Do I need special tools to work with Photo Etch?

I use straight blades, an old mouse mat, and dowel (for curves).  Built the entire CVN 65 Enterprise aircraft carrier with just those few things.  

Mr.M

Hi :    

   I use the following . A flush cutter from Hobby Lobby's jewelry area .Then there's the Stanley utility knife blades ( folding tool ) and of course some 320 grit sandpaper ,on a block , glued down for smoothing the edges .

    Three different sized sharpies and X-Acto knife handles ( for bending round stuff On a thin piece of foam .)

    Oh , and a good magnifying glass so's I can see the little scudders !

    There is one more thing . A piece of aluminum with different sized holes drilled or cut in it .Then I have the glass balls (or steel ) for forming Orb shaped objects . Or dome shaped objects ( radars ? )

That's it  .I actually have all the tools that's been recommended on this site  .I still use the old ones listed here , more .  

   Tanker - Builder

For cutting I use a hobby knife with one of those 45 degree blades, not the very pointy #11.  The latter breaks the points too easily, the 45 degree blade is sturdier.  I cut against a block of high density particle board. It works well and is a bit easier on the blades than glass or ceramic tile.

The only special tool I recommend is  the Xuron PE cutter. You can get rid of the nasty little attachment stubs on the parts with this cutter otherwise my tools are:

Two single blade razors -  For making sharp bends.

Tweezers - For holding small parts.

Optivisor - Makes tiny things bigger.

Set of Jeweler's files - Comes in handy for filing down rough edges, etc.

Set of drill bits - Just choose the approximate bit radius and gently bend the pe part over the drill bit to     get the desired bend.

It depends of course on what you already have in terms of tools.

I built a fancy PE bending jig. I hardly ever use it. I became, through practice, adept at bending with either good small nose pliers, which I already had, or using a small, sharp screwdriver and hobby knife, again, both of which I had.

I also fortunately had a very good sharp pointed tweezers, which is essential for work with small ship PE.

I use a lot of toothpicks to deposit glue in the spot where the PE pieces will go, or to the junction of the PE and the styrene.

Thx for the great feedback!

Many times,  I find the PE parts useless as they are invisible after the build is complete .  So I read ahead in the manual to determine if this is the case, and may just discard them.

I have the 4" Hold & Fold that you mention and find it very useful for longer bends like the ones you may encounter building ship railing and the like. Mine came from eBay when The Small Shop was selling there as well as distributing to dealers. Don't know if the new owners are still doing that but it's worth a look; I paid much less than retail.

A diamond hone is (IMO) better for cleaning up nibs because they come with multiple grade grits and have a broader surface than a file, plus a harder abrasive. I got a 4-grit combo for under $20 from a woodworking supply house (Rockler?), but they're available lot of places.

Happy modeling!

Mike  

I think a small bending tool, like the Hold 'N Fold, is all you'll really need.

P mitch

Simple answer is no you dont.

To be honest look on Ebay for jewelers files they can be a lot less, I didn't spend a lot as you wont be using them much.

If you want pliers again look for smooth jawed ones under jewelers tools

For bending I have the BUG from The Small Shop, its big enough for pretty much all you will need.

I also use XURON 440 High Precision Photo Etch Scissor

I hope that list helps and saves you some money

Phil

 

Whille I have jewelers files, I use sanding sticks from the local Sally Beauty Supply (i.e. nail files)

Lowes/HomeDepot/Ace hardware sells smooth jaw pliers.  Shop around.

I have both the Bug and Standard Etchmate bending jisg.   However I do much of my bending using a pair of single-edge razor blades on a piece of bathroom tile.  One blade over the part at the bend -- the other one below.  Raise the lower blade in a hinge motion to bend the piece. 

PE cutting tool -- Use a #10 Xacto blade on a piece of tile or piece of plexiglass.

If you keep your head on a swivel as you go shopping you will see that there are modeling supplies & tools availalble in many stores.   You will find that they are often less expensive than similar items sold with a model manufacturer's logo

Curing = Xuron

Those curing are good. Otherwise I use a pair of single edged razor blades

Thx!

Simple answer is no you dont.

To be honest look on Ebay for jewelers files they can be a lot less, I didn't spend a lot as you wont be using them much.

If you want pliers again look for smooth jawed ones under jewelers tools

For bending I have the BUG from The Small Shop, its big enough for pretty much all you will need.

I also use XURON 440 High Precision Photo Etch Scissor

I hope that list helps and saves you some money

Phil