I've got a 1/350 IJN Yamato that I am redoing to match a different configuration than that provided by Tamiya. This involves hacking out a half-dozen gun tubs and restoring the deck. Unfortunately, Tamiya saw fit to build the deck in two pieces and to place parallel ridges in the deck area where the original was wooden.
This leaves me with problem of somehow adding ridges to the areas where I am restoring the deck, and trying to make the ridges match seamlessly across the spot where the deck halves join, or to somehow remove all those ridges (which would probably not be visible in reality anyway).
My questions are:
Does anyone have experience with or suggestions for restoring such ridges?
or:
What is the best way to remove them without damaging the rest of the details? (Some of the wooden deck area is located down behind various superstructure elements and would be extremely difficult to reach.)
{Robert Robinson}

If it were me I would do the whole deck in brass!!!!!!!.
{Mike Bishop}
  1. Since the ridges are supposed to simulate the space between wooden deck slats, sand down the ridges and scribe the cracks. Plan to finish sometime after 2000 AD. [Y2K bug!!!! - this was written years ago! Ed.]
  2. Use very thin stretched sprue or invisible thread. Use CA glue sparingly to stick the thread down where the ridge was removed.
  3. Use progressively finer grades of sandpaper to remove all ridges. After painting the deck, use a straightedge and a very fine technical pen to draw the slots.
(Bob Marek)
I'm doing a Montana and replaced the deck with evergreen scribed sheet. This can be found at railroad hobby shops. It's used to make wooden buildings from scratch. Find the sheets with the narrowest scribing. You won't find it's to scale but looks pretty good.
{SALT 6}
An interesting idea I've tried with startling results...Replace the entire deck with real wood.

Model Railroad shops sell scribed basswood sheet that can easily be cut to fit the hull. Cut the superstructure components from the model's deck and cement them onto the new deck. Many of the smaller deck details will have to be scratchbuilt, but if you're already doing a major conversion this implies you have the skills necessary.

Before the new deck is glued in place it should be antique stained. Then give it a coat of tung oil. You will be pleased.
{Dave Wilke}

Try adding a bit of green and or grey to deck tans. Teak bleached in the sun fades like anything else. I've seen elaborate masking jobs painting alternate planks in various shades of the same base color, but I've never been up to that task. Dry brushing and washes for raised or recessed details with black or black/green is my staple but does leave much to be desired.
{Gary Newman}
For decking, I draw the planking in CAD, and print it out on transparent print paper, using a Laser printer. Then immediatley spray the printed side with the required colour. Allow to dry for a few days. Apply glue to the wood deck and stick the design (paint down of course) onto this. Leave to dry for a few days. Then peel off the print paper - the paint and the printed design are left behind. Don't ask me how this works! But its good for the smaller scales where scale plank widths are a millimeter or so wide.

I discovered this by accident. The original idea was to glue the entire thing (acetate and paint) to the wooden deck. But I noticed a corner of acetate had come away from the paint (which had stuck to the glued deck) and the rest is history.
{Tony Cochrane-Barnett}

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