1:700 U.S.S. Alabama BB-60 (For Trumpeter 05762)

USS Alabama BB-60 1:700 — an Artwox Model wooden deck

The set is made up of a thin sheet of natural veneer with the printed pattern of the gaps and with a self-adhesive layer on the back, cut to the shape of the deck areas of a model in 1:700 scale. Once glued on it replaces the plastic deck of the kit. This is neither a model nor a kit but an accessory that deals with the look of one, albeit highly visible, part of a ship. The set is intended for the Trumpeter 05762 kit.

The real subject

The USS Alabama BB-60 was an American fast battleship of the South Dakota class, taken into service in 1942. She combined heavy armor with enough speed to escort aircraft carriers and carried main armament of 406 mm guns. During the war she served first in the Atlantic and then in the Pacific, where she took part in a number of operations. After retirement she has been preserved as a museum ship.

Application tips

With American ships it is good to think out in advance whether you want to leave the deck in the wood or tone it dark. Later wartime appearances assumed that the wooden areas were covered with a dark coat, so the result can differ markedly from bare veneer. A compromise is to let the wood show through and to pull its tone down with a filter or a thinned wash in a blue-gray shade: the pattern of the planks stays legible but the area stops reading like furniture. Try the procedure on an offcut first and always fix the finished area with a matte varnish, so that the wash does not migrate.

Who the set is for

• Modelers of American battleships in 1:700 scale
• Those who want a deck with the real grain of wood
• Builders who enjoy fine-tuning the shade of a deck with washes and filters
• Anyone interested in a quick and clean way to raise the level of a model

This is an accessory to a plastic kit, not a model. The kit, glue, paints and photo-etched parts are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.