Waterline Surgery Tips for 1/225 Glencoe Appreciated

Eric, I agree with Bondoman, cut first and then sand flat.

One thing that I've done to good effect is to build up a "water" base using vinyl spacking compound.

 It's readily available and cheap and works easy. I try and get the basic outline at the water line of the model down on the board before applying the compound. Once you have the compound around an 1/8" thick take a slightly wet hand and lightly tap over the surface to raise tiny mountiains. Let dry.next day with your hand wet again, wipe lightly over the mountain tips to smooth them over, thus creating a wave pattern. this can be done over many time till you get what you like. I also put down the ships wake at tihs time.

with the "water" dry and to your liking, I paint it a very dark blue for deep water or lighten it for shallow water.carve out where the hull will go and I paint the inside of that black. then mount the finished model with screws or epoxy.

No, you've got the right idea. I've always wanted to have the guts to do one rolling a little or bows down, but most people would probably think it was a lousy model. i'd eyeball what looks right,never can tell if she's just been re coaled.

I put a big piece of tape around the hull with the bottom exposed and paint it black. Rough saw off the bottom and then as you say sand it flat. Unless you are showing her anchored in still water, the technique is forgiving because you can hide the cut with waves.

I was told, and agree, the best way to model the wake in whatever medium you choose is to study a bunch of photographs from above of any ships you can find that are as similar as possible. Wkaes are complex things, unexpected details. The results are much better than guessing.

This'll be a nice model.