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Once the smokestacks were glued in, it was time for the paint job. My plan was to leave the deck floors in their natural wood look and only paint the ship’s elevations.
First, I affixed masking tape underneath the main deck line (Masking Tape 1) and painted all the decks above it with white acrylic paint. Then, I masked off across the decks and painted these deck elevations white as well. After removing the masking tape, I had to scrape off some of the paint creeps with an X-Acto knife.
Next, I affixed masking tape over the white main deck (Masking Tape 2) and painted the hull black.
Lastly, I painted the smokestacks. I started by painting the top portion of the stack black, then masked off below the top ¼ and painted the remaining stack yellow.
Finishing Touches
To protect the paint and the wooden deck, I applied a coat of shellac to the entire ship. Spray varnish or brush varnish will work, too. To add another touch of authenticity, I decided to include an iceberg, which I carved out of basswood.
I hope this three-part story encourages you to try building your own waterline boat. This is a fun weekend project for adults and children and the perfect way to unite older and younger family members on a woodworking/maritime adventure.
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