Seeking P/E advice . . .

Yes, you definitely need a bending jig, but I think there is little difference between those on the market.  I would go for the minimum size and expense-  They are quite sturdy and will survive being bounced off the wall, but you may damage the wall!

No, the PE sets don't come with any instructions- you're on your own to figure it out.

That being said, I have found PE parts are a pain to bend and affix to a model without making a mess with the glue, and add little noticeable enhancement to the resulting piece.  Personally, I don't think it's worth the effort- but I'm not a detail freak, others will have different opinions.  I won't waste my money on that stuff anymore.

If you are going with the 1/350 kit in plastic (sold under various names but most commonly under the Banner name), you are going to want, no, need after market additions to this kit.  I rather like the Eduard set for this kit as it seems to be the most extensive and fixes most of the nasty faults the best for the least price.  Gold Medal Models also makes a nice set.  You may also want to add a wooden deck to fix the deck joint problems with the 350 kit.  There were resin kits available for Arizona in 350 as well.  Try looking at Iron Shipwright's web site.  They  still produce  cage mast 1920s kit of Arizona!  That's something to think about as well.

The 1/200 kit is a better model from what I have read and heard but it is HUGE.  I don't know where people get the room to work on something this big, never mind display it when done.  WS

Well I have to disagree with Chuck, at least for ships. Aircraft I agree.

Kits are now being designed so that you don't have to remove plastic to use PE, which was always a big chore.

But, without it there's no (railings, lifelines etc.).

And I own a good bending jig, made by Mission models.From my model railroad hobby, for bending up big stuff like car sides.

For ships I've learned to use a pair of straight single edged razor blades.

Hold one down hard on the seam, slide the other under the half you want to bend and go to it.

Like anything, there's a learning curve and the best way to get over it is to start with a simple set of tasks, and work up. I still haven't learned how to make Z shaped parts etc.

I wouldn't start with the 1/200 kit. It's a big big job, and if done right would take a long time, like a year or so.

Actually the old Revell kit is a classic and there's every reason to take pride in one of those well built.

Gotta agree with Bondo on this.   A PE bender is a nice to have - it isn't a necessary item.    I've found that I learned more in how to think in 2-dimension to 3-dimension by working with a pair of razor blades.    I'll also use a pair of 3-inch scraper blades (hardware store item).

Regardless whether you use blades or a tool you need to practice first.   Jumping  in without learning the techniques will lead to frustration and bouncing the kit (or tool) off the nearest wall.  Don't start with the big ambitious project - start small.

I agree with some recommendations posted so far, disagree with others, so will put my two cents in.

Instructions depend on particular set. I frequently use Tom's sets, usually good instructions.  Quality of instructions of other brands varies.

I built my own bending jig.  Works fine but a bit slow. I use it only for very large (long bend) parts.  Normally I use an X-acto knife (#11 blade) and a conventional screwdriver- very quick, no setup.

For gluing, after seeing a demonstration at a club meeting of thinned white glue I switched to that from CA, and now use 50:50 white glue.

I will speak on the instructions angle of some of the PE manufacturers, based on my own personal experiences to date. Bear in mind that I model in 1/700, so we are talking really, really tiny here:

Tom's Model Works - very hit or miss, and you are left to figure out where a lot of the tinier bits go. The diagrams run the gamut from vague and confusing to ultra-precise to photocopied black and white photos that leave you guessing. I have no idea if his 1/350 PE instructions are better or worse.

Gold Medal Models - there is no guesswork. Or very, very little. Loren Perry takes you by the hand, pretty much, and says, This goes Here, That goes There, etc., and every set is made for a specific kit, so you know it's going to fit. Never had a single problem using any of his stuff.

White Ensign Models - generally very good.  All of their sheets start out with some generics applicable to all ships, but for the most part, does a good job of telling you where every little bit on the PE fret goes for the specific model you're building.

Loose Cannon Productions - generally good for the PE that is included in the kit. All PE pieces are numbered, and those numbers are keyed to locations on the instructions. Most of the time the drawings are clear, but dry-fitting is advisable before you start cutting PE, just so you totally understand how things fit together.

Here's some tips:

Modeling with PE pt I

Pt II

Pt III  This one is important for those of you on a tight budget or don't have the specialized tools.

I'm relatively new to PE (a bout 2 years experience) and have used it mostly in armor and air models.

I did one submarine with P-E railings and it was a frustrating experience, but looked pretty good in the end. I did learn to use CA glue accelerator and debonder during this exercise. Without that I probably would have tossed the model aside.

Didn't need a jig for it, but I have "the Bug" by The Small Shop it works great for my smaller armor stuff.

Gentlemen,

I actually made my own bending jig by tacking down one razor blade on a flat piece of board and use another to bend the piece in question.  I simply slide the piece under the one blade and bend it with the other.  It works extremely well for a total price of around $1.00!

Bill

Paul:

I'm glad you asked the question, since I find myself in the same situation, and the replies have been very helpful to me, too. 

And many thanks and much gratitude to those who provided answers and insights.

I'm starting out with Niko Models' small landing craft.  There are relatively few photo etch parts, and the kit instructions show how to do the bending.  I was concerned about laying out a lot of $$$$ for a bending tool (they aren't very cheap), but the razor blade method sounds pretty good and I'll try that first.

Using white glue also sounds good, since I've used the CA glues for years with aircraft, and I knew its properties would be problematic for such tiny pieces.

I appreciate all the information obtained. 

I've been back in the hobby since 2005, and my first project was (stupidly, in retrospect) a 1/700 Victory ship. I started out using the two razor blades to bend PE and have never felt the need for anything beyond that for 99 percent of bending tasks. Three tools I have added, some of which have been discussed above:

1) Tamiya diamond needle file, no. 400, for getting the nubs off finished pieces or rounding off sharp edges. I got mine at Squadron. http://www.squadron.com/

2) Photoetch shears; as others have said, the Xuron no. 440 gives a marvelous squared-up, flush cut, and with a steady hand may be all you need to trim the little nubs off PE pieces. Also the best thing for removing them from the fret prior to final trimming.  http://www.xuron.com/

3) The only bending tool I've added to my arsenal is a set of micro pliers, and they get used in a lot of other modeling tasks, too. I prefer the kind with smooth jaws so they don't destroy the finish of the piece; I got mine on sale at Micro-Mark for $10: http://www.micromark.com/Surgeons-Stainless-Steel-Micro-Pliers-Set-of-4,7069.html

One other thing to remember about PE - cut edges can be sharp as hell. Wear eye protection when working with it!

Well, you have all the good advice you need.

As an old timer, 50+ years of model building, I never used photo etched parts until about 7 years ago. I swore I never would but times change and in the last 7 years I've gotten a lot better at photo etch, but I'm no expert. My tools of trade? Just like the rest of the guys: two single edged razor blades, smooth jawed tweezers or tiny pliers, and sometimes a chisel blade in a knife handle. I recently bought a photo etch bending machine but I haven't even used it yet. But I will. 

As for gluing it down? Small dabs of medium super glue at one end to anchor the piece and then small dabs of white glue or Gator Glue to position the entire run properly. The white glue is so much easier to remove and redo than CA! Once the entire run is down straight and true I use a dental pic or a needle to run medium thick super glue along the bottom edge of the railing to secure it to the deck.

For photo etched overlays, like in gun tubs or other surface mounted stuff I tack it into place with white glue and make sure it's positioned properly and then touch a dental pic or toothpick with thin super glue on it to the edge of the part and the glue gets sucked under the part by capillary action.

The biggest trick to photo etch is to be able to grow a third arm and hand when necessary.  

Start small and practice. The beautiful 1/200 Arizona might be a good model to try AFTER you mess up a cheaper kit.

One thing to remember, super glue softens in Acetone but Acetone eats plastic and paint and photo etched parts can usually be reshaped at least once or twice so you can salvage a mess up. Also super glue bonds to plastic but can be chipped off if you shear it sideways, so you can normally clean up a messed up deck with no real damage with the tip of a #11 knife blade. 

With practice you will get better. No one ever 'nailed it perfectly' the first time, so don't feel bad if your first effort isn't perfect. A ship WITH railings, even crooked railings, looks better than a ship WITHOUT railings in my opinion. 

The P-E I've used does come with instructions, and there's no shame in skipping a few parts that are too tedious or that have fallen into the black hole of your work area. I'd go with the larger kit; the smaller ones are easier, but lack the detail and overall impact of a large ship. I'd skip the jig since the brass is paper thin. Like the other guy said, 2 razor blades work, and a few pair of quality pliers or grips. A third hand would be nice too, unless that requires your wife. The biggest thing with P-E is cutting off the parts without losing them. They tend to shoot across the room. Some builders cut parts in a plasitc bag, others use tape to hold the part to the sprue. Oh, and invest in magnifying headgear, or you WILL  go blind. Keep us posted.  Be patient and a big Arizona will be a rewarding showpiece.