Guys
i have some questions about photo etch,. I never use photo etch before, and Im thinking to buy one, but I'm still not sure how to apply the photo etch to the model. Actually what is photo etch ? what i've seen so far only a metal grill .
how do you apply it ? use the plastic cement ?
how about tthe painting process, same method as OOB ?
and how do you know if the model have photo etch ? any website that i can know whether the model has p photoetch or not?

thank you very Much, Im sorry Im just a novice here

hey mate. Greetings from Queensland.

Photo etch (PE) is a thin sheet of brass that has been etched useing acid to creatis small thin highly detailed parts for models.

The glue used to fix the PE to the model is usually super glue and/or epoxy glue (like araldite).

it is used to add detail or to replace over size parts on models.

painting is just the same as painting the rest of your model

hope this helps

Hi Achtung,

here a few additions to what MrRoo has said (though he has vastly more experience then I do)....

A third method of constructing PE is soldering the PE parts together. I have never done so, but IIRC a few on armorama have, and James Tainton over on Track-Link in his buildlogs gives a very good explanation of this method, and what you can do with it. Especially in his buildlogs on the Pz I and Hornisse.

There is also an excellent article in AFVModeller, issue 10. It is downloadable from their website for 1 UKP. This is the link.

Also, as far as I know, using PE requires your model to be primed, as normal paints supposedly will not stick.

Cheers and good luck...

Harm

PS. And now I'll continue the war with clamps and clasps....I lost the 1st battle, but I will win the war !!!

UNTRUE! I have never had problems with paint not sticking, both acrylic and enamels without priming.

The main cause of paint not sticking is that the parts are not cleaned of the oil that is normally on them. I wash my PE sheets with metholated spirits before use and also with a cotton bud soaked in meths before painting.

Thanks guys
at least i understand with PE , basically the PE to get more details.

and now, how can i know if the model has PE or not?
cheers

This part is a bit more difficult. Of course you can always ask on Armorama and most likely you will quickly find out what is available for your kit. Other option is to look at PE manufacturer's websites. The biggest manufacturer right now is Eduard from Czech Republic. You can search their database of products here: http://www.eduard.cz. But there are many others and while Eduard has the biggest catalogue they do not have PE sets for everything. Sometimes several manufacturers offer their own PE sets for the same kit. Of course those sets are not identical - some are better, some worse, some have errors in them etc.. Some of other PE manufacturers are: Part, Aber, Voyager, Airwaves and many others.

Pawel

Model with PE set should be prime coated because of difrent colour of plastic and metal parts. Also prime coat paint better hold metal parts together on model especially enamel paint.

MrRoo,

thanks for the correction. I have always read that the model needed to be primed.

I have some more to do I guess...

Depending on what type of kit you are building there are different companies. Eduard crosses over to do ships, planes and tanks. White Ensign Models, Tom's Modelworks, and Gold Medal Models do ships. Aber I know does Armor. Verlinden does mainly planes and tanks, I can't help on planes because those are just OOB kits for me to wind down with.