The Hobby Boss plastic kits are great first models if you’re new to the hobby, they are good value for money, easy to assemble and the look just as good as any other 1:1250 scale warships. You can make them look even better with the addition of our photo etch detail set, this guide will take you through the steps of assembling and finishing your model. You don’t need any experience with photo etch to follow this guide, just a steady hand and some patience.

Tools and materials:

You will need some modelling tools and extra materials to complete these models. They are as follows:

• Scalpel/craft knife with sharp new blades.
• Needle file.
• Tweezers.
• Razor saw.
• Car Body filler (NOT poly filler.)
• Double sided tape.
• Poly cement.
• Super glue (medium viscosity.)
• Araldite two part epoxy glue.
• Spray primer.
• Selection of paints.
• White spirit/distilled water.
• Microsol.
• Paintbrushes.
• 30mm plastic rod.

Note: the painting techniques described here apply to the use of acrylics. In my opinion they are easier to work with and cause less mess and smell. Feel free to use enamels of your choice if that’s what you’re used to.

Step 1:

Assemble the model as per the instructions. Leave out the fittings (guns, missile launchers etc) and masts for now. Also don’t attach the superstructure to the hull until after painting. Make sure you carefully file down any burrs and remove any flash parts with a sharp knife and a needle file. If you want a waterline model, then you will have to cut of the lugs on the bottom of the upper hull part. Use a razor saw and your needle file to do this, be sure now to cut into the hull though. At this stage you will need to fill the holes in the superstructure that would have been used to fix the plastic masts in place. Use small amounts of car body filler to do this; poly filler just isn’t strong enough. Don’t fill the hole for the forward mast though; you’ll need it.

Once you’re done, stick the parts onto a piece of scrap wood or card using double sided tape. Give everything a light coat of grey primer. Remember, to prevent build up and dribbles on the model use a few light coats rather than one heavy coat. Two light coats should cover this model just fine. Once everything is thoroughly dry, give the lower hull a coat of red if you intend to use it. If you don’t need it, don’t throw it away! Chuck it in your bits box; you never know when it might come in handy.

Step 2:

This step is the most tedious part of finishing this model, but be patient, you will be rewarded with a very nicely painted model. Using a fine brush, paint successive thinned down coats of your dark grey colour onto the decks of the hull and superstructure parts. It will probably take four coats before you get a nice even finish. Take your time, and try not to paint over the small details on the deck. Whatever you do, don’t be sloppy and try to give it one solid coat; it will look terrible and you will offend the God of painting and his wrath is terrible. He will cause all sort of horrid uneven surfaces and dribbles among other horrors! Ye be warned!
If you have been a good painter, you will end up with a lovely smooth and even coat of grey on your decks, and once it is dry you can attach the hull and superstructure parts.

Step 3:

The wise man/woman learns from the boo-boos of others, and trying to apply the decals when all the fittings were glued on was not pleasant, at all. So, I strongly advise you to apply them BEFORE you do anything else at this point.
Cut them from the decal sheet and dip them into clean warm water for about 10 seconds. Once they loosen from the sheet, brush the surface you want to apply them to with some water, only enough to make it damp, no drips! Carefully slide the decal onto the model and position it with a stiff bristled fine brush. If it is stubborn get some water underneath it with your brush. Now Hobby Boss, in all their sublime wisdom, designed decals that don’t quite fit around the deck details properly. Just do your best with the positioning. If you can get the aft gun deck transfer on then I salute you – you are officially better than the painters at Hobby Boss; they didn’t bother, look at the box art.
Once it is in position just touch it with a tissue to remove excess water. Once all the decals are on and the water has dried, give them a liberal coat of microsol. You can only give them one coat, so make sure it’s a good one. Microsol soften the decal and if you touch it while it is wet it will disintegrate. This offends the God of decals, and his wrath is terrible.

After all the decals have a coat of microsol on them, go and do something else for two hours. Take the dog for a walk, or go buy a dog, dogs are great. When you arrive home with you new dog, you will find that a miracle has happened. The decals are COMPLETELY FLAT. Even the ones that lay over those awkward details! Wow! Microsol is pretty amazing huh?

Step 4:

I won’t lie to you, assembling photo etch parts isn’t easy. It requires utmost neatness, and if you are a lobster clawed buffoon, I’m afraid you’ll find it difficult. But with practice, even the biggest buffoon with the biggest lobster claws can master its technique.
First and most importantly, make sure the sheet of PE is the right way up. The right way up has the name of the ship written on it. We will call this side the “up” side.

Note: there was a slight mix up when the sets were printed, The set for Vincennes says Princeton on it, and vice versa. It’s ok, don’t panic, you have got the right one. The Name on the packet is the correct one, so if it says Princeton, the set is for Princeton, even if there is a big “USS VINCENNES” printed on the brass sheet. My bad. Sorry.

The first step is the removal of key parts from the plastic masts. Cut the masts and radar up with a sharp knife as shown in the photo. Now to assemble the mast. Carefully cut through the tabs around the mast with a fresh bladed knife. It helps to prevent bending of the component if you press down with your finger where you are cutting. I don’t have to explain the risk involved in this, do I?

Now fold the mast as show in the photo with the up side facing OUT. It is designed to fold easily this way. Then cut out the radar platform from the brass sheet. Next, bend the platform supports on the main mast a little inward so they are parallel and will fit under that platform.
Now, using an old scalpel blade or a pin, dab a very small amount of superglue onto the edge of the platform supports on the main mast, as well as a little onto the lattice in the middle. Using tweezers, very carefully position the platform on the mast.

Now you can cut out the radar. To bend it into a curved shape, place it on the tip of your finger and roll the end of a paintbrush or needle file across it until it is sufficiently curved.
Next, put a small blob of super glue on the radar platform and position the radar mount using tweezers. Once this is solidly stuck you can glue the radar to the mount as shown in the photo. Glue together the plastic parts and super glue them to the top of the mast as straight as you can get them. Then add the plastic rod and the two ladder shaped PE piece to either side of the cross piece and you’re don’t with the main mast.

The forward mast goes together similarly. Use the photo as reference.

Step 5:

Having got through the assembly of the photo etch (well done,) we can finish of the painting. Spray the masts with the colour indicated on the instructions. Be careful here, you will only need a very light coat or many of the brass bits will get clogged with paint. This offends the God of photo etch, and his wrath is terrible.
The next steps are considerably easier. Use small amounts of araldite to glue the masts in place, and then you can glue on the remaining fittings. Once this is all done and dried, give the whole thing a light coat of matt varnish.

There you are, isn’t she a beauty? I hope it was well worth the extra effort. I really like the difference it makes, and makes a good kit into something really special. Keep an eye out for a follow up article in which I’ll show you how to weather your models, if you want to.