Well, I’m back into the hobby after a long break. Anyway, this is my first experience with photo etch and I am very impressed. Currently I am working on the Tamiya Enzo and have the SM super detail kit to go with it. Part of this kit is a small sheet of photo etched parts attached to a rubber backing. It is necessary to peel these parts of before use and the advantage is that there are no sprues but there are several (over 100) very tiny washers and bolt heads etc. Many of these are no bigger than a grain of sand!!
Anyway, I could really use some tips on how to handle and attach these tiny parts as I would really like to use the bolt heads for various detail throughout the car.
I am currently using a cheap magnifying hobby light and a pair of fine tip tweezers. About half the time, the tiny part will literally disappear into thin air as I am trying to get it in place. Also I’m having a lot of problem getting tiny drops of glue where I need them.
Anyway, If I know modellers, several people have probably figured out some method of handling these parts and I would very much appreciate some pointers. Are there any better magnifying systems out there?? Better tweezers?? Please help before I lose any more of these delicate (and expensive) parts… Thanks
Handling PE is an art, and one that I never mastered. You can find numerous threads on that exact subject.
Hint 1 – Work in a large box. That helps to limit the volume of space you have to search when you launch a part.
Hint 2 – Convince yourself that if you use tweezers the part IS going to get launched. I prefer to use a tiny dab of Blue Tack on the end of a toothpick to pick up and position parts (Blue Tack is available at any department store or office supply store under various names. It is the stuff that is used to hang posters and pictures on walls but is advertised as being removable)
Hint 3 – For gluing, you just about have to use cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. Regular styrene glue won’t work. I use a piece of stretched sprue with an end that is about 1/32" in diameter. Just heat it over a candle or lighter until it softens then pull and it will stretch. Put a piece of masking tape on your bench and squirt a little glue onto it. Dip the stretched sprue into it and you’ll get a tiny bit of glue on it. I feel that stretched sprue works better than toothpicks because 1) It doesn’t soak up the glue, and 2) I can get a smaller point.
Someone posted awhile back about cutting the parts underwater. I tried it, but I am also stupid and used a plastic tupperware thing. I cut through the stinkin thing and didn’t notice unitl my bench was nice and wet.[D)] Live and learn. I now have a nice little stainless pan.
Instead of cutting PE parts under water (and thus avoid the hassle and the mess), just stick them on a piece of tape such as masking tape before cutting. When you cut, the PE parts stay on the tape. No flyaways, no lost parts. Hope this helps.
PE hates me. It sees me coming and automatically knows that it’s fixing to get free of the fret and turned loose in my basement. I can’t handle it, I can’t see it, and it gives me a headache. It looks good when it’s done though, so I guess I’ll keep dealing with it [:(!]
Onyan’s hint is a good one. I’d also add, and I forgot to mention this in my first post, get a large ceramic tile from Lowes or Home Depot (they cost about 0.50) and cut on that. A hard surface makes the cutting easier. I use a #10 X-Acto blade which has a rounded tip. Put the knife right on the fret and just rock it forward and it will cut nice and clean.
Thanks very much for the numerous ideas. I think a toothpick with a tiny dab of blu-tak on the end is what I’m looking for. I also like the idea of using future or clear as a “glue”: maybe a tiny drop on the end of a pin placed on the car first, then place the part on top of the glue using the toothpick and blu-tak… hmmmm. I’ll give these methods a try tomorrow for sure. Music City’s tip about using heated and thinned sprue is excellent!! Thanks…
Also, I’m not having trouble cutting these parts off the frets… I’m referring to a particular set of PE that is all very tiny washers and bolt heads attached to a piece of thin rubber with no frets. It is difficult to remove these tiny parts as they seem to be molded to the rubber and like to take flight while trying to release them with a pair of tweezers. Somebody from another forum suggested a drop of laquer thinner to release the part and I will try this also. What about using a magnetized pin to pick up these tiny parts?? Rubbing the tip of a T pin against a magnet should magnetize it and allow me to pick up these parts magnetically?? I’ll try it and see what happens…
Anyway, thanks again for the ideas. I hope to be posting pics soon.
get a big plastic bag and work inside the bag. parts cant fly very far. (when i said work inside the bag i meant just your arms and the PE, not your entire body. but you knew that ) [:D]
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PE hates me. It sees me coming and automatically knows that it’s fixing to get free of the fret and turned loose in my basement. I can’t handle it, I can’t see it, and it gives me a headache. It looks good when it’s done though, so I guess I’ll keep dealing with it [:(!]
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I know the feeling…
…I spent 20 minutes the other night trying to stick a 1mm diameter disc on the side of my PZL. Would it stick to the plane?
NO!!!
But it did stick to the tiny blob of blutak on the toothpick[banghead]
One tool that I have found useful with PE, is a fibre glass pencil. I always use it where the CA has seeped out from the edge of the PE part, to gently remove the excess CA without damaging the surrounding area or the PE part.
