Shipways Grand Banks Dory Painting Questions

[Brian Wilkins]

Hi all,

I am new to wooden boat/ship modelling and I just purchased the Model Shipways Lowell Grand Banks Dory 1/24 scale kit.  I bought the recommended opaque water based paints from the manufacturer but I am more interested in either adding water to the paints to simulate a stained surface or actually using stains and/or oils or varnish for the finish coat. I am experienced with joinery and finishing but not on this scale (!) Would you recommend sticking with water-based paint or stains or should I stain and varnish it as you might do with a piece of fine furniture or even better, a real boat?  I would appreciate hearing about your favoured strategy with regard to wooden model finishing. 

Edited June 12, 2022 by Brian Wilkins

[dnl42]

Stick and string modelers will use the conventional stains and finishes that you're probably familiar with. Tung Oil is common. You could also use aniline dyes if you have them. Cloth dyes, like Rit, are often used to stain thread. Back in the day, running thread over a beeswax block and then a 100w incandescent bulb would give thread some body and deal with fibers.

 

Floquil enamel paints used to be popular, including their stains and varnishes, but, well RPM dealt with them a while ago...in the same way they did with Testors, Model Master, and Polly Scale.

[Noel Smith]

A lot of paints and varnishes used by 99 percent of sensible modellers have disappeared over the years.

Revell's Aquacolour range of acrylics are quite nice to use. Good opacity but able to be thinned and mixed to produce subtle effects.

Also of course there are quality artists Acrylics like Winsor and Newton, Reeves, Rowney and Liquitex that I have found to be excellent products.

In fact a good art supplier carries many items that can be used to good effect in model making.