1:32 Light Wood - Red Tone

What the sheet is for

Wood is hard to paint on a model. The pattern of the grain has to be regular, fine and equally dense over the whole area, and that is exactly what takes a long time with a brush as well as with an airbrush. A printed sheet gets around that work: the pattern is printed to scale, so on a propeller, on the plywood skin of a fuselage, on the floor of a cockpit or on the furnishings of an interior a structure appears that would be matched up by hand only with great patience. This sheet carries light wood with a reddish tone, that is a warmer shade than the natural or yellowish variant gives.

How to apply the sheet

This is a wet decal. First coat the area with gloss varnish; on a matte surface a silvery veil forms under the film and is then removed only with difficulty. Cut out the piece you need, soak it in lukewarm water and let it stand until the film releases from the paper; then slide it into place and press the excess water out with a soft cloth. Over a raised relief a decal softener helps, after which the film settles into the recesses. Once it is completely dry, coat the area with varnish, which makes the edge of the film disappear.

Painting tips

It pays to even the surface underneath out to a light tone; on sheets printed on a transparent film the color underneath shifts the result. Once dry, the wood can be toned further with a thin wash into the gaps and with a fine varnish according to how glossy you want the area.

What is in the box

The decal sheet itself is supplied. The model, paints and varnish are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.