I am looking for some wood sheeting suitable for cut-to-fit and scribing for my 1/350 ship build. I have obtained some 6" x 7" sheeting in a thin, adhesive-backed format from KA Models of Korea via HLJ which may work but I'd like to know what else is out there. I know that Sinsengumi, Hasegawa and others make pre-cut decking for various models, but as nothing is out for Tamiya's 1/350 Bismarck/Tirpitz, I'm going to have to make my own if that's how I want to go. Can anyone suggest sources? I suppose that model railroad diorama suppliers might have a good variety but I don't know where to start. Stephen.

I have always used
'HO' scale lumber. You have to glue down each peice but I still like it.

I'm with Frank. Here's some sources.

Northeastern Scale Lumber
Kappler Mill
Mt. Albert Lumber

They're out there, a quick Yahoo search yeilded those three links.
Hope this helps.
Cuhail

Thanks, guys; I appreciate the links, and checked them out. But, I'll tell you, I ain't gonna glue down individual planks on a 1/350 ship. Plus they're too thick; I like the foil-thin sheets as per the other suppliers I mentioned. But I did get from you the idea of checking out wood veneers from cabinet shops. I'll let you know how it goes. Stephen

Something tells me that patience and some time will eventually get you what you want. I just have a feeling that if prices drop a tad the popularity of this item will make it profitable for some company to back and make sheets for the early Tamiya battleships.

Stephen,

Try here http://www.woodveneers.net/

Another possible is the thin cedar that comes in cigar boxes. A quick trip to a local smoke shop may yield some results. I worked at a gas station with a pretty good cigar selection and always grabbed the this sheets that came in the boxes.

Just saying,
Cuhail

Murph: that is very cool. In fact, those cigar tube liners are the reference standard for such stuff. Cheap and plentiful, too! Duh...Can't loose - unless they are sliced too thin and have splits. Stay tuned. Stephen

It is very thin wood, so, splitting can most definately be an issue. Watch the grain. Cutting with the grain, the knife blade may follow a pattern in the wood before your cutline. Cutting against the grain can result in splitting along the grain as you pass against it.
Your best cutting tools for this wood like that is a metal straight-edge and a roller type wheel cutter.

Hope this helps.
Cuhail

Hi Cuhail: Thanx for this; the cutting wheel idea is cool. The cigar tube liner cigar box separator sheets are typically Spanish Cypress, tending to splitting and with very open pores: not great for ship modeling, at least not for the decking. Maybe trashed-out railroad shacks. And they are still a little too thick. Next I will look at cabinet-maker veneer suppliers. For a couple of square feet the cost of just about anything custom cut - teak? - should not be too great. Stephen

Dear Kenny: Bingo. I called them. They have many common and exotic woods in sheets which are both fleece- backed and unbacked. Teak, cherry, rosewood (wow), all stainable and in thinnesses up to .007" but... $300.00 is their minimum standard order. But I was nice and didn't give up and it turns out that for a premium above their per square foot price they will sell smaller amounts. For my Tamiya Tirpitz with the first superstructure level above the main deck (AA deck?) molded as a separate part from the main deck ("B" & "C" turret casements & vents, too) and a minimum of deck detail that would need to be dealt with, this will be my way to go. Thank you, Kenny! Stephen

The biggest problem I see with buying that stuff is the scribbing for the planks. I doubt it is done or if it is it certainly won't be to 350 scale.Look at a pieces before you buy. It would be a shame to spend a pile of money and then have nothing more than a flat sheet of glue on wood which won't achieve the look you want. You might be better off buyinhg that WEM thin metal set and finding a suitable tan paint and then lightly brushing on some of tha tbrown The Detailer wash.

Hi Steve:

I have the WEM detail set, but altho it has secondary PE scribed decking, covers for the main decks are not included. As far as scribing the planks, I will bundle up (superglue?) a couple a dozen or so #11 Exacto blades with suitable shimming and scribe along a straightedge a couple dozen lines all at once. Life-scale planking had hardly any gap between boards, so all I need is a nick that will take some wash. Right? I hope so. We shall see. Stephen

what a marvelous idea with the xaxto blades. You are correct, it should look super. I might look into this thing myself now. Sure save a bundle on AC wooden decks for my Akagi and Hornet.

If I may ask, what was the price?

Dear Kenny: Premium was going to be an extra $50.00 above whatever the actual price for the wood would be. That would vary for teak, cherry, basswood, etc., and I did not get that far with them. The fellow I talked with was nice enough but I could tell it was a nuisance for him to be fielding a request like mine (~2 sq ft.). Damn good tip, Kenny! Stephen

2 square feet might be enough to do 2 ships....small BB's or a cruiser and a BB accounting for waste and damages. I would go 2 sheets of it...the premium should stay the same and that way you could probably get 3 ships and in the long run save money. As for me, I thin I'll pass. Paying a $100 or so for a piece to cover the Akagi's deck when I could just paint and stain it and be close enough (besides 2/3 of the deck will be covered by aircrft and markings. I think eventually, somone will get around to making the wooden decks for the rest of the ships and maybe the cost might drop to around $80 for a nice sized BB.