What is Photo etching?

Photo Etch is a process of placing a image on a thin sheet of metal (usually brass) than placing it in an acid solution to remove parts of the metal or at least burn in some detail.

It is used for thin, small or detailed parts some also come pre colored and or self sticking.

Look here for a random example. 

Eric... 

 

you do it your self? or is there places to buy these parts to scale?

you buy them pre made.

I added a link as an example to my first post.

 

There are kit's to do it yourself but it requires a good printer and working with chemicals.

Micro Mark sells a kit that does 3"x3"

 

Eric... 

I think you are going to have a bit of difficulty finding any navy vessel in that scale accept for a few Subs and smaller craft or sailing ships.

You will probably have to settle for 1/350 scale.

I have a 1/72 scale Gato sub that is 52" long the real boat was 311'.

 

Eric... 

 MIGHTYBOSS ,HI ----1 I have been building for over forty years and I can,t think of anyone that does PHOTOETCHED parts in that scale .You have picked a very hard scale to detail . I did a oceangoing ferry some years ago in H.O. and I was able to get some ready made stuff from overseas . The scale for H.O. is 1/87. You might adjust your scale for sanities sake ! The scale you are talking about will yield a VERY LARGE MODEL , my FLOWER CLASS CORVETTE (escort vessel ) is over three feet long!! You have ambition and if you can do it ,my hat is off to you !!!    tankerbuilder

mightyboss wrote:

I see refrnce to this all over, is that how you geat better detail parts? what is it, can you buy extra parts for your ship or make from scratch? I havnt bought my kit yet still looking. trying t get my head around what will be involved to max the detail of the ship I want to build. USS Hepburn FF 1055   "Knox Class" 1 /72 scale is what I want

What is the basic kit? I can't find that ship in 1/72. You realize she'd be six feet long.

 

 

bondoman wrote:

mightyboss wrote: I see refrnce to this all over, is that how you geat better detail parts? what is it, can you buy extra parts for your ship or make from scratch? I havnt bought my kit yet still looking. trying t get my head around what will be involved to max the detail of the ship I want to build. USS Hepburn FF 1055   "Knox Class" 1 /72 scale is what I want  What is the basic kit? I can't find that ship in 1/72. You realize she'd be six feet long.

Does Loyalhanna have this? Or Floating Drydock?  Maybe they have parts in this scale?

The Scale Shipyard has a KNOX class hull and fittings in 1:96 scale - you must provide the running gear and materials to make the deck and superstructure. 

Wow!!! 1/72 is really big.

 I would think, at that point, you could safely build your own scratchbuilt railings, etc. I'm thinking that photoetch would be very expensive in that size.

 I use to build R/C ships in 144th scale, and we could get photo etch, but it was very expensive. We used to just scratchbuild the details we wanted.

 Good Luck with your ship...Sounds HUGE, and like quite a fun project.

mightyboss wrote:

I see refrnce to this all over, is that how you geat better detail parts? what is it, can you buy extra parts for your ship or make from scratch? I havnt bought my kit yet still looking. trying t get my head around what will be involved to max the detail of the ship I want to build. USS Hepburn FF 1055 "Knox Class" 1 /72 scale is what I want

Wow, it is going to be a fantastic project. The biggest kit I have seen is the BaD Ship Models kit at 1:96 scale. The 1:96 model is ONLY 54 inches long. The 1:72 will be over 70 inches. It sounds like a scratchbuild project to me. At the 1:72 scale, you probably will not need to use photo-etch to create the detail parts. Did you find any blueprint at the 1:72 scale yet? It is an unusual scale and the blue print may be difficult to find.

In 1/72nd scale things like railings are not going to look right in photo-etch if you have some familiarity with the originals. Even the 1/144 USS Fletcher kit I have is not going to have PE railings.. they just look wrong to my eyes.

1/96th is a common architectural and thus official ship model scale... you are more likely to find parts and pieces in that scale. I would recommend WarshipModelsUnderway as the RC guys are going to be more familiar with the scales you're wanting to deal with.

You're all wrong. Photoetch is really *mumbles* Hell in a very small space *shambles off to fall on his photoetch sword*

mfsob wrote:

You're all wrong. Photoetch is really *mumbles* Hell in a very small space *shambles off to fall on his photoetch sword*

 

That is funny. It is why I am on vacation from my photoetching job!