Is Aber PE over the top?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

Been poking through the Aber PE set (and the associated instruction sheet) that goes with a Ferdinand I picked up. For some reason, it seems to me that this set is much more complicated than other sets I’ve worked with. The parts appear to be much smaller and require a lot more manipulation of kit plastic to get in place. Maybe it’s just me? I’ve done Eduard, Lionroar, and Griffon sets before and they were very managable. I even looked through some of the Voyager stuff I’ve got kicking around, and it seems to be about the same level of difficulty as the other three.

What sort of experiences have you guys had with Aber stuff? Good? Bad? Indifferent? Too difficult to be worth the price[?]

2

I consider Aber to be the graduate-level photo etch with a liberal sprinkling of bits no human being could ever hope to use. I see that it is finely detailed and marvelously engineered. I also think it is extremely fragile and many times, over-engineered.

3

As a general rule, I only use about a third of the parts in Aber kits. The tiny, tiny parts that require me to wrap something around a 2mm length of wire and then solder and “plawiscy” the ends together with a piece of twisted styrene - those don’t get used. It’s just too much.

But, mind you, I think Aber stuff is still outstanding, because the stuff I do use looks exactly like what I had in mind. I strongly prefer their clamps and general fittings to those of other PE manufacturers.

4

"plawiscy-ing"the ends together sound dreadful, are you allowed to print that here? [swg]

Julian

5

There are infinate numbers Of “Aber Satellites” orbiting around endless numbers of modeling benches all over the universe. Over the top is putting it mildly.

doc

6

I used Aber extensively on my recent Sherman build, it really enhaced the final product in my opinion, there are several items that simply cannot be fashioned out of plastic to still be in scale. I am newly back to modeling, but consider myself reasonably capable. I used only new blades and an optivisor whren working with the items.

That said, I do have specific beefs with Aber:

Their instructions are confusing at times.

Several, a quarter to a third, of the parts are so small that I can’t see how anyone could affix them to a model without a drop of glue that is the same size as the object, ie wingnuts, etc.

They also expect you to be able to manipulate things that are far to small and delicate to ever be manipulated. As an example, the tool attachment straps for my sherman, the belts were very small and delicate, but the Aber set also includes buckles that one is supposed to actuall thread onto the tiny straps. They are so delicate, literally about the size of a typed, lowercase “o”, and include a cross bar and a pin to engage the holes in the belt.

To me, it’s ridiculous to expect someone to make a belt out of separate parts in 1/35. I just wrapped the items with the belts, then glued a bukle on to after I painted the straps leather. You have to look very close, closer than anyone other than me has looked at it, to see what I did.

The .50 parts are similarly unworkable, I believe there are 2-3 pieces for the rear sight, I simply can’t get parts that small to stay together without using glue that obscures the parts.

It’s the only PE I have used other than kit included PE.

7

I’ve used sets by different manufacturers and agree with Rob’s assessment. They are definitely not for a PE beginner and even then some of the things they ask to be done almost defy imagination. I’ll never forget my first exposure to Aber, I had finally decided to try PE and selected their detail set for the Tiger I as my first foray. Quite a shock I can tell you! Still have the set, intact and never used, in my spares bin along with the instructions. It was so overwhelming that it didn’t get used. I’m comfortable using some of their stuff now but that first exposure was pretty scarring! [(-D]

8

Aber is the reason i have shelved my Famo as i was using the famo PE set and yes it looks great but i have done so much detailing on the chassis that it is exspected to detail the rest of the model to the same degree which i simply cant be bothered with doing, it is no longer enjoyable to carryon which is a shame as i wanted to build this kit for ages, its like having to do DIY on the house ,A CHORE. And thats not the reason i do modelling.

9

As a general rule, I feel that if your intention is to use every bit of PE on most frets (from any manufacturer) you are asking for frustration…a lot of the PE parts IMO are redundant to plastic pieces already provided and in the scheme of things you won’t see any (or much) of a difference on the finished model----certainly not enough of a difference to go through some of the contortions to use the more difficult parts…Most PE companies try to cram as much stuff into their sets because they make more money that way…period. I’ve seen the same kit built by the same person OOB and then “tricked out” w/ a gazillion PE parts, and honestly, once thepaint and weathering went on, there was not too much of a difference…I think the biggest improvements PE makes is replicating sheet metal and/or steel (schurzen, fenders, mesh screens, etc.)…also ring-sights, gun-straps, etc…

Just as when you paint a figure in 35th scale, sometimes you have to use the “20 foot rule”: could you see that detail on the vehicle from 20 feet away (the buckles mentioned in another post, for example)? If not, then why put it on your model? I typically use only 15-30% of any given fret…and usually end up buying an entire set just to get one or two pieces that will actually make a real difference on the model…

I have learned a few tricks in using some of the smaller parts…use paint as an adhesive, or press the tiny PE pieces onto a just primed model while it is still tacky, such as foilage loops, etc…also, you can create the illusion of working PE parts w/o having to actually build them to work, such as tool-clasps, etc…how many of you actually remove and replace pioneer tools on your finished model? Just amke them as a static piece and save yourself a lot of time…

10

my beef with any photo-etch is the poor instructions,or lack there of.as far as aber,the only thing ive used is a barrel.of which i believe there were umpteen pieces.i remember the twenty foot rule manny,thats why models of the past have the level of detail they do,even some of todays manufacturers.

11

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always follow the “20 foot rule”…I did thread the sling on this US Soldier’s Garand just as the real sling actually worked on the real rifle!

And wired this bad-a$$ tanker up using pieces of brass smaller than an ant’s turd:

My point is: don’t kill your self thinking you have to replicate everything if it is giving you grief!!!

12

I once met a guy at a contest that had working tool clamps on a Pzkpfw IV!. 1/35. It was amazing, but not for me. After a while those little thingys will pop off,taking the surrounding paint with it. Oh, I use them here and there, have bought a ton of the stuff, especially for some 1/700 and 1/350 ships I have, used it on a couple also. Mostly railings and radar. My philosophy on the whole regarding PE is: “If you want to finish a model, cut down on the PE and extra detail.” Notice I didn’t say eliminate. Just use that aforementioned 20 foot rule.

You ever dusted a model with all that stuff on it after a few years? PING, off it goes into the place that padlock keys and socks go. My wife calls it offerings to the Invisible Pink Unicorn. Bless Her Holy Hooves. Our dieity around these here parts. I’ve heard also that over time CA glue will break down. I can’t wait for all those expensive resin kits to just fall apart sitting on the shelve. I’m keeping a weather eye on a few of mine that are hitting the 15 year mark.

Doug

13

My point is: don’t kill your self thinking you have to replicate everything if it is giving you grief!!!

Well said Manny, a challenge helps your learning curve but if you are not having fun you are doing something wrong [2c]. I absolutely loathe small PE parts because I always end up with more stuck to my fingers than where they are supposed to go.

So, now off my soapbox [soapbox]

Julian [:)]

14

I’ve only used sets from Voyager, Eduard and the kit supplied DML pe. Of those I found the Voyager to be the easiest to work with.

15

I have an Aber upgrade for a 1/32 Academy Sopwith Camel that has been waiting patiently for months for me to come up with the courage to give it a try. I feel that I will end up in the same mindset as wbill76 when it comes to the PE set. Having looked it over, I see where everyone is coming from when it comes to the sheer number of items on the fret that I would end up NOT using,
While I am impressed with the potential upgrade for the machine guns, there are SO many parts I can’t see helping one bit, just there to make the fret itself look impressive. I also agree with the previous comments regarding the vague instructions.
I wonder if my main fear is that I will so butcher the work that I will feel guilty about spending the money ($14.00 or the aeroplane, $37.00 for the PE) but then, the money is already spent. What does it matter if it gets mucked up? It won’t ever be dollars again and every lesson costs in the end.
Regards, PWB.

16

I started the Tamiya Famo with Trailer this week. I’m using the basic kits for both and its crazy to believe that a human, even one very experienced with photo etched for years, could possibly manufacture some of their tiny connectors.

There comes a point of diminishing return on enjoyment which any aber set will bring one to.

Things are going ok on my build, but many parts will be left on the frets. I’m willing to slightly sacrifice scale on some things to include those parts by using some other material. If I was building something for a museum, then I could see spending the dozens of extra hours of tedium, often to complete a small section of a model using these sets. But I’m not.

One thing I’ve found helpful is to print out all the official aber photos online for the particular kit your building (they do take very detalied photos and many of them) I keep these tacked up for instant reference while building.

Their frets are a beautiful thing to behold however. Instructions could be clearer, but as mentioned the photos help greatly.

17

Glad to hear I’m not the only one who finds them a bit excessive. [;)]

With everyone using only a half to a third of the Aber parts on the fret, is it really worth buying them at all? Or is going with a less expensive alternative (say, Lionroar) that might be a bit more functional the way to go?

18

I’ve often noticed AM “snobs” in the modeling world. Oh, you built the Academy Tiger and not the Dragon one? Oh, I see you used the Eduard PE and not the Aber PE. Don’t you know that the Fruil tracks look way superior to the Modelkasten? I can’t believe you bought the Jordi Rubio barrel and not the Model Point one!

19

I for one am re entering the hobby after a layoff so long that there was no PE when I last built. 20+ years.

Now that I have finished the schooling, and career building, that led me to drop the hobby, I have something I never had before, money to spend on a hobby. Not endless, but certainly enough for PE or Fruils.

I ASSUMED that this was needed, that whatever aftermarket was available was superior to what came out of the molds, it is not ecessarily so. To me, although there are issues that even a non rivet counter like me can see on some kits, it’s all about the paint and finishing. Really, some of the finish guys around here could slap their magic on a soap box derby car and it would look outstanding.

I still like the look of SOME PE replacement parts, and for certain things like skirt armor on kits that provide none, is one of the few games in town.