BRASS WIRE, ROD, BAR STOCK
Detail Associates of San Luis Obispo, CA, is the main source for fine brass wire (.006" diameter and above) and other metal shapes useful for hobbyists. They do not have their own web site but their products are available from most model railroad supply outlets. Try Walthers Model Railroad Mall (www.walthers.com) for these and other products.
DECALS
Hawk Graphics has shaded USN hull numbers in 1/1250 scale (Hawk Graphics).
Gwylan Models produces deck markings for USN WWII Essex and Independence class carriers and aircraft insignia for a variety of nationalities (Gwylan Models).
Starfighter Decals offers USN post WWII carrier deck patterns for Essex/SCB, Forrestal, Enterprise and Nimitz classes (Starfighter Decals).
DISPLAY CASES
Custom Display Cases offers a variety of acrylic wall mounted and desk top cases designed for model trains that are suitable for ship collections. Available through mail order only (Custom Display Cases).
Ron Baluch of Grandpa's Cabinets specializes in custom oak and plexiglass display cases for all sizes of models (Grandpa's Cabinets).
FLAGS
Langton produces a range of British, French, Spanish, U.S., Confederate, Russian, Dutch, Danish and EIC flags suitable for their range of sailing ships (Langton).
Most flags can be produced by copying, reducing and printing materials available on the Internet. Two good web sites for historical and contemporary flags are Flags of the World and War Flags.
MAGNIFICATION AIDS
PAINTS & BRUSHES
Color Conversion Chart:
Paint4models has developed a conversion chart that matches Federal Standard paint numbers with the most popular paint brands (Color Conversion Chart)
Humbrol remains the paint of choice for many model builders, particularly in the UK and Europe, even though it is available worldwide. Its high quality enamels and acrylics come in a wide range of colors (Humbrol).
Snyder & Short Enterprises led the way in researching and defining the palette of camouflage colors used by today's ship modelers. Randy Short has both the Colourcoats range of paints and the Snyder & Short color chips on which they are based (a must-have for all modelers) on his Shipcamouflage.com web site (Shipcamouflage.com).
Testors has been a major paint source for US modelers for years. Unfortunately, their Pollyscale and Model Master lines no longer produce their range of naval colors, though many other military acrylics and enamels are still available (Testors).
White Ensign Models stocks the Colourcoats range of WWII (and some WWI and modern) naval paints based on the Snyder & Short color chips (WEM).
PAPER MODELS
Currell Graphics web site offers paper models of a variety of subjects that can be printed out for free. Among these are several different versions of the liners Titanic, Olympic and Britannic (Currell Graphics).
PARTS & COMPONENTS
Waterline Ships (Martin Brown) offers an extensive range of 1/1200 scale fittings as well as spare parts for Triang models (Waterline Ships).
PLASTICS
Evergreen Scale Models is the main source of styrene plastic sheets, rods, strips and forms used for masters, scratchbuilds and conversions. Available at most hobby stores (Evergreen Scale Models).
PHOTOETCH
Fifer Hobby Supply of Las Cruces, NM, is a good mail order source for N-scale model railroading supplies. Their photoetch frets of fences make good oar banks for galleys (Fifer Hobby Supply).
Gwylan Models offers photoetch upgrades for Hobby Boss plastic kits (Gwylan Models).
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