Just got Tamiya’s 1/700 Hood w/E-class Destroyer. I know that there are PE parts available from Tom’s Model Works, Eduard, and White Ensign…any suggestions? I know that Tom’s has parts for both kits (the others have parts only for Hood and not the destroyer). I also know that White Ensign also has parts for both this and Italeri’s 1930s-era Hood. Tom’s seems to be the cheapest too.
My PE experience is limited and I’d rather not have to purchase 2 PE sets (I already plan on buying some resin AA guns from White Ensign as well). So I guess my question would be, considering how many goodies I’ll get along with my experience level, what would be the best choice?
I do not recommend Tom’s photoetch to a novice ship modeler. Tom’s products are etched from a softer brass than those done by WEM or GMM. In some instances the details may be finer in the Tom’s than in the others. The problem with the Toms for the novice modeler is that the soft brass is easily smashed by an errant thumb. It also deforms more easily when you try to pull it off and re-position it.
In your position, I would not go with the Tom’s just because it was less expensive. I would go with the WEM or GMM sets. Once you have learned the techniques (you never really master them), you can throw Tom;s into the product mix. As long as your ordering from WEM anyway go ahead and get the brass from them. Since they ship their products post-free you may even save on the postage they would charge you if they sold you the GMM they carry.
Now - if only the pound-to-dollar exchange rate can improve I have a couple of things I want from WEM …