Sanding & Painting

The following sanding and painting procedure may appear to be difficult and time-consuming. Remember, however, that the appearance of the hull is of great importance for the appearance of the final model. Time spent carefully sanding and painting will be rewarded with a hull which is completely smooth, with no dents or cracks.

Prime the hull with ground colour. Sand, and fill out with putty. Sand again, and continue this process until all irregularities or cracks no longer can be seen.

Paint the model with oil paint, and fill out with putty again. Sand once again, then paint the model.

When the paint is completely dry mark off the waterline aroung the entire hull, as can be seen on the main drawing. Set tape along the line, which will allow you to paint the bottom part of the hull with no risk of mixing the two colours (Fig. 1). Do not remove the tape until the paint is completely dry.

Models of older ships with a wooden hull are usually stained instead of painted. Sand carefully; do not use putty.