The best laid plans…

I have recently started to downsize my models for Operation Sealion for situations where a full size (6ft x 4ft) table is needed.  By using 3mm (1/600) models I can fight the battle on a 3ft x 2ft area.

Here is Newhaven harbour in the smaller scale (and in poor light!)

It can be surprisingly effective, as this close-up shows.

Final touch-up painting remained to be done when this picture was taken.  Most of the buildings are similar to “Monopoly” hotels, but sourced from a game components manufacturer.  I printed the doors and windows on sticky labels to wrap around the walls.

I started basing the models on 1cm x 1cm MDF of 1mm thick, but have  migrated to Renedra’s smallest plastic bases for the future.  Unit identification is a small problem, not wanting to keep moving the units to read the underside, so I tried some tiny, cut-down thermal labels.    So far, so good, but they did not adhere well to the basetex paint on the top of the bases.

I decided to use spray varnish to protect the figures (paint seems to rub off quicker than from most metal models) and help the labels adhere, but alas! it seems that the varnish reacts with the labels and many have become indistinct.  See the rightmost base below as an example.

The search for a solution continues…