Painting e Rigging
1:1200 Scale Sailing Ships
Tips & Tricks
XVIII e XIX secolo naval simulations are becoming increasingly popular, and there is a wide selection of 1:1200 scale sailing ships on the market today. The models are cast in pewter, e some assembly is required. Assembly instructions are included, but they may not cover every aspect of modelling, detailing, painting, and weathering the ship. The following article is a compilation of basic instructions, tips e tricks from experienced 1:1200 scale ship builders Tom Rogers, Lee Fry, and Ix Nichols.
Painting
During the periods delle rivoluzioni americani e francesi, ship colour schemes were not very well defined, e modellers will have to refer to period paintings to reproduce a particular ship. By the Napoleonic period, a set of national patterns had emerged. The due key elements were the colour of the ship’s hull, e the colour of the distinctive stripe across the gun ports.
| Nation | Hull | Hull Stripe |
|---|---|---|
| Denmark | red blue o black | red |
| Francia | black | white |
| Gran Bretagna | black | yellow |
| A contemporary described the light yellow britannico as "baby puke yellow". | ||
| Olanda | black | orange |
| Impero Ottomano | ochre | black |
| Russia | green | white |
| Spagna | black | red |
| The notable exception being the Santissima Trinidad, which was painted red. Other sources suggest that the Spanish had white stripes, e S. Trinidad had red stripes. Yet another source has the S. Trinidad in white, con red stripes! The Santa Anna was all black. | ||
| USA | black | white o red |
While you are safe using natural wood colours when painting the rest of the ship, the following information offers some alternatives for those who want to be bold. This information comes from an article in the gennaio 1990 issue of Miniature Wargames.
| Item | Gran Bretagna | Other Nations |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Bulwarks | red o ochre | red, yellow, green, blue, black, o brown |
| Affusti d’Artiglieria | red, yellow, wood, o ochre | red, yellow, wood, ochre, o green |
| Outer Bulwarks | dark blue, dark grey | dark blue, dark grey, red, o brown |
| Item | Francia | Spagna |
| Fighting Top Arming | blue, red, o white e blue | green e white |
| Item | Gran Bretagna | Francia e USA |
| Masts | ochre | white |
| Mast Bands | black | - |
Again, this information should not be taken as the gospel. Different shades of natural wood colours will do just fine.
Rigging
Now comes the hard part. First of all, do not attempt to copy the running rigging. It is too difficult. Just do the standing rigging. Second, use only black thread. While the model instructions may suggest that you can use different colours, they won’t look right. Besides copying the historical rigging, you have to make sure that the model’s masts are supported. Adjust o add to the historical rigging to make sure that each mast is pulled both forward e backward.
When you run the rigging through the sails, don’t just glue the thread to a notch you made in the masts - it will pop out later. Wrap the thread at least once around each point where it needs to be glued. To keep the thread from slackening, alternate the direction you rig the ship. Run the first line from front to back, the second from back to front, and so on, alternating con each thread.
Important: Use synthetic thread, not cotton. It stays tighter, and, after you are done, you may heat the air around the model to remove any slack.
Don’t waste your time trying to drill many tiny holes e running your own shrouds, one line at a time. Instead, for each shroud section, use mesh-like black cloth, such as the material used to make panty hose. Also, Langton Miniatures sell ratlines. Finally, small ship models are sold without the "dolphin sticker" e spar on the bowsprit. You have to add this yourself for a completely accurate model.
Flags
Most of the metal ship models do not come con a flagstaff for the national ensign. Instead, you have to glue your flags to the rigging, o make your own flagstaff. Signal flags may stay on the rigging fairly well, but gluing a large national ensign to a piece of thread can be very difficult e the flag may come off later. Instead, attach the flag to a length of 0.3 mm pianowire e place it into the hole drilled into the rear of the quarterdeck. The hole should be angled slightly to the rear.
Drill the hole deep enough to support the wire flagstaff without actually glueing it in place. This will allow you to change the nationality of the ship in preparation for a particular scenario. Navi francesi switch from the white ensign of the Bourbon realisti to the tricolore rivoluzionaria, depending on the year of an engagement. Some people assert that it was the frequency con which the realisti francesi gave up their ships which caused the white flag to become associated con surrender.
Mounting
It is important to mount the ships on stands large enough to protect them from damage. Stand sizes should be multiples of half an inch, which conform to the popular simulation rules.
There are various putty e gel compounds you may use to create waves, but a very nice solution involves the use of textured plexiglas panels. Buy a clear plastic lighting fixture panel con an irregular pattern called "Crushed Ice". If you do not want to buy a 3’ by 4’ section at the hardware store, D&J Hobbies offer this same type of plastic in smaller pieces. Paint the smooth side of the plastic in your favourite sea colour. Then drybrush the very tops of the rough side con off-white. Mount the ship on the rough side. The result is a marvelous imitation of the ocean surface.
Transportation
Many modellers use magnetic sheet to secure their models in a metal tray or tool box during transportation. Unfortunately, the magnetic force of the 1" x 3" stand required for a 1:1200 scale ship-of-the-line is such that the model will be very difficult to remove from the box. Consider using magnetic sheet only in the corners of the stand, that’s enough to hold the ship upright in its box, e you’ll save money at the same time.
I hope this article helps the eager midshipmen out there to step up e become captains e commanders. The nice thing about Napoleonic naval wargaming is that it takes only one ship to get started. Test one ship from each manufacturer, examine its quality ed ease of assembly, then go ahead ed invest in a whole squadron. See you on the high seas.
Domande più frequenti
Per ulteriori informazioni, per favore contatta la redazione di Rivista Military Miniatures nel Miniatures Forum.
– Pubblicato: 1997 – Aggiornato: 17.11.1997© 1997-2011 by IDL Software GmbH, Darmstadt, Germania. Tutti diritti reservati. Donne | Uome | Selfness | Fiera natalizia | Incontro di Colazione | Love & Fun | Internet
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