1:700 US Navy Louisiana BB-71 Blue Wooden Deck (for Very Fire kit VF700902)

Blue wooden deck Louisiana BB-71 1:700 (Artwox Model)

An accessory for a ship kit in 1:700 scale, not a model. The sheet consists of a thin wooden veneer with a self-adhesive back and pre-printed plank laying in a blue tone. The cut matches one particular kit, Very Fire VF700902, so check before buying that this is the model you are building. The natural variant of the same deck is made separately.

The blue tone and the texture at once

A unified dark deck surface is an awkward task for a modeler, because an opaque paint fills the engraving and the area loses any pattern at all. Printed veneer offers the opposite approach, that is, a tone printed on the material beforehand while the material keeps its texture. The planks stay readable, the transition to the steel areas is sharp, and masking around the turrets and superstructures falls away.

Varnishing and patina

We recommend sealing a blue deck at the end with matte varnish applied from a greater distance and in thin coats. A heavy coat could darken the wood locally and create patches. Keep the patina restrained; on a dark base, light dust applied with a dry brush works better than a dark wash, which would be lost in the blue area. Keep the order of the work so that the hull and superstructures are painted and weathered first and the deck comes last.

Who the set is for

• Builders who want a darkly toned deck with readable planks
• Modelers looking for an alternative to the natural shade of wood
• Display and competition models of large battleships
• Work where a sharp boundary between deck and steel is needed

This is an accessory for a plastic kit. The kit itself, glue and paints are not included in the package.