Color question from a newbie

[samssh]

I am definitely new to ships. I've searched the net and multiple forums on this site and cannot find an answer to what I'm sure is a silly question. As I get close to finishing Dragon's 1/700 USS San Diego I'm preparing to add sprue rigging. Is it safe to assume the rigging should be a weathered tan color?

[Timmy C]

Halyards might be a weathered tan, but some of the other rigging are aerials and would probably be black.

But in all honesty, in 1/700 the rigging should be so thin that colour would be nearly indistinguishable. I would go with black just to be safe.

[Rick E Davis]

Here is about as close-up a view of the antenna leads as can be seen in color.

This image is from the LIFE Magazine Archives on-line with Google and was taken by Dmitri Kessel aboard the USS NICHOLSON (DD-442) during March 1943 while she was escorting a Convoy to North Africa. NICHOLSON's superstructure was painted Haze Grey at the time as part of her Ms 22 camo scheme. As you can see the various antennas and support leads were either what appears to be "black" or natural metal.

... http://www.gstatic.com/hostedimg/16ceb6eabbf38676_large ...

[samssh]

Thanks for the photo and information. It definitely helps!

[JohnD]

The June 1943 instructions for painting USN vessels says :- Rigging shall be painted with 84D (zinc chromate primer). Insulators shall be kept entirely free of paint. In 1/700 scale it does not really matter, but in larger scales, should we be using green thread?
John

[John Snyder]

84D was a dark green (I have a sample in my collection). You wouldn't be able to tell it from black or dark gray in 1/350.