I am in the daunting process of building my first ship King George V which I am converting to HMS Howe ( this project is for a friend or I would have returned to building armour weeks ago!!) yep I agreed to do it after a beer or two!!
I have never worked with photo etched parts before…they look so small and fragile!
Can anyone give me advice as to the best way to attach and work with these please?
Cheers
Mark
My recommeded process {others may choose a different route}
Paint the PE on the fret. Paint the PE the predominant camouflage color. You will hand touch up nicks & cracks in the paint later. You will also hand paint camouflage color differences after installation.
Measure your railing runs between logical end points: bulkheads, previous rail runs, ladder ways, gun tubs, etc. Measure shorter runs (2 - 3 inches/5 - 7 cm Max). Resist the urge to do an entire side with one piece of rail, just because you have one. That is a sure recipe for wavy rails. Use a draftsmans dividers to measure your cuts.
Measure twice, cut once. Use a new #10 Xacto blade (the rounded one) on a piece of glass or bathroom tile. Cut with a rocking motion, like a paper trimmer. Use a fine sanding stick to polish down any nubbins remaining where cut.
Make bends as necessary. A tool like a Hold-n-Fold or Etchmate is helpful but not necessary. Use some square-nose pliers or fold on a hard surface between a pair of opposed razor blades. Rounds can be bent using some drill bit shanks (go one or two sizes smaller to allow for spring back).
Use some white glue to tack the part in place. My favorite is Aleene’s Tacky Glue from the craft store. The white glue grabs, yet allows time to reposition the part. Place a pin-point size dot of white glue at each end of the run and every 1/2" (1 cm) of the length. Mistakes can be cleaned up with water.
When the white glue dries, go back with some CA and run a fine bead along the bottom rail.
Work top to bottom and inside to out. This minimizes the chances of disturbing previously installed parts.
Hand paint nicks & cracks in the paint.
A final coat of flat will hide the shine of the CA and will help to blend everything together.
I would like to add a couple of things to Ed’s excellent advice. Before painting your PE soak it in white vinegar and the paint will grip better with less loss when handling it. (be sure to rinse thoroughly before painting) Secondly with regard to tools Tamiya makes a diamond file and a pliers with smooth jaws that are both excellent time saving tools when working with PE. The file (I’m sure there are other diamond files out there) makes knocking off the inevitable little bumps from the attachement points of the PE an easy swipe or two. If you are going to use PE much in the future you will certainly benefit from buying an Etch Mate from Mission Models which is a tool specifically made to assist in the folding of PE. I have had it and the Hold N Fold. I find the Etch Mate to be superior.
Thank you both for your super fast rely. looks like I really have my work cut out!
mark
Great info EdGrune and Dreadnought52! I’ve been nervous about getting started on my 1/350 Bismarck as I haven’t built a ship in 30 years, and I’m new to PE. Thanks for posting those tips! [:D)]
you can follow these tips ( great tips btw guys) or give up the beer[:o)]