Photo-Etching your builds ?

I use PE where I deem them necessary, like seatbelts and screens. I'm not a fan of going nuts with PE everything.  As others have mentioned, things like grab handles are better off made from wire.

PE entered my life for the first time when I was building a kit that had a bunch of PE in the box.  It was the seat belts that got me hooked, because now I cannot build a plane without seat belts.  Curse you, AMS.

Hi Piper!

     Listen, I do use P.E. for ship models of all scales. Why? Well, it does enhance the model tremendously! And painted or whatever it adds life to smaller models for sure. I won't work in 1/700 because I feel that just makes for a confusing looking Model! The spaces are, to me, just too tiny!

     Anything from 1/400 and up are fair game though. I used to use shirt collar stiffener plastic( New Shirts.) Dull it slightly, not too dull or it didn't look right! Just enough to remain clear but not shiny! and using a New X-Acto blade, make grooves in it for stanchions and rails, then Wipe the plastic strips with an almost dry cloth after using white ink on them. Looked great. This was in the sixties!

     I saw a ship in a travel agency that had rails made that way and I copied it on my REVELL ships. Looked way better! As far as tubing and piping on a ship's deck or a plane anywhere you can see it, I have a friend that strips electronic components for the wire for use on his trains. He also saves me some, with and without the Insulation on it. That way I don't have to buy the wire! I have , on the older larger REVELL Bi-Planes used that wire for the controls, and you could actually move them and get them to do their thing! Won't do that on a modern plane though!

Missileman 2000!

         The truth is ,You are right. I have a Car, I got recently in a trade. It is an older Formula One car. The whole suspension is P.E., ye gads! I keep putting that one off, after doing Two Full Catapults in of all things 1/96 scale! I couldn't see straight for 24 hours afterwards!

GMorrison

PE is very important in steel ship models. Most current models simply do not provide parts like ladders and railings in plastic, but put a basic sheet of brass in the box.

It's major negative is that it's flat so things like 20 mm guns look lame, but a little scratchbuilding with stretched sprue, plus a PE gun shield and sight ring, give good results.

To double on what was said earlier, don't feel obligated to use the whole sheet. These things can get way over designed.

Bill

 

I agree- ships gain the most from PE.  The older the airplane, the more benefit it gets from PE.  Modern jets, less so.  Armor and cars are in-between.

I often do kind of a hybric approach, depending on whether or not the complete photo etch piece is beneficial.  In the case of Eduard's cockpit stuff, it tends to get a little cheesy looking in larger scales like 1/32, so I trim them for use in spots where not as much depth is required.  This 1/32 Tamiya F-15E pit is one of those hybrids, with the lower standby instrument panels, rudder pedals, and a few other items on top of the rear glareshield all being photo etch.  Drilled out the side panels to mount all of the tiny copper beams Eduard tells you to install in the pre-drilled holes in their side panels to make switches (no pics of that available to me where I am right now), and cut square holes in the instrument panel pedestals so there's blank space behind the vents.

Thanks for the replies .

Simple stuff,mainly screens and side skirts on armor,exhaust guards.Stuff like hinges and tool clamps forget about it.

I use P.E. where it will be seen.  If you can't see it, why bother?  In the old days, the 70s and 80s, a builder would have to make his own extra detail or replacement parts out of scrap plastic, wire, or whatever else was necessary.  In the years before that, not many people bothered.

I agree that ship models need P.E. as well as brass barrels for that added look that was missing or to replace certain parts like supports, hatches, antennas, and do on.

PE is very important in steel ship models. Most current models simply do not provide parts like ladders and railings in plastic, but put a basic sheet of brass in the box.

It's major negative is that it's flat so things like 20 mm guns look lame, but a little scratchbuilding with stretched sprue, plus a PE gun shield and sight ring, give good results.

To double on what was said earlier, don't feel obligated to use the whole sheet. These things can get way over designed.

Bill

Hello!

Maybe you're starting on the wrong end of it... Now your question is: I think about adding PE.. Do I? How about going like: I want/need to to build something that looks like this, how do I get this result? And then, if the answer is: PE, then you don't have to wonder any more.

There are some cases where PE is the best way to tackle a problem. Some sheet metal that can even be realistically abused, with lots of holes in it - this is where you definitely want PE.

Then there are parts that can and sometimes even are done better in the kit already, with today's molding technology. For example stuff that should be round, but as PE it would be flat...

Anyhow / good luck with your builds and have a nice day

Paweł

I use it pretty frequently on aircraft. Generally, yes, it enhances a kit. I tend to use PE sets for cockpits, and especially seat harnesses. The exceptions are when I'm fine with what comes in the box. Sometimes all I add are the PE seat belts. But, truth be told, I prefer resin seats. Resin detail is better in my opinion and, to my eye, has a more natural or organic look, especially when combined with the typical raised detail in the cockpit. For me, there are few greater satisfactions at the bench than a well painted pit with some nice resin enhancements. Resin detail and raised details in the pit complement each other in a way that PE doesn't. This isn't to suggest that you can't get similar results with PE, but you may have to work at it if you're just stepping into using it. Where PE is great is for instrument panels, side consoles, various skin panels,exterior details and the inclusion of details that didn't come in the box. It's also great for things like emblems, pedals and grilles on car and armor kits.

They can get carried away sometimes, though, with all of those tiny little levers and whatzits included. I generally don't use any PE parts that have to be installed with the aid of an electron microscope, you might as well just drop those on the floor since the carpet monster is gonna get most of those anyway. One major problem with PE, at least for me, is working with it. Not only are some of the bits absurdly tiny, PE can also be difficult to work with, where bending is involved especially when something has to be bent just so, like afterburner rings and petals and the like. Then there are other things you have to fold together like boxes and even PE seats (which can be a mixed bag, depending on scale). Things like those, I just go with resin. The problem with PE is that it doesn't accurately replicate some things. It's fine for flat things like belts and IPs, but not for things like hydraulic tubing in landing gear bays. These are tubing and hoses, round not flat. So it's funny that PE manufacturers bother with it.

Is it worth it? Like you said, PE can be expensive. Not always, though. Sometimes you can get by with just belts or some basic pieces. I don't know what you build, but if you build aircraft some of the cheaper Eduard sets can be pretty cheap, depends on the subject. Some of the zoom sets are pretty nice, provided that they get the colors right. Nothing worse than getting a PE pit set, only to find it is in some weird shade that doesn't match your paint.  For my part, I don't use much PE where it won't be seen. Other than the most visible spots like the seat, IP and consoles, what's the point?

Sorry, I didn't mean to write a sequel to Boswell's Life of Johnson here, but hope this sheds a little light on things for you. In the end, PE can be effective, but it can be tricky to work with at times. Just depends on the subject and how far you want to take it. Sorry for no pics but my present build is the Tamiya A-1J, OOB except for resin seat.