end to standing part by drop of CA Gel if need, cut necessary length of running end on right angle, made angle cut, not straight, and than using one strand separated from your thinest thread and to make series of simple knots tightly placed one after another till all area of "splicing" will be covered in this way...secure again woth CA gel to and cut unused parts...
All used thread should be preliminary painted...
Ich bin am fragen, wie du die Haken im oberen Bild hergestellt hast?
 
Hello all, I would like to share my works on the Heller Soleil Royal.

I’m building this for several time now, after some time I get tired and need a break! Last stoppage was back in April 2020, I resumed it now in August 2021.

I correct some very well know aspects of the kit that were supposedly “wrong”, namely:

I open the stern side galleries
Relocate the water line 1cm above the kit mark, just touching the first wale, this way the hull proportions looks much better
I’m working now on the stem cathead support timbers, which are non existent in the kit…

View attachment 250892View attachment 250893View attachment 250894View attachment 250895View attachment 250896
Ein freundliches Hallo nach Lissabon
Ich habe gerde erst begonnen mit meiner SR von Heller.
Dein bisheriger Bericht ist genau die Motivation, die ich mag
Ich habe erst als Geduldsprobe die Kanonenrohre ;Lafetten und Augbolzen begonnen und lese viele Berichte wie der deine .
Meine Hochachtung , ich bleibe am Ball
 
Hello all, I would like to share my works on the Heller Soleil Royal.

I’m building this for several time now, after some time I get tired and need a break! Last stoppage was back in April 2020, I resumed it now in August 2021.

I correct some very well know aspects of the kit that were supposedly “wrong”, namely:

I open the stern side galleries
Relocate the water line 1cm above the kit mark, just touching the first wale, this way the hull proportions looks much better
I’m working now on the stem cathead support timbers, which are non existent in the kit…
Hallo @Dfolgado
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
I hope you'll be able to resume it in 2023, I'll fellow with great interest to see how your interpretation turn out. Happy birthday and happy new year!
 
Hello all, I would like to share my works on the Heller Soleil Royal.

I’m building this for several time now, after some time I get tired and need a break! Last stoppage was back in April 2020, I resumed it now in August 2021.

I correct some very well know aspects of the kit that were supposedly “wrong”, namely:

I open the stern side galleries
Relocate the water line 1cm above the kit mark, just touching the first wale, this way the hull proportions looks much better
I’m working now on the stem cathead support timbers, which are non existent in th
Hallo @Dfolgado
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
Hello everybody!

I’m finally back working on my never ending Heller Soleil Royal!

As you all know I had a long break since mid 2022, I moved from one house to another and just took some time to set up everything again. Finally, I now feel the motivation to keep going. Let’s see how far can I go this time.

Just one appreciation word for all the people that keeps this forum going, it is really pleasant to be back a few years later feeling that nothing have really changed here. This might seam somehow nostalgic, but consider the dynamics of our world today, and how everything changes day by day, for me, this is truly amazing and a source of inspiration. Congratulations!

Lot’s of things are happening at the same time right now, when you have such a long break, one of the hardest things is finding out where to resume works… I just opted to open several working fronts!

My main goal at the moment is finishing the hull, with all it’s fittings and furniture. The hull paint work is almost finished, just some details here and there.

That’s how it looks today:


1FC6FBD1-F848-451C-95E8-FDDAE5B5920F.jpeg

The next logical step, is of course the artillery, as I opted for closing the first and second battery ports, I just have to work with the third and fourth battery guns, which are respectively 12 and 8 pounders.

There is of course over the years several critics regarding Heller guns, but if we do consider the 12 and 8 pounders as reasonable for the third and fourth batteries, the Heller parts are not very far way, namely the guns tubes. Let’s assume that these would be bronze guns as a starting point.

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The larger calibers, fortunately I’m not using them, they really look a little off scale, but these smaller ones are not really that far way, pretty good in length and diameter.

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Regarding the carriages and trunnions, the Heller parts are not very satisfactory, but even so, they are very workable. I have already tried to improve them earlier, but not fully satisfied, so, I am still working on them:

04A028E5-4BDB-4D63-8A54-D3980F86CC42.jpeg

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I’m not sure how these will end, but I think they are getting better, bit by bit.

I also decided to include those vertical stripes/wales on the hull (I really don’t know how to call these..) that Heller completely forget, and seams to be fairly accepted that a vessel from this period should probably have them. Very complicated to do it, at this stage of construction…

12405F42-3A70-4B03-B0E9-54BE15C13AA2.jpeg
B3DDD299-C773-427F-855F-9DFCD9955033.jpeg

I really did not wanted to this at this time, but it does look better and I just can’t justify their absence.

104655CB-F2E9-4356-9E15-7D08085126CF.jpeg

I am also working the masts, just like the bowsprit mast I still consider the best approach is a mix between machined brass and plastic, I am doing one by one. Just started the bowsprit top mast and the mais mast.

34CE0CDD-DF51-4F4D-92A9-8815BCCA58BB.jpeg2E59CEDD-82B7-434D-93BF-63DFB421FF2E.jpeg9C6FEC9F-A906-4956-B9E6-25DAEF7FA9A1.jpeg

Lot’s of scratch building, but I think this is the only way to go, the Heller kit parts are just not good enough in my opinion.

There still is something special with this kit that I can’t rationally explain, but the fact is I’m still in love with it, even after thirty plus years, I bought it in 1987 by the way…

I’m not sure if I ever will get it done, but I just want to keep dreaming about it!

I will keep you updated as long as works keeps flowing.

All the best!
 
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