photo etch question

I find photoetch to be to much of a problem on 1/700 scale ships. When I use them I usually use a slow drying gel super glue to attach them. Railing can drive you insane. Best to attach it before any paint is applied.

What I do is assemble the plastic (resin) first and paint the major parts and sections. After that, I attach the PE railing.
The railing is prepared by carefully rubbing it with an abrasive (steel wool or sandpaper) to give it a tooth for the paint. Then, using my trusty airbrush, I give it a coat of paint, depending on the color of the ship. Any other colors of the camo scheme are brushpainted after the rail is attached.
To attach the rail, I use thin and thick superglue and a toothpick or pin to apply it.
Hope this helps.

Great advice!!

I personally like to do as much to the topside detail as I can before attaching the railing, so I won't accidently crush a section while working around it. Like Mark said: ".....install the parts from the top down then work out to the railings which i always attach last."

Take care,
Frank

when it comes to photoetch i always hold to the old adage the you install the parts from the top down then work out to the railings which i always attach last. before painting, i always rub them with steel wool to give the paint something to grip too. you didnt state whish scale you are working in. if it is a small scale you work in then use pointers to gauge how much railing you need then remove from the fret. this can be uesd in 1-350 scale also. when it comes to painting, i always paint the rails off the model and then install them. i use a pin in the end of a pencil with the little eraser at the end to stick the pin in. i the spot glue the railings in place. when that spot glue is dry (super glue), i run a bead of glue glue around the whole railing. when that is dry, i use a fine tipped brush to cover the base of the railing where it meets the deck. then to level everything out , i spray the whole model with a matt clear of choice for a seamless transition. if in doubt, i recommend you purchase mike asheys book :- how to build model ships. i hope this helps you friend and smooth sailing. i forgot to mention, when painting the rails off the model, i attach them to doubled over tape on a piece of flat dowel.

Hey brother , me too!!! I can't get them attached!!!! HELP!!!! SOS!!!! There has got to be some high-speed, low drag approach to this, but I can't figure it out either!
camarojoe2001@yahoo.com

I generally add my railings first then pain, kinda in the mindset that the paint will help ensure they look part of the ship, not an add on later. Then I like to paint the rope lines in black or rope color depending on how they looked on the ship. Hope this helps.

Ric