Those (superstructure) details.

im wanting to detail my Lutzow superstructure.
want are some details that i can put on it that just makes it look great!

because im kind of stumped on what to do.

Thanks,

Ben

 

RE: Those details.
You could do hand rails, AA guns, people, ...

I have heard you can get brass AA guns for $2-3 each but don't this first hand.
Hand Rails would look nice and should be pretty cheap if you used brass rod
15mm infantry would be about the right scale and are pretty cheap.
Port Holes Could paint them on or drill holes ( by the time the above deck is low enough for water to get him the port holes you are going down anyway)

Problem all those things will get blown off and if you have a lot of cash in them it will get pricey

 

RE: Those details. Any detail that you add will go a long way towards making your ship look cool.
I added lifeboats to my Hood, and splinter-screens around some of the superstructure, and it really made her look better.
Cranes, planes, even vents and such.
Just keep the weight to a minimum.
Mikey

 

RE: Those details. I know a few people who aren't satisfied unless they've got the correct number (and size and shape) of bolts on the flush handle for the 3rd enlisted men's head, but you don't need to go that far. A few easy things that make a big difference:

1) secondary turrets and torpedoes. These are big, highly visible objects that show up very well from any distance. I've seen ships with, and ships without, and it makes a big difference. You can buy resin-cast or foam-cast turrets from various suppliers, or make your own.

2) rangefinders. Just like secondary turrets, rangefinders are big and visible. Unlike secondaries, however, you should consider making your own out of sturdier materials than resin or foam. A simple hardwood dowel with brass or steel tube stuck through it would work just fine, if you can drill a straight hole. You could also buy resin or foam rangefinders, but they may be more susceptible to battle damage.

3) boats, boat racks, and possibly cranes. Like everything else I've mentioned, these are big, highly visible objects so it's hard to omit them. Consider making the boats removable, so you don't have to replace them, or using a flexible mount to hold the boats so they don't get blown away. Also, make sure you get spares.

4) "sharpie" details. AKA anything you can draw on using a sharpie. This generally includes portholes and windows, but you can also use it to add black highlights on funnel caps, ship silhouettes on the side of the bridge, a black ring around a mast or gun, etc. They can even go on penetrable areas. So you can be the only boat at the battle with portholes on your hull, in addition to your superstructure. Cool, huh? The best thing about Sharpie details is that you can make templates, so it's much easier to reapply them later. Sharpie details are easy to do and add a significant amount to the detailed look of your ship. Highly recommended.

5) "wooden block" and "wooden plate" details. AKA anything you can represent with a small, simple block or plate of wood or plastic. These are usually things like shot lockers, small deck hatches, etc. These are small details that you normally don't see from a distance, except that they cast a shadow. All those little shadows across the deck make it look much more active and exciting and interesting. They also get cleanly blown away when hit, so they look pretty and are easy to replace.

Things to avoid:

1) Avoid anything that isn't indestructible but doesn't get cleanly shot away. If the other guy can blow chunks out of it, don't do it. There's nothing nastier than trying to scrape off the bottom half of a detail that should have been blown completely away. Either invulnerable or cleanly blown away. Nothing in between.

2) Avoid anything that interferes with your ability to fight and maintain your ship. If you cannot tell the difference between a bit of detail and the lever that grants you access to the interior of your ship, then don't put that bit of detail on. If your recovery float fails to deploy because it hung up on some stupid little chunk of wood, you're really gonna kick yourself. So think about whether it'll affect your battling before you put it on.

3) Avoid railings. Those flimsy bits of brass and string are easily damaged, don't get cleanly blown away, and are a huge pain-in-the-*** to repair. Splinter shields, on the other hand, especially splinter shields made from sheet rubber, are a good idea.

4) Avoid perfect scale. Your goal behind detailing is to give your model the feel of a ship, not to give it perfect details. Do not sacrifice the looks of your ship just so you can have one little thing be "correct scale". For example, don't have a 5-inch-long bb gun barrel poking out of your turret at a 5-degree down angle, and the other two barrels being a perfect scale size shape and length, pointing 35 degrees up. The contrast between the ultra-scale barrels and the bb gun barrel only serves to emphasize the fact that you're not scale.

5) don't get over-ambitious. Make sure you can maintain the level of detail you build. If it just gets blown away over time, what's the point?

One other tip: use color to your advantage. Don't just spray the entire ship Battleship Gray. Without any contrast, the details simply vanish. Use different colors to draw the viewer's eye along your ship, to emphasize the parts you want them to see. For example, on a Battleship Gray ship, you can paint the funnel cap and masts black, and suddenly the viewer notices those details. Paint the turret tops red, and the viewer will REALLY notice them. Just don't go too overboard with color, otherwise you'll drown out individual parts within the cacaphony of color.

 

RE: Those details.