¹⁄700

U.S.S. Brooklyn CL-40

The last step of the construction was the deck-edge railings. The forward rails are pre-curved to compensate for the bow sheer, and these fit perfectly. I tacked the rail at the bow and slowly worked my way aft, applying a thin bead of superglue to the interior of the joint as I progressed. I measured and cut the midships and stern sections, and blended the horizontal portions of the rail into the protruding gun tubs along the deck edge. After a few touchups here and there, I gave the Haze Gray areas a thin wash of Payne’s Gray oils, and then sprayed the model with Testor’s DullCote.

details....

Originally, I had intended to model the Brooklyn underway, throwing a nice bow wave and wake. I realized, though, that the base I chose wasn’t large enough to effectively show a full wake. I thought about modeling her at anchor, but that was pretty boring, so I decided to add a neat little tugboat I bought at the IPMS Nationals in Kansas City a couple of years ago. The Battlefleet Models tug is a simple affair, only two resin parts, some brass rod for the radio masts, and a section of photo-etched railing. I built the tugboat in under an hour, and positioned it where I thought it looked best.

Since the vast majority of 1/700 ship models are waterline, having a half-hulled model on a plain wooden base simply wouldn’t suffice, so I painted the top of the base with a lumpy, half-used bottle of Tamiya medium blue. This provided the base color for the “water” that the model would sit in. The next step was a generous amount of Liquitex Acrylic Gel Medium, spread out over the base and around the hull. Gel Medium is used by artists to thicken acrylic paints, to give them the same consistency as oils, but without the long drying times. It has the consistency of toothpaste, and dries clear as it settles. Once I was satisfied with the height and shape of the waves in my “water”, I inserted the completed tugboat alongside the Brooklyn’s bow. I allowed the gel medium to set for 24 hours, and then applied a wash of Vallejo Dark Prussian Blue, followed by a brushed-on coat of Future Floor Polish tinted with Games Workshop’s blue ink. This gives the relatively thin layer of gel medium a deeper, transparent look. I finished up by dry-brushing some whitecaps and a wake at tugboat’s stern.

in closing...

The detail found in this newer-generation resin kits are incredible, easily as detailed as their larger, 1/350 scale brethren. As much as I love this diminutive model, building something this small and detailed was truly a challenge for me. I guess all these big-scale models have dulled my fine motor skills. Nevertheless, I’m very pleased with the results of my efforts. I guess I still have what it takes to be a Renaissance Modeler!

A hearty thanks to Mr. Bill Grunter of Pacific Front Hobbies for providing the kit for this story. Check out his online shop at www.pacificfront.com.