LP-13 IJN gray Sasebo Arsenal

What the color is for

LP-13 IJN gray Sasebo Arsenal is a gray shade from the Tamiya LP modeling line. The ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy did not get a single prescribed gray: the paints were prepared in the naval arsenals that looked after the ships, and the shades therefore differed between arsenals. The Tamiya LP line takes account of this and lists several named grays side by side, among them the shade of the Kure Arsenal under the designation LP-12.

Application and thinning

Stir the contents of the bottle thoroughly before use, as settled pigment will otherwise shift the resulting tone. The thinner intended for this line and the thinning ratio follow the manufacturer's instructions on the package. Apply the shade in several light coats and let the surface become tacky between them. One heavy coat drowns the riveting and the fine engraved detail, and on a ship model it is exactly those that carry most of the surface detail. Try the procedure and the thinning out on a piece of scrap plastic first.

Tips for painting ships

Large gray areas look livelier if you play the shade about: lighten the middle of larger panels slightly and leave the edges darker. Mask the wooden deck and the bottom of the hull before you start with the gray, as the border between them is to stay crisp. Even the surface out with a clear gloss coat before applying decals, as a white haze forms under a decal on a matte surface. Weathering and funnel soot come last of all.

• the shade LP-13 IJN gray Sasebo Arsenal from the Tamiya LP line
• a gray of the Imperial Japanese Navy after the Sasebo Arsenal
• applied in several light coats rather than one heavy one
• the thinner intended for this line and the thinning ratio according to the manufacturer's instructions
• suitable for models of Japanese warships and their armament

Terms of supply

The model, the thinner, the brushes and an airbrush are not included, unless stated otherwise.