PE Frustrations - Help!

1/350 scale photoetch is nothing but a pain in the rear...there are a few books out, one by FSM I do believe, that can help you out...but it sure takes some getting used to !

   this might help you out a bit:

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/TnT_Archives/Photo_Etch.htm

      greg

You have an offlist mail coming.

I gave a seminar at the IPMS Nats in Atlanta which covers this subject.   If you have Powerpoint I can mail you a copy of the present.   There is no means of attaching a file to the FSM mail - so respond back & we'll work out the file transfer.

cruichin  - I feel your pain. My first attempt at modeling in more than 30 years was a 1/700 resin Victory ship kit. I thought the model was small until I saw the photoetch! After the initial horror faded, I persevered. That's the key, patience, and an iron will not to let an itty bitty piece of inanimate metal get the better of you. Some days I might get an inch or two of railing done, if there were a lot of bends and dry fitting involved. If so, I scored that as a success and took a break until the next day.

Remember, it's a process, but it's also supposed to be FUN. Sometimes we forget that in our quest for accuracy and mania for the real life look.

Hi Ed, I sent my e-mail address to you and I appreciate your guidance. I had tried to put railings on a Dragon Arleigh Burke and ruined a perfectly nice model! I don't want to repeat the experience!

Steve

Ask her if she'd prefer you out chasin' wild wimmen!

The email with the presentation is on the way

cruichin wrote:

I'm trying my second attempt at PE, this time on the Tamiya Fletcher, and with the same retched results as the first time! Is there a good source that steps one through the folding, bending, attaching PE rails and radars from which a fifty-something can learn?

I know how aggravating PE can be. It could be that the main thing you need is practice, because working with PE and CA glue seems to be a whole new learning curve compared to normal model building.  You might try an easier, more forgiving subject, such as a Sherman tank with an Eduard PE set.  If the bends are not perfect, call it battle damage.  If you're a tad sloppy with glue, call it a weld bead.  If the part is a total disaster, you can yank it off, scrape off the glue, flatten it, and retry, and you won't spoil the finish because you would paint the tank after applying the PE parts.

I got Ed's presentation and used his instructions to attach some railings a bit at a time. It looks a whole lot better, so now I can practice without feeling lost and frustrated!