Gentlemen, I need some feedback and ideas on doing a Deck paint job on the USS Missouri 1/350 by Tamiya. Have any of you attempted on taking this on?
I would think I have a couple of choices. Mask everything on the deck and spray paint. Or Brush paint the deck carefully. Opinions, please. Which is the path of least resistance? And by the way what color brown would look best?
If you think this deck painting in brown wouldn't look that great what color would you suggest?
Appreciate your knowledgeable suggestions.
Thanks guys. CharlesC

Hey Charles.

I know that there are several members here that mask off and airbrush the deck. I would think that would be the way to go. As far as deck color, the Missouri in WWII had a US Deck Blue deck. The following link will show you more.

Ship Camouflage

I actually did the opposite when I did my Missouri. I felt that masking off all the vertical surfaces of the bulkheads would be too much work. So I airbrushed everything using the vertical surface color (Haze Gray) and then went back and hand brushed the deck.

It was a pain and you'll have touchups, but I still feel like I'd have spent a lot more time trying to mask off all the vertical surfaces, especially since I did quite a bit of sub assembly before paint.

I also used the same technique later doing a 1/350 Fletcher.

Hi Kenny, Thanks for reply on painting the Missouri deck. Also the Ship Camaoflage link.
Very informative page. Still thinking which way to go. Regards, CharlesC

Hi Tom, Thanks for the reply on painting the Missouri deck. Might be the way to go, spray everything then hand brush the deck after. I don't airbrush though, spray can is my way.
Did you go with the blue for the deck? Didn't think much of the brown? any particular reason? Thanks, Regards, CharlesC

I went with the Deck Blue. While I thought the color seemed a bit dark, and I did not do any lightening for either scale effect or fading due to weathering, that's the color that was used during the period I was representing the ship, which is in late Aug - early Sep 1945. It's very difficult to judge from the black and white photos, but Paul Stillwell's book has a couple of photos which I found helpful. One shows a group of sailors holystoning the deck and talks about how they are removing the deck stain which covered the teak decks during the war. Another good shot is in NY Harbor in October of 1945, and it's pretty obvious that now the decks are noticeably lighter than the top surfaces of the main gun turrets. Earlier photos seem to indicate that the decks are pretty close to the shade of the main turret tops. So while my color match is likely a bit dark I though it looked fine.

One difference from the specifications and the photos I did notice. The specification calls for ALL the horizontal surfaces to be Deck Blue. However, it is obvious from several photos that the tops of the twin 5" turrets were NOT painted that color, as the turrets are clearly all the same Haze Gray color.

I've still got some photos of my build in my gallery as well as of the USS Healy, a Fletcher class painted in the same scheme, so you can see how it looks that way.

Deck blue is how the ship was outfitted during the entie war. Refer to the color scheme as presented on the box) After the war I think it was removed but the deck would have been a light tan. You would have to do some research to find out how the ship was painted and done up btwn the end of the war and moth-balling. You won't find that blue color in a rattle can....stickly airbrush or hand paint.

Hi Tom, Thanks again. I realize that was the color representing the time period. I always for some reason thought the deck was wood when they signed the surrender. The teak seems to appeal to me. Regards, CharlesC

Thanks for the feedback Steve. I will do a little more research. Regards, CharlesC