"Best 1/1250 Painting Service" Topic

Hi all,

I'm not a painter. I just want to get that out of the way. I spend the $60 USD-$120 on the Navis miniatures, look at them, sigh at their dull, ultra-grey paint, and then shudder as I momentarily ponder getting near them with a paint brush.

It's not that I don't possess modeling skill. I actually scratch build houses and bridges in model railroading with fairly high success. But painting isn't my thing. I lack confidence in it, and am too busy to get involved.

Lately, I've become very enamored of HMS Repulse, and have decided to get one of the Neptun versions. Unfortunately, the two schemes I can choose from are her 'semi dazzle' Force Z paint scheme (the one she was sunk in) or 'stock grey.' I was really hoping to find a painting service that specialized in 1:1250 ships, and was wondering if anyone could recommend a few (that are trustworthy)?

Also, just an FYI, I'm kind of a tactile person. I like to handle my ships. I'm not by any means palming them constantly, but I would prefer not to hire someone to do the painting who put something so fragile on the exterior of this ship that I could no longer touch it. The 'stock' Navis/Neptun paint holds up pretty well, it's just hard on the eyes.

Thanks.

If it was something cheaper like the Figurehead 1/1250 I'd throw my hat in the ring, but I don't want to tackle those kinds of things.

You might ask here:

link

I'm keen on a challenge, post May.

neil"at"troop-of-shewe.co.uk

Well, I used to do custom painting of HO locomotives & cars. I could tackle this, and offer accurate colors from White Ensign Models. Where are you located, and what is your budget?

I'm located in Washington State. I don't have a specific budget perse, but was more trying to feel out what a general cost model was going to be. Also, be forewarned, these things are faaaaar smaller than HO -- the Repulse, for example, is all of 7" long. There's no disaembling them, either -- they're basically a cast piece of metal with turrets that can free-rotate thanks to metal pins.

Oh, I'm aware of the size--I'm part of White Ensign Models.

They are EXTREMELY DELICATE!

Especially the masts.

I've been getting mine as they come available and they are packed with Styrofoam and lots of peanuts around them and sometimes the masts still don't survive…

I paint mine with reading glasses on AND ALSO looking through a magnifying glass using a 00000 brush.

I can show you some pics of my work if you would like, but as fragile as these are I really wouldn't feel comfortable having you ship them, paint them, and then have something happen to one of the masts on the way back…

Neptun/Navis don't have a liberal mast replacement policy, so if you break one you're SOL ;)

Therefore it might be very hard to get someone to take these on for assignment…

But good luck to you and hope you find a good source.

They are absolutely stunning when you put in the work to paint them up!

Frank