Photo Etched parts for 1:350 Arleigh Burke Class, Dragon model

Hi ,

I don't usually use CA glue until I am done . then I take my handy dandy homemade applicator and run a line of CA at the bottom ,where rail meets deck and so on .Then I touch up the enamel or acrylic with a tiny brush .I too , have that kit and it looks way better with P.E. parts . Don't let them throw you .There are many folks in all model skills that can help you here  . There is one thing you MUST remember . Acrylic or enamel WILL NOT stick to P.E. out of the package . There is a protective coating on the brass that must be removed . I then take the brass and carefully run it over a piece of 2000 grit (wet ) to make sure the paint adheres . DON'T paint any part BEFORE bending it though .. Good luck !     Tanker-Builder .

I recently built a Trumpeter Aleigh Burke destroyer.  It came with tons of photoeched railings,but the decks were not designed to leave room for them.  All kinds of bumps and obstructions where the railings were supposed to mount.  So I just left them off, but it still looks good.

I have not been happy with Trumpeter kits lately.  Poor design, at least on this model.

I would suggest enamel for painted PE parts, and first clean them with an alcohol bath. Acrylics will just flake off in time.  And yes, CA glue is the right stuff to use.

Photo Etched parts bring a better sense of realism to the kits.  Things like railings, radar dishes, doors, stairs, etc are all MUCH more realistic compared to their injected moulded counterparts.  Take a look at my Enterprise build for pics of a ton of photo etch parts installed and in progress.  

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/148419.aspx

I'm building that exact kit you have once the Enterprise is finished. 

I use CA Glue in varying thicknesses (superglue) and apply it with the tip of a pin.  

I use primarily Enamel based paints for everything including photo etch and it adheres quite well.  If your paint is Tamiya Acrylic, I have zero experience on applying it to anything other than plastics.

Mr.M