The kits are nicely detailed, considering their size, and the concessions to the scale are few. The masts and bowsprit are maybe a little clunkier than they should be, but that's a limitation of casting white metal so small. The sails and ratlines are photo-etched brass, and give a nice effect.
Building and painting were very quick and straightforward. By far the biggest challenge on a ship this small is in rigging the model. I've used 'invisible thread', a synthetic mono-filament that I think is made for quilters who don't want certain stitches to be visible. It is pretty easy to work with, very strong for its size, and holds its tension well. After gluing in place (avoiding having to tie knots, which put too much tension on the metal masts) I painted it with a slightly thinned-down concrete color. I then went back and touched up any glossy glue points with some matte finish so they wouldn't catch the light. The black lines, representing tarred 'standing' rigging, are a thicker thread. Synthetic fibers work best for rigging, as they don't have the fuzz that natural materials have.
Anchors are spare pieces from a GHQ kit in the same scale. No anchors are included in the Langton kit. Flag and pennant are Langton.
Here is a comparison shot to show the actual size of the model......
...and one with reference to another common measurement:
Just beautiful, I've ordered a Langton British 36 gun frigate after seeing these photos. Any chance of a how to/walkthrough, or at least a list of paints used?
ReplyDeleteWell thank you, very nice to hear. The Langton kits are a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteThe paints I use are a somewhat eclectic mix, but the biggest proportion is Floquil. There's also some Citadel colors in there, and Tamiya as well.
I like the idea of doing a walkthrough, though I don't have any projects to start from the beginning just now. It's something I'd like to do in the future though.
Meanwhile, feel free to send any practical questions my way as you work through the frigate, I'd be glad to help! - James