1:700 Imperial Chinese Navy Tsi yuen (For S-Model PS700007)

Artwox Model 1:700 Tsi Yuen — a wooden deck

This item is an accessory for ship modelers, not a model. It holds a thin wooden veneer cut to the shape of the deck areas of a Chinese cruiser in 1:700 scale, with the printed laying of the planks and a self-adhesive layer on the back. On smaller ships of this scale the deck is broken up and full of narrow strips between the superstructures, so precisely cut veneer saves very laborious masking and painting in.

The real subject

The Tsi Yuen was a protected cruiser of the Chinese Beiyang Fleet, ordered abroad in the 1880s as part of the modernization of the Imperial Chinese Navy. She belonged to the ships with an armored deck protecting the engine and boiler rooms, with the main armament in the forward part of the hull. In her day she was one of the most modern units of the fleet and the ship took part in the naval actions of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. Models of ships of this era are popular among collectors precisely for their extensive wooden decks and busy superstructures.

Gluing and painting tips

Smaller parts call for a different technique from the large deck areas of battleships. Do not work with your fingers: use tweezers with smooth jaws and a stick with a flat end, so that the veneer gets neither prints nor scores. Degrease the surface with alcohol and check that all the burrs are sanded off; with narrow strips every unevenness shows at once. Uncover the film on the back only on a small piece and set the part by the most prominent edge. On nineteenth-century ships the wood tends to be lighter and less weathered, so treat the weathering sparingly: a fine wash in the gaps and perhaps a very thin glaze are enough. A matte varnish at the end seals the wood and prevents wear.

Who the set is for

• Modelers of historic nineteenth-century ships in 1:700 scale
• Collectors focused on the navies of the Far East
• Those who want to avoid the laborious masking of narrow deck strips
• Modelers used to small precise work with tweezers and a scalpel

This is an accessory to a plastic kit, not a model in its own right. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.