I really need some inspiration and hopefully some guidance on this one. I originally posted the build on the Armada GB but things were a bit slow over there and I guess this is the new ship builder's forum to go to. I actually have a A LOT of ship models in 1/350 and 1/700 still unbuilt as well as plenty of dedicated and general use photo-etch. I got pretty far on this kit but two things brought it to a temporary halt. One was perfectionism about the finish of the hull. I modified it quite a bit to make the Canadian version of the Tribal Class destroyer, which had far fewer scuttles (portholes) as a major diagnostic feature. I also fixed the bow to give it more curvature and reverse edge along the top edge (forget what this is called in nautical terms).

The kit is packaged as HMCS Huron but has a hull based on the Royal Navy HMS Eskimo. Anyway I couldn't quite get the surface perfect where I filled portholes, so the ghost image of SOME of the holes can be seen here and there. I had hoped that painting and weathering would fix things but learned otherwise (although no weathering yet). The second (more serious) thing was the photo-etch railings. I cannot for the life of me find a You Tube video of how to most effectively apply these around the main deck of the ship. Demos on line always show work on the railings for the superstructure, which is far easier to do in short sections. Experts SAY that you should always do the railings in short sections (say, four spans maximum) but never SHOW this being done or how to join the sections together smoothly. I should probably just try it but i almost can't afford to waste any bi of the railing on this model, since it has a particular shape to it with the upturn in the forecastle (bow).
Anyway, I followed the technique of painting the hull, deck and superstruture before the etch is attached. My favorite builds on line took this approach, arguing that it is safer to pre-paint the etch, attach it and touch it up after gluing than airbrush the whole model with etch while masking, etc. The colors are from the Life Color Western Approaches set, somewhat modified for a Royal Canadian Navy scheme. As to detailing already done or anticipated, I have also replaced the main turrets with 3D Printed versions, further modified with brass barrels. This still need a bit of cleaning and touching up I see but are otherwise very nice. I have all the correct boats also 3D printed by Model Monkey and a huge sheet of White Ensign etch. Lots of money as well as research and thought invested already.

Any thoughts or recommendations? I think this could look pretty good if I could get out of my slump on ships. Comments welcome.

1 additional image. Click to enlarge.

For the railings, I usually cut the length I need. I then use thin CA glue and apply it with a Glue Looper. I tack one end down and slowly work my way along the railing. This allows you to make sure the rail stays on the edge. Here is a link to what I use https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/photo-etch-tools/

If the span is longer than the full rail I overlap the vertical supports at the joint so it looks like one continuous run. If the railing turns, I make the bends/curves first and test fit the rail then start working along with the glue. The glue looper causes the CA glue to flow along the edge and covers about 2 sections wide to give you an idea on where to place the drop of glue. Once the railing is in place I typically paint a thinned clear matte with a brush first. This acts like a primer on the photo etch. I then paint the top coat color with a brush. Keep the paint thinned a little so it does not build up on corners or fine detail.

As for you model, It is looking fantastic. As John stated, the camo is awesome!

Looks an amazing project, my friend @coling!

Thanks, David! Great to have a talented and experienced ship modeler to consult. The Glue Looper device looks like exactly what I need. I see it is available on eBay Canada, so I will order it soon. I am happy to hear that the camo looks good, so far. Here is the etch and 3D printed stuff I will be working with.

The metal is mostly White Ensign, plus some quite good kit stuff from Trumpeter. The 3D printed stuff is from Shapeways/Model Monkey. I think I will finally have the energy to get on with this. I really like the Tribal class and have a bit of patriotic pride in the Canadian types. Thanks again for the support and inspiration. I will be taking some serious time to look over the stuff on your website. Lots of great expert modeling there.

Thanks, Spiros, So glad to see you like ships, too. They are long-term projects for sure. Given the size of dust motes in 1/700, I didn't get motivated to do my ships until I found some good, inexpensive clear cases to protect WIPs and finished models. The ones I have from Trumpeter fit my purposes very well.

Here’s the Maryland, Colin. I just took these pics. I also have an article on it here from 2015 but the pics aren’t as good. I used 3D printed cage masts from Freetime Hobbies. Much nicer then rolled PE. I need to redo the rigging on this. The base is a craft store sign board with Liquitex gel and paint for the water. I think it turned out ok but I’m honestly not pleased with the size of the finished project. These ocean bases kind of defeat the whole point of 1/700 in my mind. They take up too much space and overwhelm the ship visually. I’ve been thinking of finishing these in the future in one of two ways: 1.). Build them on a very small wooden rectangular base with a footprint not much larger then the ship. 2.). Build them ID model style. Accurate paint jobs, no PE at all. These could be simply displayed in one of my cabinets with no bases. The advantage here is that they are far less fragile and many more can be displayed. I think that was the original idea behind the Waterline series 50 years when the Japanese companies launched it.

3 attached images. Click to enlarge.

The Maryland looks fantastic, John (H). You have really achieved something in this scale. I think the water diorama you did is very neat and technically accomplished. It does not overwhelm the ship in my view, since I think these tiny models really benefit from taking up more space (but I am a 1/32nd airplane guy, largely). The calmer seas you chose are also a plus in some respects as rough seas would definitely dwarf the ship (as they do in real life for sailors). The 3D printed cage masts really work this scale (surprisingly). I don't think PE would capture that fine detail or bend in the right way. The rigging and etch railings also look great. Thanks for sharing.

Besides the Chris Flodberg stuff in 1/350 that I shared above I really like the diorama stuff that Won Hui Lee does, a lot of it in 1/700. He has some stuff on this website. He often portrays much larger expanses of water but has very dramatic action sequences to focus the interest of the viewer. He's even done a 1/350 sinking submarine exploding underwater you can see on iModeler (but you have probably seen it):

1/350 U-boat VII/C “The beginning of the End.”

Anyway, thanks for sharing your work and providing some real inspiration. I do want to get on with my destroyer. Glad to see your interests and talents also extend to ships, since sometimes I think my meager abilities are spread too thin (even if it is fun to try to branch out).

Thanks for the kind comments, George. I have taken a lot of time and care with the model, just having some difficulty getting over my dissatisfaction with aspects of it. I hope you do some of your ships. I am sure they will inspire quite a few of us on this site who have maritime subjects in the stash. This is exactly the site where we can get up the gumption, since there is so much genuine interest and support for Group Build projects from fellow modelers. After the Haida/Huron, I will probably work on my Aoshima Takao in 1/350.

I really like the lines of the Japanese cruisers, which were also very tough and successful warships. Same challenges with etch but at least the hull is fine and already together, filled a bit and sanded. I worked out how to do the brass tie downs on the linoleum deck, so I have nothing standing in my way to get it done. Here is a pic. There is some scratch-building work done on vanes for the funnels. Good thing I have lots of detail refs for these bits. The superstructure and unfinished turrets are just friction-fitted with no glue yet. That's one nice thing about ships, you can fit them together as you go to test fit and alignment issues. It also helps when doing the etch that you can pop off the superstructure and work on it separately.