1:700 Light Cruiser ChungKing Deck Masking Sheet for Flyhawk kit 1111

A masking template 1:700 for the deck of the light cruiser Chungking

A sheet of self-adhesive masking film whose shapes match the deck areas of the Flyhawk 1111 kit exactly. The template does not deal with the surface of the deck but with the boundary of the spraying: with it you spray the wooden areas in one shade and the steel ones in another, without having to lay tape around every cut-out. The mask is cut for the Flyhawk 1111 kit, so please check the match before ordering.

A mask or wood veneer?

Both routes lead to a good-looking deck, but they differ in the result and in the work involved. Veneer replaces the surface with real wood with a grain of its own and is more demanding to lay. A mask leaves the engraved planks of the plastic deck in place and deals only with the color division of the areas. If you are building a model for a collection where the deck will be looked at from close up, reach for veneer. For a quicker build, or for a model that is only to look decent on a shelf, a mask is the more sensible choice.

Painting a plastic deck under a mask

Engraved planks stand out when the paint is applied in thin coats and the engraving is not flooded. Feel free to vary the base shade of wood a little: tone a few planks a shade lighter or darker before the mask is stuck on, and the area will then not look like a uniform coat. Once it is dry, stick the template on, press the edges down and spray the naval gray. Only after the mask is removed does a wash into the engraved gaps come in turn.

Who the mask is for

• Modelers who want a clean deck without obtaining wood veneer
• Builders with an airbrush working in coats
• Those who build several ships and are looking for effect with little work
• Modelers building the Flyhawk 1111 kit

This is neither a kit nor a wooden deck. Neither paints nor the base model are included in the package.