Perhaps Jeff can forward to Mike if he doesn't monitor the board.
I just bought the FSM Direct download of 'Building the US Navy's Classic Ships'. I have read most of these articles already, but now I have them in PDF format which I can stick in the eLibrary and get rid of some of the paper in the model room. (Yeah, right thats gonna happen).
In several of Mike's articles he shows attaching unpainted railing to painted ship's deck edges. Is this his prefered painting/assembly sequence, or is he using the unpainted brass for photo purposes to enhance the contrast between the rail and the deck/superstructure?
My painting sequence is to paint the brass while it is still attached to the fret while painting the ship. Then I measure, cut, prepare, and attach the photoetch. After all the installation is complete I go back and touch up any nicks or cracks in the paint on the PE.
What is Mike's prefered sequence of assembly when he is not writing an article?