Hi all,
I am currently building Tamiya's 1/48 Tiger I Afrika Corps and I bought the Aber photoetch detail set for it. This is my first time trying to use one of these sets and I am finding it almost impossible to fold and glue this things together. I can barely see some of them. I am using Mission Model's Etch Mate for folding and a pair of nose pliers, but still, very hard. I haven't folded the first part successfully. The worst is trying to glue the parts, the CA won't hold them strong enough and they fall pretty easily.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips about handling and folding photoetch.

Thanks in advance.

I’ve never tried the Aber sets before but I’ve worked with Eduard’s etch metal sets, as for bending I use a set of machinist tweezers to hold the part while I bend it. If the part needs like a 90-degree bend then what I do is line up the bend line (or where it needs the bend) to the side of the tweezers, start the bend with my finger, and finish the bend with a steel ruler.

The best was I have found to stick the metal to the plastic is, once the part is ready I’ll put a tiny drop of extra thick super glue on the metal part and set it where it has to go. The thick super glue will give you a few seconds before it cures allowing you to set the part in its final position, then take some thin super glue and go over the edges of the part. The thin super glue will get pulled under the part and will hold it on more securely. If pressed hard enough the metal will still pop off your model so you need to be careful. I hope this helps.

One tool I use that has worked well for me is a plain razorblade. I also have one of the "hold and fold" tools, and have found it a dream to use. Once I have the photo-etch to bend under the appropriate "holder", lined up along the fold line/seam, I take a razor blade, slip it under the front edge of the photo-etch piece, and lift up, keeping the blade of the razor underneath the fold line/seam. Lift up to the appropriate shape/angle, and then release the piece from the holder. Have had good luck with this, vice trying to bend with a pair of needle nose pliers.

To attach them to the plastic, I'll rough up the gluing area of the photo-etch with a oiece of fine sandpaper, then apply a very small amount of superglue, usually with a toothpick or needle. I use a viscosity of glue that is 20-30 seconds setting time, so can play with the location if need be.

Works for the things I do, but I only have 1/35th, but that principle should work for 1/48 scale as well...(just need some better eye glasses!)

Good luck! Cheers!
Tim

Even though I'm not an experienced "etchmaker", three hints:
1. before even start to work with it, wash gently the whole fret with some kitchen dilutant and warm water, there can be some oily coat on it, that's not good for the glue.

2. Heat up the parts what you want to bend over a candle or a cigarette lighter. Be careful because the small parts can easily meld, but heating let the inner tension release from the etched part, and forming it is easier. (This tension is created during the rolling of the sheet of the fret.)

3. If you do not think the razorblade convenient - I always cut my fingers with the middle - try to use a spare bladeblock from a cutter. It's stronger, more rigid and less the chance to cut yourself.

I plan for my next build to be Dragons King Tiger w/zimmerit.I am going to try the kit supplied photo-etch for the 1st time.I was going to start my own post,but you all have provided some helpfull suggestions here.

thanks

I've found working with photoetch it's a good idea to use 2 different type of superglue. One strong variety & one much thinner. The stronger one works well with heavier brass etch, the less viscous one works better with lighter etch (like that suppiled by Voyager for example). It's trial and error but the more etch you do the better your judgement gets.
One more thing, I don't know how everyone else gets on but I have lots of ventilation when using superglues as the fumes can cause problems over long periods of exposure, typically 2-3 hrs in a session.

AndyC.

Photoetch can be very frustrating - I recently added a full set of Aber PE to a sherman I built and learned a lot along the way. I think Aber sets are good and recently started using their jeep kit too.

When I started out, I found that as the other guys mentioned - it was better to use superglue gel instead of just the runny glue, as it gives you a little more control. It can look messy if you use too much but it only took me a couple of parts to figure out how much was needed. When glueing two parts together I would first roughen the area to be glued as this makes a big difference, then I would apply a little blob of the glue using some thin wire and found I could get a decent bond this way. To attach to the plastic, I would use the runny variety when the join was visible but the gel again when I could cover the join with a putty weld line.

Another method that I have tried with some success is using future. Hey, why not, it is used for everything else! Basically I use it to get the part positioned correctly, then apply some thin CA. I am a gluing madman so I do tend to get some slight build up.

Also you might want to check out the Ausfwerks website. Mr. Ausfwerks is a big proponent of Aves apoxie-sculpt and skilfully attaches tiny PE parts with great results. My first attempts left me scrambling back to CA as it looked like um, well, poop!

1) Go to Wal-Mart or CVS and buy a pair of +3 magnifying reader glasses.
2) Bend tiny parts with broad nose tweezers.
3) Put a puddle of gap filling CA glue on a bottle cap and, holding the PE part with tweezers, lightly dip the contact end of the part into the glue. Then position the part on the model. With practice you'll get good enough to get the glue only on the edge.
4) After the glue dries completely, remove any excess by GENTLY scraping with the point of a #11 blade.

You're always going to pop off a part or two but this method works best for me.

Well I can't seem to get this right. I think since 1/48 is smaller and hence requires more skill to master, to it may not be a good choice for a first timer. I have gotten some bends right although I have spent more time on the floor looking for parts I drop than actually building a model. My CA glue, some cheap stuff bought at CVS doesn't seem to be the right kind, when I finally glue something in place later I can barely touch it without it breaking again. So two questions come to mind, one is how long is long enough to let the glue cure, second, where do I get this gel CA some of you have mentioned.

I am inclined to let the PE go for this model and try on a 1/35 one later. Any of you think that's a better idea?

You might want to try a Hauler PE set before tackling Aber's - Hauler PE is generally easy to work with and not so ambitious - less is more sometimes. I have used lots of different PE sets and the Hauler sets have all been good. My first PE set was a total bollocks by the time I was done, but the learning curve is not that steep, so keep going. I think a simpler set might get you up it quicker.

On using CA, I find that roughing up the attachment points on the PE is essential to a decent bond on the plastic (which has to be clean too). I actually use an old Xacto blade to make tiny undercut cross hatching on the attachment surfaces. As to CA brands, Zap-A-Gap medium CA applied with a pin has always worked for me. Tack the part in place with a tiny drop and reinforce with a few more. PE will get knocked off if you are rough with it, so I add it as late as possible and work from the inside out on each subassembly. For really advanced PE work you can use solder to assemble it (those joints do not break), but that is another topic.

Once you get the hang of PE it seems like a must have for any model,

Konrad Schreier