GreenStrawberry (Sci-Fi) Hangar Deck 04 (DP06)

[Mike]

(Sci-Fi) Hangar Deck 04 (DP06)

(No Scale) GreenStrawberry

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/reviews/greenstrawberry/bases/dp04/boxtop.jpg

Finding a display base for your latest creation can be a mite tricky, so it's often a case of building your own.  No longer is that the case, as GreenStrawberry have come up with a new line of Display Pads that are available now, and able to be completed one of two ways, depending on how much effort you want to put into your base.

 

 

 

The base arrives in a small black box with the usual GS styling, and a sticker featuring product details and a rendering of the finished article on the top.  Inside is a section of thick plastic sheet, a glossy self-adhesive top surface that can be stuck to the base for a quick finish, a sheet of vinyl masking material and a clear sheet of transfer foil for those wanting to go the whole hog and paint up their own.  The sheet measures 20cm x 13.5cm, and is just over 4.5mm thick, with a saw-cut texture to the edges that you might want to sand smooth before you begin peeling sticky things.  It is white and really stiff, but as with all plastics, it can scratch quite easily, so keep it safe until you are ready to begin, as bad scratches might show through either paint or the stick-down cover.  After handling it you may want to clean the top surface with some Isopropyl Alcohol before you start work to improve adhesion of whatever road you plan to travel toward its completion.  All this is of course covered in the instruction sheet that accompanies the kit, as well as some inflated bags that hold everything safe for transport.

 

The simplest method to complete the base involves the adhesive-backed paper, which has a glossy plastic cover on the surface to protect the printing.  Lay it down carefully on the board and get rid of any bubbles or wrinkles before smoothing it down for the final time.  Once it has adhered, cut the excess off with a new blade to prevent any stuttering or ripping.  I'm going to try this method and overspray it with a coat of matt varnish to remove the sheen of the finish, as I prefer matt things.  After taking the initial pictures I went ahead and put the sticker on the base, after first sanding away the saw-cut lines with a sheet of wet'n'dry taped to an old cutting mat, so that everything stayed square.  A swipe with some IPA, and I began applying the sticker from the edge, removing one or two of the pre-cut sections of backing paper at a time.  A quick tip here is ensure you don't end up creasing the paper, as it still shows through very slightly.  Rubbing the sticker down as I went resulted in a good finish, which I burnished down after the initial adhesion, being careful not to ruck-up the edges.  After that I flipped it over and sliced off the excess with a sharp blade, then burnished the edges down again.  I think I'll leave the sides white, as they're a good counterpoint to the dark hangar bay.  I'll report back after I've matt varnished the surface to let you know how that went.  Meantime, here it is:

 

 

The more time-consuming route involves the vinyl masks, which you use the clear transfer foil to move the relevant parts to your board, paint, remove, repeat as necessary until you are happy with it.  You will have to make any of your own panels if you want to mimic the pre-printed finish, but you can also leave it bare, or increase the size of the panels at your whim to reduce or increase the perceived scale, so it offers plenty of freedom.

 

 

Conclusion

A neat and potentially quick Sci-Fi base that is suitable for smaller models, with the scope to add your own personalisations in between the masked areas.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Mike]

As promised, I'm back again having given the base a number of light coats of AKAN flat "aqua" varnish (74004) to reduce the sheen of the applied sticker (I hate calling it that!).  Took that sheet right off, and looks really good

 

 

[Sgt.Squarehead]

Odd.