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The beloved Ships in Scale Magazine is back and charting a new course for 2026! Discover new skills, new techniques, and new inspirations in every issue. NOTE THAT OUR NEXT ISSUE WILL BE July/August 2026 |
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As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering. |
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Thank you, my friend. Tests are currently ongoing.Beautiful carvings Paul. You and @KMSvideo are really nailing it. You can make some test samples what fits your eye best, oil or shellac. Ask Serikoff he knows a lot about it
Thanks, Stephan. That sounds like Padoan.I use a mix of Judea Bitune / beewax / linseedoil. Works good to make dark spots. And when you first seal the wood with chellac before rubbing the mix of bitune. I believe it was Geronimo or Michele Padoan that shared this idea.
Thank you kindly, Bryian!Hello Paul,
just catching up on your build log, and very interested to see how you go about colouring the carvings. Great stuff.
Thanks, Grant. It's not easy to grasp the overall (future) look when I'm staring at just a little bit of the build at a time. And the only completed models I am aware of have been painted and/or gilded so that doesn't help me at all.Good morning Paul. The master craftsman is upping his carving skills- looking mighty fine. Personally I enjoy the some contrast in the decorative work, however from the photos I feel there is a tad too much with the rest of your ship (IMHO). Cheers Grant
A great job, just like all his other works.Wow, mon ami! Your carvings are absolutely stunning. The level of craftsmanship is truly impressive. You've really conquered the carving learning curve!
One thought, if I may. Diluting bitumen with white spirit and applying it to the carvings will darken the recesses and make the details stand out even more. This technique is often used to accentuate the grain and edges of the wood, giving it a more contemporary, aged appearance. Here is some of the work of Dmitry Shevelev.
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However, if your goal is to maintain a more authentic or period-correct look for the ship, I would simply leave the wood treated with oil. The natural finish of Pear and Castello (box) already looks beautiful and lets the quality of your carving speak for itself. Here is the untreated versus bitumen-treated by Dima Shevelev.
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I'm sure that if you wanted to repeat this style, you would definitely succeed, no doubt about it. But it's a matter of taste, and that's what matters most, but I'm sure you'll do it masterfully.Thanks, Jim. This is very helpful. Mr. Shevelev has inspired many ship modelers with his work - and for good reason! Michele Padoan also uses this style and his work is stunning.
But I might even like the pre-finished version better! The craftmanship (which I will never match) really stands out!
Thanks, Richard. This is good information as shellac has not been a part of my trials (only using what I have on hand).Well shellac on Buxus alone still took fingermarks, but I tried the renaissance wax and it seems relatively impervious!









That gives immediately very different and beautiful look, Paul. I'm sure this brought a smile …….The final finish on the carvings remains uncertain. But just to get a sense of things I have temporarily installed a few of the decorations:
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You will also notice that I have started to move upward. The model now features a new molding and cover/cap (blue arrow) that will form the base for some windows on the quarter galleries and flanking the six stern lights.
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Next up - a molding to cover the exposed wing transom...

