aftermarket armor parts and photoetch....

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

All right, so I have to admit that I have been out of the hobby for a few years, and even when I modelled a few years ago, it was all out of box. However, i have a new found love of 1/35 armor, weathering and aftermarket parts, all of which are latin to me. So here is the question, where is the best place on the internet to get aftermarket parts(i.e. engines, extra little goodies) ??

Also what about photoetch ?? (it is my understanding Eduard is the best)

I live in Albuquerque, NM and the few hobby stores we have really lag when it comes to aftermarket parts, photoetch, pigments…so this will all have to be had on the internet.

2

It depends. There are many good on-line shops to choose from. Great Models, Squadron, Sprue Brothers, Lucky Model, Hobby Link Japan, are just a few. Sometimes its best and cheapest to go straight to the manufacturer’s site too. Also, some good deals can still be had on eBay.

Eduard isn’t necessarily the best PE. They are probably the biggest with the most sets though. Lion Roar, Voyager, and others are good too.

Sorry, there is no one answer. As with most things, you have to shop around.

3

I’ve had good luck with Sprue Brothers. Their website shows daily updates, their listing of items almost always shows a photo of the item, and they ship fast.

One of my local hobbyshops (local as in an hour’s drive to the west side of Cleveland) has a website (www.depotland.com) that has discounts on their kits for internet orders. The nice thing is, they also give you the discount if you show up in person and mention that you saw the item on their website. They also have good deals on newly-released kits.

I’ve also had good luck on Ebay. You just have to be patient, and come up with a list of models you’d like to build. Then set up searches for those specific kits, and check them periodically.

I can’t say for certain that Eduard PE is best, since I havent used anybody elses.

Joe

4

Photoetch or PE are teensy-weensy little brass parts that are made using the same sort of photoecthing process that is used to make circuit boards. The point of it is that some small parts are difficult, if not impossible to mold in plastic, at least mold it in scale, so a PE set can give your model that nice bit of added detail that would be not possible if it were simply built out of the box (or least built purely in plastic, a lot f new kits actually include some PE).

Is Eduard the best? Depends on your definition of best. I understand that Aber for example usually has more detail, ie.e lots more even smaller parts. The only PE I’ve used has been Eduard, and as a neophyte, I found Eduard sets to be pretty easy to use and they do add a nice bit of extra pizazz to the finished model.

Just to give you an idea, here are the instructions (Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4) to the Eduard Sherman set that I used for my Sherman. This also shows a nice thing about Eduard sets. You can go out to their web site, download the instructions, and know exactly what you would be buying beforehand.

Andy

5

Aber PE is the best. Think of it as graduate level PE. It’s not something that I would recommend to a first time PE user.

Eduard’s PE is often much simpler. More like community college level PE. There are dozen more PE manufacturers between the two such as Hauler, Part, ExtraTech, Voyager, On The Mark, and even old school Verlinden.

Often times, one company’s PE may be better for a particular kit than another company’s set. You have to do your homework and don’t just assume that the Aber set is better than the Part set, etc.

6

It’s also worth pointing out that just because something is available or included in a PE or AM set doesn’t necessarily make it better vs. the kit supplied parts. I normally will buy my AM stuff from either Great Models www.greatmodels.com or Lucky Model www.luckymodel.com . All of the suppliers mentioned in the previous posts are established and well known, so it really pays to shop around before buying.

7

I recently returned to the hobby, and, like you, was interested in giving a kit a little extra punch.

I’m detailing a Sherman build with an Aber aftermarket PE set on this forum. I looked at the Eduard instructions link, many of the parts seem similar to what’s in the Aber set, but I can assure you the Eduard instructions are much better than the Aber instructions, so much so that I have printed them out and will use them with the Aber set.

As you can see from my WIP thread on the Sherman, it’s possible to get pretty cool results with PE, and this is only my second model build since I gave up the hobby many years before photo etch. A couple observations: I bought a dedicated PE tool, and it is helpful, but by FAR the most helpful tool I have is an Optivisor magnifying visor. Being able to see clearly is well over half the battle for me.

With the Aber set, though, there are certain parts that are just so amazingly tiny, such as the rear ladder sight on a .50 MG, that I can’t see how it can be attached without a blob of glue that is larger than the part.

For me, I have been able to go much smaller than I ever thought, I assembled a loader’s hatch with a spring mechanism that consists of 5 parts per side, and a dime would cover the whole hatch. On my second try, I was happy with the result.

However, there is a limit to my patience, and some of the parts are so teeny tiny that I can’t imagine being able to use them. Remember, we are supposed to be having fun, right?

Shoot me a PM if you want to discuss anythign specific with someone who is about a month ahead of you in this learning curve.

Bill

8

I have to agree with Rob in Aber is the best but as you get to the top of the line there are less choices. Eduard has a PE set for almost everything.

If you are just starting, stick with Eduard. As you become better with the PE and you it is available for your kit, then try Aber.

I would more compare it to Bud and a good Imported beer. Sometimes you can’t get the import so if you are thirsty…Bud will do.

Rounds Complete!!

9

90% the time, that isn’t going to work. Aber constructions are usually similar to the real deal, where eduard would be happy at a cosmetic level.

Take the panther mudguards for example. Eduard has the service hatches etched on the main body. You wouldn’t know what to do if you use eduard instruction with aber PE.

Plus. In this particular case, the eduard mudguards are less accurate than injection plastic. So they’re not only a waste of money, but also waste of time to make.

It’s funny how eduard printed “best brass around” on their packages. Since theirs is most likely the worst. I’d like to see some material analysis on the alloys. In my experience, eduard pieces take the least amount of bends to break.

10

More to add.

If we’re talking about aircraft models, then eduard does have a huge selection. So large that, if you wanted PE for a plane model, then eduard probably would be your only choice. But you ever wondered why the aircraft guys don’t always buy PE? Or they spent more money for the less “detailed” resin AM?

Eduard does have some advantages. They design their PE according to the kit, not the real weapon system, so they almost always fit very well. But this is like a double edged sword… A lot of times, the PE details from other makers don’t fit the model not because of their design, but rather poor construction by the modeler.

Finer details usually means less error tolerances.

11

WOW… I feel like I asked whats better, Bud Light, Coors Light or Coke…Thanks for the help guys, I feel like a 6 yr old going into the deep end for the first time, but what the hell…let’s break this cherry. It will be a few weeks to wait for parts and build the models, but I’ll let everyone know how it goes. I’ll post a few pics of the completed models, the blood, the tears, etc…lol And Bill, I will be forwarding you a message, we’ll pick each others brains. And in a lapse of sanity, I will jump in head first, I have ordered a resin/PE set from Verlinden for the Tamiya King Tiger I am knee deep in. Thanks again guys.

12

Satori,

Yes, I understand your position. What I meant was that the Aber instructions are vague, while the Eduard ones seem more specific. For example: On the Sherman fuel cap retainer pins and chains, the Aber instruction set shows the PE part next to the plastic part, then an arrow pointing to the location on the hull where the final result is to be glued. Nothing at all re where the pin attaches, how much of the pin should protrude, where to anchor the other end of the chain, etc, just an arrow pointing at the hull.

The Eduard instructions show a completed assembly, so at least I can tell what it is supposed to look like. I looked online, such as Toadman’s pictures, but on most of the resto/static Shermans left around, details like this are long gone.

ETA–Got your PM, returned email. I have a crackberry, so that’s a better line of comm for me. Welcome to the dark side, assimialtion nearly comp…uh, welcome!

13

I’ve experienced very little problem with Aber instructions, but their allocation of parts can be a mess. Maybe their brass cost too much, so they have to try saving every penny.

That reminded me of something else though. Aber posts instructions on their website in PDF format. I usually look through those before choosing the product.

14

Great point, I have been flying blind and crossing my fingers to see what shows up, harldy a wise move on my part. THanks for the tip!

Bill

15

Great point, I have been flying blind and crossing my fingers to see what shows up, harldy a wise move on my part. THanks for the tip!

Bill