I need to vent. I am working on my first model using PE and I am about to lose my mind. I have had no problems up to now. Now I am making these little bars that have a 1/2mm lip on them and I am about to lose it. I have been using a razor and a piece of plastic cardstock to fold. If I do another one of these I am getting a PE Tool. Thanks, I just needed to vent. Better vent here than take it out on the model Steve

Steve203-
You need to become one with the fret. Now repeat after me OOOOOMMMMMMM - Feel better? Didn't think so. PE can be frustrating, I know when I first tried it I was fit to be tied.

Actually, planning is key with PE.

Cutting surface. Should be hard enough to resist the knife yet not allow premature bending. I use a metal lid from an AOL freebie disc. The lip helps keep the part from skidding away.

Tweezers or other application tools. A recent edition of FSM had a good article on PE. Can't remember the month but there is an F-15 on the cover.

Anywho - this guy used tweezers and rolled up tape on a stick to place his PE.

Glue - ACC or epoxy - I use ACC a little drop with do ya.

Hope this helps.

Hi Steve. Just got over the PE's myself. Gotta have lots of patience for those. Try working on it when your relaxed & not in a foul mood. Anyway, adding to what GS had said, I do almost the same technique only that I use glass as a cutting board & superglue to stick the PE to the model. The glass could really dull your blades but it is hard enough to prevent the PE part from deforming & it serves as a palette for the CA. In bending PE's I do it using two exacto knives with different blades (#10,11,&17) depending on how the bend would be made. Handling them PEs could be a problem because of their size so I use needle nosed self locking tweezers & a couple of ordinary ones too. I admit that it could be very difficult at first but you'll get the hang of it as you go along.

As the year progress, I've found my eyesight is less able to deal with teeny little details (like PE), and my fingers are becoming less and less nimble.

For my eyes, I've found the magnifying visors are a saving grace. They let me see the PE pieces as I fumble around and flick them through space.

Then I made a discovery that saved many PE parts for me. I took a skewer (or you can use a toothpick, or whatever slightly grainy stick you want) and put just the smallest sliver of blue-tak on the tip of it. That's the stuff that stays forever soft, and leaves little grease spots on wallpaper when used to hang posters. With a little bit of this sticky stuff on a stick, you can use it to pick up the tiniest PE parts, and glue them where they need to go. Put the part down, let the glue set, and with a little twist the part stays put and the stick is ready for the next piece.

Another tip is if you're using the steel PE parts, as provided by Dragon, then magnetize an xacto blade, and then that can be used to pick up and position PE. As with the sticky stick, the magnetism is weaker than set superglue, and pieces stay where they're put.

As for folding, I finally broke down and purchased one of those folding tools. It's made such a huge difference, I wouldn't go back to building without it.

Hope this provides at least some helpful tips.
Mika

Thanks for all the advice. I am going to find a better cutting surface. I have been using my rubber mat. I also got some new CA, I think my other ca was going bad. The stick with the putty is something I will try as well. I will get a folding tool, but I have to wait. They are not cheap. Thanks again, Steve

PE ? whats that. never hear of this and never bought it. I secure my mental health like that.
Needs patience and time. I have some stocked but untouched yet ....

Just be sensible over which parts you use - I look at the PE fret and if I can't see the part then I don't use it !!!!

To help handle really small PE parts, I usually put a piece of masking tape on my glass cutting board (upside-down ashtray). Whenever you need some, just take your Xacto knife and cut off a tiny strip of tape, like 1 mm wide and as long as needed. Then when you need to pick up the microscopic PE piece, just stick one end of the tape onto the tip of your Xacto knife, and the other end on the PE piece. Position in place on the model and stick the tape down (if you've got three hands it really helps). Then with the piece taped in place, flip it up with your knife and put a tiny drop of CA under it, then let it flip back into position on the model. Wait a few minutes for the glue to dry and then pull off the tape.

I haven't tried any of those folding tools, but the best alternative I know is a high-quality metal caliper with a tightening screw. The only drawback is that those calipers can't handle big parts, like the side armour plates on tanks etc.