The Ship Model Forum

Motor boats ready :[attachment=0]DSCN2860.JPG[/attachment]

I know roma never had its boats onboard, and even main deck berths were rapidly removed, but I prefer to include 4 boats to be placed on last few remaining superstructure berths. I'm more from the "clean presentation model" than the "diorama/weathered model" school.

flag is done, using my usual method :

a thin aluminium foil (chocolate tablet) is smoothed with thumb nail, painted white and gloss coated (both sides)[attachment=8]DSCN2849.JPG[/attachment]

decal is ready[attachment=7]DSCN2851.JPG[/attachment]

cut to edges[attachment=6]DSCN2852.JPG[/attachment]

one side placed[attachment=5]DSCN2853.JPG[/attachment]

foil cut to edges[attachment=4]DSCN2854.JPG[/attachment]

other side placed, and touch ups done on the edges[attachment=3]DSCN2855.JPG[/attachment]

gloss coated for protection[attachment=2]DSCN2856.JPG[/attachment]

matt coated for finish[attachment=1]DSCN2857.JPG[/attachment]

and shapeable almost at will, with good resistance to wear, compared to flag decals directly folded side on side, which often ages badly[attachment=0]DSCN2858.JPG[/attachment]

enough for today ! I even managed to miscount my needs. don't know how/why but I did not print enough red stripes.[attachment=2]DSCN2846.JPG[/attachment][attachment=1]DSCN2847.JPG[/attachment]

what a tedious work, but rewarding result. really nice eyecatching candy on a model.[attachment=0]DSCN2848.JPG[/attachment]

first raft done ! twelve stripes per unit, still 19 units to go : 228 stripes before the end :[attachment=1]DSCN2845.JPG[/attachment][attachment=0]Agosto1943-1.jpg[/attachment]

thank you !

so, rafts have been yellow painted with 4 layers[attachment=2]DSCN2842.JPG[/attachment]

then, center painted black (will be covered by photoetch grating painted wood) and gloss coated.
ready for decals.[attachment=1]DSCN2843.JPG[/attachment]

homemade decals using Alps and coated with decalfilm.
will wait until gloss and decalfilm have well cured, to avoid any still possible bad surprise, as microsol is sometimes tricky.[attachment=0]DSCN2844.JPG[/attachment]

Nice work on those blast bags!. The float-plane looks good too!

rafts are ready to be painted yellow. I will later add red stripes using probably homemade decals.[attachment=1]DSCN2840.JPG[/attachment]

and 90mm AA guns ready.[attachment=0]DSCN2841.JPG[/attachment]

90mm AA bases have been done and added[attachment=4]DSCN2839.JPG[/attachment]

"observation (?)" deck has been also done, with small enclosed observation posts, but still 2 stairs missing[attachment=3]DSCN2834.JPG[/attachment]

90mm blastbags have been done "à la Jim Baumann", using wire and white glue

this "bark barrels" version is also in a suitable timeframe for yellow+red liferafts.

some progress on 4 lateral guns. I don't exactly remember but think those are 90mm guns for starshells.
[attachment=2]DSCN2833.JPG[/attachment]
note they are painted dark grey. most pics show them light grey, but one of the latest pics show them repainted dark grey, as all main, secondary and main AA gun barrels.
those guns appear generally on most pics in light grey, even on camouflaged ship.
but again, one of the latest pics show them clearly repainted dark grey. I even had to repaint barrels of all my primary and secondary turrets.

look :
even in spring 43, barrels are still light grey (note there is still no "GUFO" radar).[attachment=1]Primavera_1943_LaSpezia.jpg[/attachment]

but later in 43, barrels are dark, and horizontal decks of turrets/guns are medium grey.[attachment=0]Roma 1943.jpg[/attachment]

as my model must be camouflaged, have a red/white foredeck (also note red/white aternative bands have swapped between 42 and 43 !!!), have a GUFO radar, have ro43 AND re2000 aircraft, the best option is to go with later picture configuration. so, contrary to most camouflaged pics, barrels have to be dark grey in lieu of light grey. beware of minor detail changes !!! here, I noticed this a bit late, and had to repaint all my barrels.

re2000 ready.[attachment=7]DSCN2825.JPG[/attachment]

and a working session on breda twin 20mm. 6 more have been done. still 8 to go, but later. I think I will do 2 sessions of 4, between other steps.

not a lot of developments, but some progress.

rear deck is ready. still 2-3 features to be placed later, after some hullsides work.[attachment=3]DSCN2813.JPG[/attachment][attachment=4]DSCN2814.JPG[/attachment]

main structure base is almost ready.[attachment=2]DSCN2817.JPG[/attachment][attachment=1]DSCN2819.JPG[/attachment]

and some work on 2nd aircraft (Re2000).[attachment=0]DSCN2820.JPG[/attachment]

a good working session today !

wooden deck placed
[attachment=4]DSCN2808.JPG[/attachment]

my secret for good behaviour of wooden deck :
-paint plastic deck (protruding parts [b]and[/b] horizontal deck (better sticky effect i think)
-press well around protruding parts
[attachment=3]DSCN2809.JPG[/attachment]
-place white glue around protruding parts and deck edges
[attachment=2]DSCN2810.JPG[/attachment]

when dry, that's full transparent and invisible
[attachment=1]DSCN2811.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=0]DSCN2812.JPG[/attachment]

slight gloss effect of white glue will be dealed by final matt coat and voilà !

however, still some work : touchups, some wheels, catapult, capstans and horizontal doors.

As rafts will be yellow with numerous red stripes, I need to scrap off all molded "details" :
[attachment=1]DSCN2805.JPG[/attachment]
10 done so far. still 10 to do.

and main deck is ready :
[attachment=0]DSCN2806.JPG[/attachment]

Really coming along nicely. These are such good looking ships.

and barbette 2 finished.

and 3 main turrets are ready. still missing yellow rafts, and #2 casemate (round bunker) slits.

some progress

turrets ready for painting.

eduards turret #2 round casemate has a too flat top and slits are wrong. was redone with a straw cut and filled with CA glue. vision slits will be done with black decals, as will those of the small "periscopes" at the top of leftsided telemeter, as those molded are also incomplete/false (filled for now).

[quote="VMIVince"]Nice work on those stripes; that is not an easy undertaking![/quote]

[quote="Neptune"]
Great work so far! Quite a challenge to get those stripes right :heh: :heh:
:thumbs_up_1:[/quote]

Yup ! Wasnt as hard as thought. Just take your time, be patient, and accept to do a lot of touch up. There is no alternative.