Decks

[Rob J]

Just wanted to know how all of you paint your decks. First of all do you airbrush or hand paint them? How do you get them to have a �dirty look�? And finally do you have any tips on masking item that are molded on to some decks?
And I probebly should have checked the homepage first.

[JIM BAUMANN]

Hi Rob!

Herewith is a cut and paste from my contribution to the 'HOW TO' section to this very site....

(click on HOW TO on the left on titlepage menu)

>>>Painting Decks on Ship Models

I used to (and still do) use MATT RADOME TAN by HUMBROL paints or TEAK by COLOURCOATS from WHITE ENSIGN MODELS this is brushed on ,when dry I overbrush again sparingly using the same paint mixed with mid grey, same again using deck colour mixed with light grey,always sparingly, almost dry, brushed on fore and aft only. THEN WHEN TOTALLY DRY and not a second before I make up a mix of Dark grey/black and thinners and wash the the deck down; this gives an impression of the caulking effect as it settles into cast on/moulded deck detail. If the planking detail is raised I use a pencil lead from a self-propelling pencil dragged across raised lines(ICM 1/350 Koenig for example) This mix MUST be very very thin, DO NOT overbrush it or the paint sediment will get brushed out, the thinners will soften the paint, and bingo, one wrecked deck.....Once you have washed with thinners hold model under lightbulb or heat source so that the thinner evaporates quickly, take no risks with softening paint. IF IT DOES wrinkle slightly DO NOT touch it .When DRY you should be able to press it flat and carry on the with build.

Re the painting of deckboxes/hatches etc...

I use a fine brush, a steady hand coupled with care and patience!

Good luck

JIM B

[Timmy C]

I airbrush it with no masking. Then go back and handpaint the details.

[Rob J]

The one thing that im not very good at is joining the deck to hull and getting it to fit just right. Do you paint the hull and the decks, then attack them and put on the super structure or what?

[ARH]

The one thing that im not very good at is joining the deck to hull and getting it to fit just right. Do you paint the hull and the decks, then attack them and put on the super structure or what?

why would you want to attack them you could attach them, like a pirate your always wanting to attack some one,

[GPaulC]

A "dirty look?" A "DIRTY LOOK"? Listen laddie, no self respecting RN first officer would ever allow his ship's deck look dirty! No no no, not never!

RN ships at least and the Japanese wot we trained in the best traditions of the service will always have a clean and tidy deck.

In other words picking out detail is one thing but do not over do the weathering especially on a wooden deck or it will end up looking like a civilian bum-boat and that would never do.

No not never laddie.

[Rob J]

The one thing that im not very good at is joining the deck to hull and getting it to fit just right. Do you paint the hull and the decks, then attack them and put on the super structure or what?

why would you want to attack them you could attach them, like a pirate your always wanting to attack some one,

Now look, this is for you and Werner, School does not start for another week and until that time I will spell anyway I like to as long as it gets the message across! It�s my right, NO MY DUTY to be a bad speller!!!

[middle_watch]

A "dirty look?" A "DIRTY LOOK"? Listen laddie, no self respecting RN first officer would ever allow his ship's deck look dirty! No no no, not never!

RN ships at least and the Japanese wot we trained in the best traditions of the service will always have a clean and tidy deck.

In other words picking out detail is one thing but do not over do the weathering especially on a wooden deck or it will end up looking like a civilian bum-boat and that would never do.

No not never laddie.

Hum, you mean like making the poor sods chip and paint the missile launcher after the shoot on Monday just in time to get it nicely crisped for the shoot on Thursday? AND the bloody Petty officers knicked the windy hammers and jasons pistols cos we were keeping them from their afternoon nap as their bunk space was underneath, so we had to use chipping hammers "Bloody quietly, or else!"

Oh happy days