| Many years ago Sterling had a wooden kit of the | | | | that the coats are thoroughly dry between coats. |
| USS Missouri in a fairly large scale. Unfortunately | | | | Sometimes that might take a day or two. A trick |
| Estes bought the assets of Sterling and the | | | | that a friend uses for his funny car models is to |
| Missouri is not currently available. I hate to think | | | | use finger nail polish as it dries very smooth. |
| what one might run on EBay. About the only | | | | I have managed to get fairly smooth finishes by |
| option today would be a plastic model and about | | | | polishing the surface prior to my first coat and |
| the biggest is 1/350th. Tamiya has a good kit, but | | | | building up the paint in light layers. I also |
| if you want wood you will pretty much be out of | | | | sometimes use flat paints and a final gloss coat |
| luck. | | | | that usually results in a smooth finish. There really |
| While I have seen some hand painted models it is | | | | is not a science to good paint finish; it is more of |
| a skill I have never been able to develop. Most | | | | an art that each person develops on their own. |
| really bang up jobs are done with airbrush. For | | | | I am not sure what scale architectural models are |
| that I would recommend a Paasche model | | | | build to, but 1:200 does not equate to inches very |
| "H". It is good, durable airbrush that is | | | | well. 1/48th works out to 1/4-inch equals 1 foot, |
| packaged with three different tips. It is cheaper | | | | and 1/72 equal 1/6 to one foot. The scale should |
| than an Iwata, though some Hobby Lobby stores | | | | be divisible by 12 (i.e. 1/144th scale would be 144 |
| carry both and you can usually score one during | | | | divided by 12 which gives 1/12 of an inch equals |
| Hobby Lobby's 40% of sales. | | | | one foot). You could always go with 1/192 (1/16 |
| Acrylic paints are something that I have not | | | | of an inch equals one foot), which is a popular |
| gotten into and do not know much about. The | | | | scale for ship models. Another choice would be |
| advantage is that you do not have to use special | | | | use metric where 1/200th would work fine. |
| thinners. Some modelers use Windex to thin. My | | | | As far as materials you have a good choice. |
| experience is mainly with enamels. I have a friend | | | | There is always the old standby: balsa wood. Balsa |
| that uses finger nail polish thinned with lacquer | | | | is light and easy to cut. A better choice might be |
| thinner on his cars, as he likes the range of colors | | | | plastics, in which case I would recommend using |
| and fine grain of the metallic/metal flake ones. | | | | plastic from Evergreen Scale Models. That |
| You do not have to have a compressor, some | | | | company produces a wide variety of shapes |
| people prefer to use a CO2 bottle, but that | | | | (sheet plastic, I beams, corrugated, etc.). Plastic |
| seems somewhat expensive. Some of the | | | | also produces plastic in many construction type |
| discount tool companies (like Harbor Freight) stock | | | | shapes. |
| inexpensive compressors. Probably the most | | | | Three possibilities come to mind. One is the old |
| import thing to a good finish is good surface | | | | standby balsa wood. Balsa is fairly cheap and easy |
| preparation. In other words a good clean. Smooth | | | | to work with. Several glues can be used with |
| surface. As I have gotten older I have developed | | | | balsa: Elmer's, wood glue, super glue and even an |
| a tendency to prime the surface and after that | | | | adhesive that is used it wooden model |
| dries well to sand it with very fine grit paper. Try | | | | construction. Balsa can be cut with an Exacta |
| 3200, 2500, in that range. | | | | knife, or razor blade using a straight edge for |
| Afterwards I wash it and allow it to dry | | | | straight lines. Sheet plastic is the second material. |
| thoroughly. Thinning the paint is an art, not a | | | | Super glues, or solvent type glues work fairly well |
| science. That is something you just have to | | | | and plastic is very easy to cut in straight lines, |
| experiment with. | | | | you need only score it with the blade and then |
| The best (smoothest) finish should be obtained by | | | | snap it along the line. The third possibility is solid |
| applying a good color coat first. After that has | | | | foam like that used in insulation. The first two are |
| dried well you can polish out any irregularities with | | | | available at any hobby shop and the foam is |
| fine grit sand paper (2000, 3200, something of | | | | available at a hardware store. There are always |
| that order.). If additional coats are needed you | | | | the old standbys paper and cardboard, but they |
| can apply them lightly afterwards. I would wait for | | | | do not offer any more ease in construction and |
| clear coat until the finish is blemish free. If you are | | | | will not have the strength of the other three I |
| using gloss paint for the color coats make sure | | | | mentioned. |