1:350 Russian Imperial Battleship Poltava Wooden Deck (Zvezda)

Wooden deck of the battleship Poltava in 1:350 scale

An aftermarket accessory for a plastic kit, not a model. The set holds a thin wooden veneer cut to the shape of the deck, with pre-printed plank laying and an adhesive layer on the back. It is glued onto the plastic deck of a model of the Russian battleship Poltava in 1:350 scale and takes the place of the engraving, which only imitates wood. The result is a surface with the real pattern and texture of the material.

Start laying from the middle

The key to a flat deck is the order in which you lay the veneer. Start in the middle of the part and work toward the edges; the air then has somewhere to go and any deviation is split between both sides instead of adding up at one edge. If you start at an edge, a small inaccuracy multiplies with every centimeter and comes out visibly off at the opposite end. Measure the axis beforehand and mark it lightly, then simply keep checking that you are not straying from it.

Evening out the shade

Veneer does not come from the factory with an absolutely identical tone over the whole area, which is a property of wood, not a fault. Anyone who wants to even the area out can use a weak stain or a thinned oil paint, but always on a test offcut first, because wood absorbs quickly and a darker shade cannot be taken back. A weak matte varnish is enough at the end; it evens out the sheen and protects the surface from soiling during further handling of the model.

Who the set is for

• Modelers building surface ships in 1:350 scale
• Those who want a deck of real wood instead of engraved plastic
• Anyone after a quick rise in realism without etching and resin
• Builders who can measure and set a part out calmly

This is an accessory, not a kit. The shape of the part is derived from one particular Zvezda kit; please check the match. Buy the plastic model and the paints separately.