painting order

Yes,that's correct.There is no right or 100% correct answer.Each project calls for different techniques,whatever you are comfortable with.Follow some of the ship WIP's that are posted and see how they do it,also check www.modelshipwrights.com for more builds and ideas on the order different builders assemble and paint.

There is a term I used to hear in software development circles- "build a little, test a little."  This could be paraphrased a bit- "build a little- paint a little."  The process is basically true for any genre of models, though the details may differ between genre.  I generally glue hull halves together and add main deck, then paint that assembly. I paint superstructure modules as modules before adding to hull/deck assembly. I paint PE on their frets for pieces that are mostly the same color, hand painting any little pieces that are a different color than most just before I put them in place.  Masts, spars and such get painted individually.

This method means I will occasionally be gluing details or assemblies to already painted areas, so paint must be scraped off of joint areas.

I don't want to hijack, but I am having the same problem currently. I have a Revell USS Arizona, the hoary 1:426 scale or something one, and a 1:700 DML Bismarck, with some basic photoetch, and what I haven't been ably to figure out for the last 2 years is how to paint the deck a wood color (I have WEM Teak and Model Masters Radome Tan), and paint the superstructures that are part of the same parts, often with very tight molding. 

Like in this picture, the deck is natural wood planking, while the turret mounts and such are light grey.

Is the solution just to carefully brush paint the superstructure? I can't think of a way to airbrush both, It's certainly impossible to mask everything, no matter which is painted first. Please help, I've been sitting on these projects for years and it would be nice to get them on the shelf.

Chris2504

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Like in this picture, the deck is natural wood planking, while the turret mounts and such are light grey.

Is the solution just to carefully brush paint the superstructure? I can't think of a way to airbrush both, It's certainly impossible to mask everything, no matter which is painted first. Please help, I've been sitting on these projects for years and it would be nice to get them on the shelf.

There is not a lot of superstructure showing on the deck.  Yes, I would brush paint the turret base and other small details on deck.  Paint the major superstructure assemblies by themselves separately, with the most dominant color by airbrush, again hand painting details.

Spray the majority and brush paint the minority.

That is if 90% of the deck is wood then spray it.

For the turret bases hold the deck at 90 degrees vrs flat to aid in getting the gray where it belongs and not on the deck. Test each brush on something other that the model before applying. It should cover without a second coat. If a tad transparent then the paint is too thin. Its easier to be 100% accurate and take time vrs correcting errors.

Of course the best way would be wood!

Remove details and make the wood deck out of wood. Paint the details and attach to the deck. This avoids any paint slips and nothing looks better for wood than wood!

OK, thank you both. I guess by problem is that since I got my airbrush I've been avoiding brush painting like the plague, but I suppose It's unavoidable. Practice makes perfect!