USS Missouri BB-63
by Timothy Choi

1/700 USS Missouri BB-63 (Trumpeter)

This is my first 1/700 kit, first slight weathering, and first water base.

Paints used (hand brushed):
Vertical surfaces: Model Master Neutral Grey
Horizontal Surfaces: PollyScale Deck Tan and US Gunship Grey
Water base: Krylon frosted blue (don't use Krylon on top of Acrylic gel - it flakes)

Rigging:
Stretched sprue (really hard to do the ones between the funnel and mast)

Additions:

ECM Housing - increased the height from the kit's original using folded paper (should use something else next time...)

Platform at the front of the bridge windows (where the two antennae go) made from small piece of yogourt container.

Phalanx barrels reduced in thickness.

Attempted to fill the wood planking at the stern, but just left a giant mess, so covered up with white glue + enamel white paint awnings (thanks to Jim Baumann for the steps).

Bored open the chocks.

Drilled open tips of main gun barrels.

Sanded away the thick bridge window bars and painted surface black, then used the hobby knife to scratch off the black paint till the grey showed. Looks more like the actual bridge windows, IMO.

Water base:

First time through, I applied the gel medium first, let dry, then sprayed Krylon frosted blue on top. Within moments, the paint flaked apart and developed cracks.

Second time through, I sprayed the wooden base with the paint first, let dry, then applied the gel. Worked much better.

Liquitex slow-dri acrylic gel medium. Don't get slow-dri. Takes a week to completely dry in thick areas. Also yellowed, for some reason.

Originally wanted it to be long rolling swells, but I couldn't figure out what to use to achieve that, so it came out like this...