photo etching

I want to thank everyone for all the good advice. Thanks again

Indeed, I bought a "detailing" set from Pontos for my Zvezda Dreadnought.  The kit included brass barrels for the secondary armament, but I only used one when I broke the plastic barrel.  The molding was so good on the styrene that there was no need to use the brass ones- the plastic ones were round with no flash!  And there were a number of PE parts I did not use because the kit styrene parts were quite good.

Another tip to remember: just because they give you the PE part does not mean you have to use it. Sometimes the plastic part is superior to the flat PE one.

I have also used the masking tape trick, or double sided tape, taped to a piece of hard particle board.  I find the parts fly more when I cut them with a cutter, so I generally use an X-acto knife.  However, it is hard on the points of #11 blades, so I keep one handle loaded with one of those 45 degree blades, which works fine.  The harder the piece that you use as an "anvil", the less chance of bending the part.

One trick I use to help stop pieces 'popping off' as mentioned by CrashTest is to place some masking tape under the piece and the sprue, then cut it loose.  The tape usually holds it and stops it from flying away.

I don't have any of the diamond files, but use a set of modeling files the scale railroad guys use, and they work fine.  I'd highly-recommend a PE cutter.  Trying to cut small pieces off with an Xacto blade or razor blade, you run the risk of bending the part, or having it >pop< and fly off into the nethersphere.  

I've used epoxy for larger parts, and clear enamel for smaller parts.  

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

My tools are single edged blades used for sharp bends, xacto blade for taking the parts off the fret on top of an old small tile. Recently i bought a Xuron pe cutter which comes in very handy. Drill bits or certain objects to form gentle smooth bends or complete cylinders as for the cooling jackets on WWI aircraft.

For adhesives I use thick ca applied with a toothpick or Aleene's Tacky White Glue which has a super fast tack and a strong bond.

Whatever pe part you will use will replace the plastic one and quite often has to be either sanded  or shaved off with a blade.

Hope this helps.

I forgot about that video by Aaron. It is very good.

Also, was there an article in FSM within the past year or is my memory goofy again?

there is a good "How To" on the FSM video page by Aaron Skinner. Check it out

Charles in The Woodlands, TX

I built a fancy bending machine, and it works, but I almost never use it. I find it easier to bend most smaller assemblies with a couple of pairs of pliers and a particular X-acto knife/blade or screwdriver.

Regular small nose pliers work for small pieces, but I have a pair of those flat nose type, where the straight end of the plier is about a quarter inch wide.  The particular X-acto blade I mean is the one that looks like a chisel.  I hold a screwdriver or that chisel blade chip along the bend, then scoot the chisel-like blade/knife under the other side of the bend and pull up, bending that part of the  piece up, till it reaches the angle I want.  The machine is available for those really fancy multi-bend pieces.

For an adhesive I use CA on airplanes, but dilute white glue for ship  stuff like railings.  Gives me a lot more setting time to work around all the deck detail, and all my ships are on bases so I don't need the strength, 'cause nobody bumps loose small parts when the models are picked up by stands.

I recommend that you also purchase the diamond file from Tamiya to remove those burrs left after removing the PE from the sprue.

Your post made me remember when my first PE set arrived. I was like, ok, now what do I do with this????

Here's a link to an article that helped me get started:

http://www.scalemodelguide.com/construction/techniques/photo-etched-parts-models/

If you Google "working with PE for plastic models", you'll get plenty of how-to's. Some of the UTube videos are pretty good too.

Like Bish, I also ran out and got a bending jig. Thought I HAD to use it. I seldom use mine either.

Couple tips for your consideration;

My go to glue for most (not all) PE is white glue. It gives working time (CA not so much) and excess is easy to swab off with a moistened paint brush. I like Gator's Grip glue myself. I suppose I am partial to it because the gent who makes it filled me in on on working with PE using it. I use CA gel quite a bit too. I like Bish's epoxy idea. A slow setting epoxy would offer lots of working time I suppose.

I followed the advice of the first link above and got a little glass cutting "mat" (used a cover from a halogen fixture that went toes up). Don't cut PE off the frets on your self-healing cutting mat, the parts will bend, gauranteed.

Have fun with your PE, and welcome to FSM.

PE sets are intended to replace kits parts, usually because they are over sized or not well detailed, and they also add detail where it is missing in the kit. I find Eduard instructions amongst the best of all the PE brands. They are very clear on what kit parts the PE parts are replacing, and also what areas need sanding/filling to remove moulded on detail that's being replaced with PE.

As for tools, CA or epoxy to star with, I use CA myself. Find nose tweezers. I use PE cutters, but you can use you scalpel if you wish. I still use this method for parts that are to tight in the fret to get the cutters in, I then use the cutters for clean up, along with needle files. For bending, you can get a bending tool, there are a number on the market. I got an etch mate 3c a couple of years ago and I think I can count on the figures of one hand how many times I have used it. Mainly I use a pair of smooth long nosed pliers, only using the bending tool for long parts, like fenders. Also, a steady hand and patience, be prepared for little bits to twang off your tweezers into the blue. But for really small parts, Eduard often supply spares.