1:700 U.S. Navy Battleship Montana BB-67 (blue) (For Very Fire VF700901)

Wooden deck 1:700 - Montana BB-67, blue variant, Artwox Model

An accessory for a ship kit, not a model. The deck shapes are cut from a thin wooden veneer with pre-printed plank laying and an adhesive layer on the back. It differs from the basic version in its color finish: the face of the veneer is toned to blue-gray instead of natural wood, so there is no need to stain it afterwards. The cut matches one particular kit, Very Fire VF700901; check the match before buying.

To varnish or not to varnish

Toned veneer needs no further surface treatment and many modelers leave it just as it is. An overcoat makes sense in two situations: when you want to protect the surface against scuffing and fingerprints during the rest of the build, and when the finished deck looks out of keeping with the surrounding color of the hull. In both cases choose a matte or at most a satin varnish. A glossy overcoat lightens the shade optically, brings out every unevenness of the base and at the same time destroys the matte look of wood that is the whole reason for using veneer.

Tips for safe varnishing

Wood is absorbent, so the first coat has to be very thin and applied from a greater distance; a heavy coat through an airbrush or from close up floods the pre-printed seams between the planks and you lose exactly the detail you are buying the set for. Let every coat dry out thoroughly. Beware of aggressive thinners in lacquer products: they can draw into the wood and dissolve the print. If you are unsure, test the varnish first on the waste edge of the set left over after the parts are taken out.

Who the set is for

• modelers who want a darker deck without staining it themselves
• builders of the matching kit in 1:700
• anyone after a strong contrast between the deck and the superstructures
• display models viewed from above

This is an accessory, not a model. The ship kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.