Photo Etch stuff

[Guest]

Evening all.

Slowly moving up the ladder i was thinking of making my models that little bit better - so by buying photo etch stuff. (as well as adding to the numerous scars on my fingers)

So here's my question: Can anyone recommend suitable tools and a company which produces good ones. It seems Hasegawa has a few good bits and pieces.

Thanks

Paul

:group:

[Guest]

Depends what you want it for Paul. For aircraft someone else will know more but for armour Aber are the market leaders although Voyager do some nice stuff too. I've recently treated myself to Mission Models 'Etch Mate' which has made PE so much easier to work with.

Here's a link to the review that convinced me to part with the cash! Etch Mate

Patrick

[Guest]

Cheers Patrick

I saw that Etch Mate on Youtube - looks good but i don't think it would appear in Russia for another 20 years. And sadly there are no Aber products over here so i'll see what i can get when i next pop over to Blighty

Cheers

[Ian M]

I use a small hold and fold. The Bug.

Just been to their web site and saw this, so I just had to post it here so you can have a look!

Retail Store Location

1st Ostankinskaya str.; Block 55; hall “E-15”

Moscow, Russia

Phone: +(7) 915 344 0484

www.norkin-model.ru

Hope you can find one. I was a bit sceptic and had always used jewellers pliers to do the small stuff and a steel block and hobby knife blade for the longer bits (still do in fact) The bug is a great size for the most kits up to 1/35.

[Guest]

No Aber over there? wow I thought there would be coz they're Polish I think.... ok maybe not!

[Guest]

Yeah it is strange. I asked my supplier this morning and he said he's heard of Aber and may organise something to i can make a special order.

Cheers Ian, i'll check out the place and thankfully it's a quick drive from where i live

[Gern]

Hi Paul,

I appreciate the desire for the kind of extra detail you can get with PE, but don't let yourself go OTT with it like Trumpeter!

I got a couple of their armour kits. In one you have the option of making a box with PE which will be identical to a plastic part already supplied - and you'll have four edges to be joined and hidden on the PE which are all highly visible! The only marginal difference is there's a small arc moulded on the plastic box which is about a gnat's whisker wider than the PE one you have to glue to the PE separately!

Another kit would have you making four small brackets which do not have a plastic alternative. However, there's a bolt/rivet holding these brackets on the real thing. In PE terms this translates as something the size of a full stop - which has TWO attachment points on the sheet of etch. How on Earth you are supposed to cut it free and remove the sharp cut bits and then hold it to fix it in place I don't know! And you can't use tweezers unless you fix it to the bracket before you bend it 'cos it's right in the middle of two narrow upright bits. Why couldn't they just mould a stub for the bolt and put a matching hole in the PE?

There's another 800 odd parts in that first kit I mentioned. That will keep me going without having to resort to PE mania!

I'd hate to see you going off the hobby 'cos of saftness like this - we've only just got you back! It's bad enough struggling with what we can see and do - like seams and painting/weathering!

Sorry to go off track on your thread. I'll try not to let it happen again!

Gern

[Guest]

Alright Gern

You've got a good point there. I would not bother making a complete model out of PE. My dad used to make PE O Gauge trains and he would spend two years making a loco. I would like to buy a few add-on's such as grills, fenders or whatever just to get that extra touch. I am currently building a T-34/76 (well in fact my girl friend is - she wants to try it) and i bought brass tow cables to replace the horrible plastic ones supplied in the kit. When i built my Universal Carrier, string was supplied and the quality becomes awful when primed and painted. So for me, i definately wouldn't go overboard but just to get that nice touch

And it's great to be back here among fantastic people!

Paul

[Ian M]

I'm with Gern on this to a point. I just done Dragons Ferdinand and there is the choice of plastic or PE. I just used the plastic but there where a few bits that got done with the PE.

One the Other side of the coin, I am building HMS Bluebell from the Revel kit of Snowberry. The Hull, engineroom, boiler room and wheel house are from the kit. Every thing else is either PE, White metal or resin.

Is it worth the effort? 110% yes on thus one. The detail is second to none and the thinness og the PE gives a much better scale effect on things like ladders, companion ways. Some of the plastic parts when scalled up would be almost a foot thick!

Now its me thats waffeling on. Generally I would say that PE is a matter of choice. I did by PE for my PT596, but have in fact used hardly any of it. The detail in the kit is more than good enough.

Ian M