Okido Grymm, here are the photo’s. Be gentle because this is an old, battered and dusty lady who just spent 16 years on a shelf. This was my state of the art of model building 16 years ago (hairy rigging and all the other warts).
cheers,
Julian
It looks in fine shape. About the same condition as all my ships that I have kept.
I built this kit in 1986 and it was sold to be a decoration in a hotel lobby right after I finished it. I sometimes wonder what had happened to it since it vanished about a year after it was displayed.
Yeah, well, I blew a lot of the dust off before taking the photo’s (my wife took a rather dim view of that [:-,]). Afraid it will remain unfinished (lost the rest of the parts).
Nice site you have and nice builds featured there [:)]
cheers,
Julian
Hello: There is always one thing which interests me: can you remember how long it took to assemble the kit?
Thanks,
Kater Felix
I bought the Soleil 30 years ago. At the time I was sailing as a mate on Dutch salvage tugs and supply vessels so building was only possible when I was on leave. What you see took a period of 14 years (I did build other things during that period though [:)]). The build ground to a halt 16 years ago when I lost the box with the remaining masts, yards etc. moving house. I couldn’t bring myself to throw her away, so the ship lives on a shelf and gathers dust.
cheers,
Julian
Impressive for being as old as you say. You should see if you can track down the necessary parts to complete it. It seems a shame to let something so nicely built just gather dust in a closet.
As for the length of build, most people I’ve talked with, for some reason, seem to stretch work on this kit, or a kit like the Heller Victory, to decades. Me? I can’t pull myself away from it. I’ve got almost 4 months in on the hull. I should have it done by mid/late October. The rigging is another story. I’ll give myself a year, knowing that it will be a snails pace to get it even close to being right. I’m going to use this kit to elevate my skill with rigging.
Great pics Julian. So few pics exist on this kit, any are appreciated and will be added to my growing collection. Great for reference. Thanks.
Grymm
For while I did consider buying the Soleil again just to be able to finish it but it just never happened. At the moment I have just started work on the Revell USS Kearsarge and I also have the Revell HMCS Snowberry and the Trump 1/16th T-34 on my workbench. I also still have the Constitution and the Heller HMS Victory stashed away (along with several other models) so this all should keep me building for a while. I am very curious how your build will shape up Grymm, it’s looking beautiful already, so keep the photo’s coming.
cheers,
Julian
Although this may sound somewhat extravagant, I usually buy two of each sailing ship kit I build. Not only does this insure against lost or broken parts, it also offer much valuable additions to the spare parts bin that contributes in unexpected ways. Sometime the second kit will have enough parts left over to allow it to be finished in its own right, with some minor modifications.
After looking at your beautiful kit for the last couple of days, I say you should dust it off, tidy it up, finish the ratlines, find some of the little pieces to make it more visually pleasing, and display it that way. It’s beautiful and you don’t necessarily need the full masts to show it off. In this manner, you’re showcasing your painting skills rather than all the rigging.
Go ahead, show it off…
Grymm
Hi Grymm, glad you liked the photo’s. At the moment there is a new lady in my life demanding all my free time :
The fit is pretty dire and the amount of flash here is mind blowing.
Keep the photo’s coming of your build: I would love to see her finished.
cheers,
Julian
Beautiful job so far. I especially like the weathering on the stack. Did you do that with an airbrush or by hand?
I’m doing some work on the Royal tonight and hope to have the galleries done by Sunday evening. I have a lot of touch up to do to. It’s not perfect, and there’s a lot of errors where I know I could have done better, not rushed, things like that, but I’m happy. I’m just your average modeller. I don’t get into the details so much. I actually have a friend that spent a month on just on the foremast of the Heller Victory. He had to have it perfect. For me, if you see a brush mark, or if the seam isn’t completely gone, I know I at least tried and can still be happy. I’m not perfect, by far, but I’m enjoying myself and my family loves it.
But your build looks great. But I am serious. You should take maybe just a little time a day to clean up the ole’ Royal. Then, finish up the ratlines/shrouds and display it like that. It would be a great conversation piece and you always have the option of one day finishing it. Your work is good. It would be a shame to just store it away in a closet.
Grymm
Airbrush and pastels and Mig’s pigments so far. Long way to go yet though !
Cheers,
Julian