photo etch

Photo etch parts are made of steal and they can be done a few different ways. Some people put them on before painting and then clean them upand some use clear finger nail polish to place them on after painting is done.. Most of the stuff are detail work like grills and scrips. But also some are hard to do like the 37 Ford Grill where you have to bend the shap into it and this can be very tricky. Good luck.

Photoetch is very thin metal, steel or brass usually, that has high detail parts created by etching away the unwanted material. I normally use CA for attaching it to the model. It can be painted with the usual hobby paints. It can add a lot of detail to a kit, but since it is flat, 3 dimensional parts will be represented as 2 dimensional.

Regards, Rick

Ok the 2d looks like 3d. Thanks that whats I was wondering. So you just cut them out and glue them on?

Some of them yes.. Inless there the grill or even some dash parts need to be bent some and forum to what they need to be. Just what kind of parts are they..

I dont know I just wanted to know how to apply them before I buy the kit. I think its like gauges for the cockpit and little details.

PE when done right really adds alot of detail to a kit.
Any parts that need bending have one side scored to make it easier.

Just be careful when painting, give the PE part a light sanding with fine grit paper to help the paint stick.

hey peter64,

here is the skinny on how to apply pe. first things first though. this is how i do it... everyone in this forum probably does it a little differently and god knows my way is probably not the best.

let's start out with things you'll need:
1. ca (superglue, the better, well, the better)
2. razor blade or solid x-acto knife
3. the finest tweezers you can get your hands on.
4. a good cutting surface. i use a piece of plexi. i find that the harder the surface, the better.
5. rubbing alcohol

ok, and some things to make life easier:
1. a sewing needle
2. two sided tape (or just a piece of tape you roll up and push flat.

now that you have all of you stuff, and before you start cutting, you should know that the instructions with pe sets usuall stink. in other words, read and reread them. then read them again as you go along. secondly, since pe is flat and some parts in real life aren't, you may not want to use all of the pe parts if the ones on the kit look better.

ok, let's get started cutting. following the instructions, cut the first piece off of the sprue. lay it flat on your cutting surface and just press down on the little connector with your exacto or razor. this is where the tape comes in handy. anyone in the forum will tell you that pe has the magical ability of flight. if you cut in on tape it will usually stick... but be careful. take every precaution so that, if it does fly, you can find it. try to not get it to fly in the first place though.

now the piece should be removed from the spru, but there is probably s little piece of the sprue left. you can knick that off with the razor or your exacto pretty easily. once the piece is cut and cleaned of spru-ness, it is usually time to bend or shape in some manner. for this, use the edge of your razor or exacto for a sharp bend, or something round that matches the curve you need for a curved one. it really varies case by case, so try a bunch of stuff out.

by now it should be cut and shaped. clean the piece with the alcohol, then take your pin and dip it in a little ca and then apply the glue where you need it on the pe. this also depends a bit on the piece, just know that a little ca needs to get where it is going to meet the model, however you want to get it there.

then stuck it on the model per the instuctions and let the pe cure. when all is cured, clean it is alcohol again and prime your model. pe needs to be primed so paint will stick.

well, that's about it. when you start using it, pe is a real pain in the butt... after a while, it gets easier and less tedious, but it can totally add detail to your model you wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

~ have fun
~ g

Can't add much to what garthbender told you except that it has been recommended to me to use a gel type of CA. The working time is longer and will allow you to get your part where you want it before it cures. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to try it yet, so I can't give you first hand info. Pete

Thanks garthbender you told me everything that I wanted to know. I will be saving that info.

hey man,

glad i could help... one last thing that i thought of last night that will make your life easier when working with pe. if you get a chance, pick up some zip kicker. it will harder your ca on contact, so once you get your piece on, you can add a drop and it will stay firmly in place. you can buy a bottle of the stuff at most art or hobby stores and, of course, online.

~ garth