Hi. This thread is mostly aimed at beginners/improvers, although I'd like to think that there may be one or two useful ideas contained within for more experienced modellers too - if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! Likewise, if you feel I have missed out any details or useful nuggets of wisdom, please feel free to add them! Apologies for the 'wall of text' effect to this thread, I'll be adding some pics in when appropriate
Whilst HMS Victory will be my first wooden ship model,(I will, like many others be ferreting out advice on how to do the tricksy stuff with the planking and rigging from some of the more experienced chaps on this forum), I do, however, specialise in painting /finishing techniques and have certain modelmaking skills. I hope to share some tidbits of advice on these matters with you over the coming months.
Since it is very early days in the construction of this potentially magnificent model there is little to share with you at the moment but this is sure to change in the not-too-distant future. I have not even assembled the first cannon yet, since it will be far more time-effective to paint these in batches and besides, I have some issues with the fit of the cannon pinion and detailing which I will address when the time comes, Therefore I will stick to addressing the basic requirements for now and focus on various subjects as they become available.
PAINT: Acrylics Vs EnamelsI have noticed that many forumers are planning to paint this model and are using a variety of mediums (Enamels/acrylics)to do so. Each has its advantages and disadvantages - Enamels will provide a tougher, harder wearing finish but tend to smell rather strongly, take longer to dry, are difficult to get out of ones clothes in the case of accidents and require specialist thinners - whereas Acrylics dry quickly, are water soluble and don't smell the house out.
Whichever finish you choose, it will be important to prep the parts before painting (I noticed that the cast metal anchor had some mould-lines which needed filing off and sanding down before painting) and for that task a variety of files and abrasives will come in handy.
A lot of folk appear to be very concerned about the historical accuracy of the colour of the paint they use - the actual 'accuracy' of these colours is debatable due to scale issues - I will be making suggestions, using appropriate Vallejo and Games Workshop colours at a later date
SEALANTSUntreated wood is not usually paint-friendly and requires a bit of prepping before one applies any paint - the same applies to cotton. Sanding sealant (shellac based) is perfect for sealing the wood prior to de-nibbing (removing any stray fibers that pop up annoyingly when painted) with fine wet&dry paper and provides a smooth surface for the paint/varnish - You can find sanding sealant in most hardware shops.
The drawback to using sealant is that, being meths based, it does tend to honk (smell strongly) a bit so either ensure plenty of ventilation or do it in the shed/outside.
Thinned PVA (white glue) is also invaluable for damping down those stray fibers on the cotton used for ropes and rigging (It also helps the modeler to give the illusion of 'weighted ropes' by allowing him/her to tease the ropes into shape whilst the PVA is drying - a quick look at similar models will show how otherwise heavy ropes, when represented by cotton thread, appear almost weightless and do not hang correctly - simply make a solution of PVA at around 20% PVA, 80% water and apply with a brush. At this rate of thinning the PVA solution will dry, leaving all the detail of the wound thread, damp those stray fibers down and provide a good surface for the paint.
FILES AND ABRASIVES Needle files are an important part of any modelmakers toolkit, try and acquire a decent collection of straight and curved ones - steel ones are good for metal parts and the diamond encrusted ones work well on plastics and wood. Use them for hardcore tasks such as shaping and removing mould lines
WET&DRY Vs GlasspaperA selection of abrasive paper is also nigh-on essential when prepping wood and other parts for painting - simply filing will leave marks that will invariably show up after painting.
Wet&Dry paper (available from most car accessory stores) has the advantage that it can be used, as the name suggests, both wet (for lubrication and clogging avoidance) and dry - Since the HMS Victory is mostly made from wood 'wet' might not be such a good idea - but it's still preferable to glasspaper due to the huge range of varying grades.
The grades follow a numbering sequence - the lower the number the grittier the paper, P240 is about as fierce as I would go for modelmaking purposes and is useful for initial shaping, P400 is good for initial prepping and P1200 is perfect for final prepping, polishing and removing paint blemishes. A selection of intermediate grades eg. P600, P800 will also come in handy
Traditional Glasspaper is a very crude alternative to Wet&dry, and (depending on the quality, of course) will shed grit and all manner of crud around your workbench/tray - Avoid if possible.
BRUSHES A good quality brush is worth a dozen 'hobby brushes' - it won't shed bristles, it will retain its point or edge for much longer and will also ensure that you get the best finish possible.
As a Miniature painter, I use Windsor&Newton Series 7, Kolinsky sable brushes for fine detail work (A size 1 and a 0 will come in handy for the crew figures, stern applique detail and bow when they arrive - I will do a full tutorial for these in due course) -
As for the less fiddly stuff, I will be using some Vallejo brushes and ones from Games workshop - both brands are of very decent quality but given the likelihood of wear and tear on the bristles over such a large model it would be uneconomical to use premium grade brushes.
Techniques (adding the 3 into 3D)
Most folk tend to use colour, straight from the pot - which is fine, but tends to look a bit flat and uninteresting - I shall try to explain, using pics, how to add shading and highlighting techniques which really bring paintwork to life.
Its a mammoth undertaking, but together we shall prevail..
England Expects..
Schnellboots on back burner
Tools.