Introduction and a 1/700 Laffey WIP

[JaM]

Hi all,
I'm new here and this is my first post.
I write from Italy and I build models from more than 15 years, mainly WWII vehicles and some sci-fi models in the last years.

I've recently decided to try a ship model, because I love working with PE parts, and there are a lot of them for ship kits, and I chose the 1/700 Laffey from Dragon (small and cheap kit for the first build) with the FlyHawk detailing kit.
I had a lot of fun building it, and I've already added some more ships in the pile of to-do kits

Actually I'm painting it, here is some pictures of the kit before painting:



More here: http://www.gmb-bellinzago.org/2011/02/u ... ey-dd-459/ (is the website of my local Modeling club)

I know I made some mistakes during building (especially on gluin all the structures together before painting), but I'll do better on the next ship

Any comment or suggestion is welcome.

Ciao,
Matteo "JaM"


ps: if you want to see my other models follow this link http://www.gmb-bellinzago.org/author/mginella/ and search for all the posts by Matteo "JaM".
This website is only in Italian, probably in the next weeks I'll set up a personal blog with only my models and a bilingual italian-english structure.

pps: sorry in advance for any grammar mistake I may make, feel free to correct me, this is also a way to improve my English

[NukeMM]

Matteo,

Very, nice!

I too, like to add the PE before painting the overall model. Expecially the railings more than other items.

I am worried for you, however, that you'll have difficulty painting the bulkheads and hull and especially the decks, since you have the mast and rigging installed, already. I hope that you have a good plan or technique for this.

Most times, with ship modeling, I have learned that there are more stages or steps that need to be done before others. These stages have to be planned out ahead of time.

[JaM]

Thank you.

I learned a lot building this little ship, and her "littleness" will save me during the painting steps.
On the next ship model I'll plan accurately which pieces needs to be painted before assembly

I planned to mainly use the airbrush to paint her. I've already gave her a general base of neutral grey to spot out imperfections, filled and sanded them, another coat of gray, then a little stripe of black, 1mm thick masking tape and then hull red on the lower part.

I'll probably give her the navy blue this weekend by airbrush, masking the lower part, and then the deck blue by a very tiny brush on all the horizontal parts.

A question about her colors: the torpedo launcher is all deck blue, or also the vertical parts of it are navy blue?

Ciao,
Matteo "JaM"

[JaM]

Started painting: Hull Red and Navy Blue by airbrush.

Next steps: Deck Blue and then washes and weathering with oils





More pictures here: http://www.gmb-bellinzago.org/2011/04/u ... ey-dd-459/

Ciao

[JIM BAUMANN]

to Modelwarships Matteo!

For your first ship model she does look very good--looks like you have excellent sharp demarcation between boot-top and underwater / hull.

May I advise...?

I would suggest you leave the rigging till the last thing you do--that way you can keep it really thin and avoid any paint build-up making it appear thicker...

I have done a small tutorial here:

link

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37536



Best wishes/ Ciao!!

Jim Baumann

[JaM]

Thank you Jim.

I used a 1mm thick masking tape for the black line on the hull, but I don't know if the thickness is correct

For the riggings, I'll place them after painting in the next ship

But I did not use stretched sprue, I used SBM 0.1mm elastic wire. It is sold by an italian website ( http://www.essebiemme.net/html/sbm_wire.html ) and they say that it can be painted with any paint used in model making, it can be glued with cyanoacrylate, and it can be extended to 700% of his lenght.
I think you can find something similar also in some international stores.

[Quincy]

I think your build looks fantastic!






Bob Pink.

[ArizonaBB39]

very cool. thanks for sharing

[NukeMM]

:I have done a small tutorial here:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37536

But, everything that Mr. Baumann does is small. Tiny, in fact.

[JaM]

Thank you

Today or tomorrow I'll start to paint the decks.

[JaM]

Hi all... the work on the Laffey is proceding (slowly... very slowly... )

Hope to make some photos and publish something this weekend.

Meanwhile you can enjoy my little model-blog: http://www.matteoginella.it

[Guest]

Pretty ship. I'm not much in favor of those brass props and shafts tho- they distract the eye.

Nicely done.

[JaM]

Finished: viewtopic.php?f=60&t=77338