Scale Models - View Single Post - Revell 1/72nd Type VII U-Boat.

**Bunkerbarge** · 24-06-2006

Well today I worked on getting all those little bits and bobs finished and getting the deck looking as I wanted it.

The whole idea of the expense of the wooden deck was so that the laser cut holes would look neat and the wood texture would look far more realistic than the plastic original.

After the original coat of matt dark grey was applied, the real decks were coated with a matt black paint, I made up a wash of very thin brown enamel paint. This was painted over the recessed detail and then immediately wiped away with my finger. This left the wash in the detail and it also shaded the deck colour nicely.

When that was done I then dry brushed matt white in patches over the deck surface. Being a wooden deck regularly submerged in sea water just about every picture I can find of a U-Boat deck shows very clearly white salt deposits on the deck. I have never seen this simulated on a model yet so I particularly wanted to show this effect.

The final effect on the deck was a gunmetal dry brush over the areas of the footholds around the 8.8 cm gun and the capstan, which was actually scuffed pieces of metal on the real boats. I made these out of stretched sprue and plasticard.

I then added a soot deposit in way of the deisel exhausts with an airbrush, which is really the only way to generate such a softly shaded paint effect.

When this was done I have to say I was really pleased with the overall effect of the deck. The detail looks crisp and the weathering looks quite realistic and nicely contrasts with the steel areas of the deck and hull.

The rest of the day was then spent adding bits of detail and attending to the rigging. The rigging was a bit of a challenge, as it has to be removable to allow the removal of the centre section. I incorporated a section of rubber cord into the forward wire and a hook so that the rigging can be released quickly and easily. The centre section will still be attached by the aft wires but it can be conveniently sat on the aft deck when removed.

The final couple of bits remain to be completed such as the hand rail wires and the making of the stand, which should be completed tomorrow and the final touch of a few crewmembers may well be done during my next trip away. I am hoping that my flag (including Swastika!) from BECC will arrive soon to finish off the detail of the bridge.