Ive been gone from the hobby for a while and over the last few weeks I've been getting my place ready. I had to build a new desk and order tools and supplies.

My spray booth is still be built and I still have to order the airbrush and comp..

But anyways... Im actually undecided on what to build.. want to start on something easy just to see how much I remember.. probably a m4a3 sherman..

Heres the advice I need.. I heard alot of good words about the stuff that can be added to a model nowadays.. Brass barrels, tracks, and PE..

I've checked out some of the prices and they pretty much add up to the cost of the model itself. Im intrested in the PE add-ons and am wondering if someone could help me out on what kind of tools i need to buy to successfully add PE parts to my models. I've read the article on the Etchmate and H&F and not sure how much help they will be a person whos never actually tried PE before.

Can you guys share your experiences with PE so I can get a better understanding of the hows and whys of PE? Any recent articles you have would also be helpful.

Thanks

well lets see ..a lighted magnifer..that clips to desk... a good set of tweezers..differant tips..you realy dont need an etchmate..i use a pair of pliers from a mini plier set...the long wide flat type..a pin vise with a variety of bits..a set of sprue cutters which can be used to cut the pe...or try an exacto knife and do it on a self healing pad..a small square snd l angle..not to mention a scale ruler...thats for a begining

Ray

I'm sold on aluminum barrels. They are much nicer than trying to clean the seam on gun tubes. Especially when the gun tube is molded in one piece and the mold is slightly off.

As far as PE, it adds a lot of thin detail to the kit like headlight guards and the such. They add grills to replace molded on ones and paper thin fenders. It also adds some detail that was simplified or omitted in the kit. A lot of the parts they give you aren't necessarily better than the kit parts. They make flat hand rails when the kit parts are round. Doesn't mean you have to use it though.

You don't need a tool, we've been bending PE with a one blade razor and metal ruler for years.

Aftermarket tracks are generally beneficial but not always necessary. Most people replace them just to replace them. Truth be told, a lot of the newer vinyl tracks are really good.

i am also just getting started again using pe...hasnt been too bad of an experiance..try working with larger pieces first..like grills nad jerry can holders..till you get the hang of it..also..check ebay everyonce inna while for pe..you can get some bargains there...i'm building up what i need for quite a number of future projects..i usually wait till i get everything i need before starting..check my fotoalbum at armorama groups..i usally build something off th e wall till the suff comes togeather for a projectlike my paladin ..have two pe sets .aftermarket barrel..aftermarket tracks..looking for an interior now..when done i'll have doubled what i already have in the kit...bringing it to about $100.00..so i know how ya feel about prices
..later Ray

If you do make an M-4 first,using the kit vinyl tracks is actually better.They will not have "sag " and will replicate Sherman tracks best.
I did see, Xuron makes a specific nipper for PE.It cuts in a shearing action,like scissors.Sprue nippers squish against each other. I have one of each.
Wow,must be nice to have the funds to set up the work area and tools correctly from the start.
Have fun.learn as you build. (++) (++) (++) (++)

I'm struggling with my first PE set. It's from Eduard and I can't believe how soft and thin the parts are! Beer cans are thicker than this! My first PE parts came from AFV Club's M88A1 and those were thick and hard to fold.

Tools? I use a pseudo-Exacto my dad found in a flea market (10 blade sizes, 3 handles, and a box with a magnetic blade holder for a dollar 50) to cut the parts from the fret. Then I use my fingers or tweezers to fold them. The pliers I have on hand are overkill for the PE and I'm considering getting a finer pair. Magnifiers and a dedicated lamp are a must. I got cross-eyed because the only lighting I have comes from the room light. Haven't experienced tweezer launch yet although I almost glued a few bolt heads on my fingernail.

Try annealing the part first. This is a fancy term for holding the PE part (using tweezers) over an open flame like a lit candle or cigarette lighter. When it cools it becomes more pliable and you can shape it better. I only do this to parts that have to bend into curves or make circles.

For starting out with PE I would recomend a good pair of flat nosed pliers that preferably have long jaws so you can clamp along the length of a part to be folded. A good set of snips, many people recommend xuron (me too) as they cut extremely cleanly. A steel rule, a stanley blade (razor blades are too flexible) and the best set of tweezers you can afford - there is nothing worse than holding a part in some tweezers only to have the ends 'twist' as you apply pressure and the part launches of into the ether. For glue CA has to be used but try several types out. I have used ZAP and a few other well know (and highly priced) types but keep coming back to cheap tubes of locktite gel as this stuff is just nice to work with. A few wooden clothes pegs are also usefull for holding parts together till the glue cures, not plastic ones as they can leave 'teeth' marks on the metal. To actually see what you are folding I always use a 10x jewelers magnifier eyepeice. I never bother annealing parts before folding, if I have parts that I feel are too thick for folding cleanly I just run a scalpel blade over the fold lines a few times to deepen the groove to be folded.

In general though to use PE is a personal thing. There are some modellers in our ipms club that virtually use none on their armor kits and yet turn out works of outstanding beauty. Myself I am a confessed detail nut and am constantly looking to better what I have done for example at the minute I am building a btt that will have a working crane on top. By this I mean I intend to make as much as possible the entire winch mechanism work which at the end of the day will be a bit pointless as it will be painted and form part of a 'static' display! The fun for me though is the 'can I actually do this?'

PE can work out costly as well and by the time you have added tracks, barrels, on vehicle junk etc you will find that the cost of the original kit is dwarfed in the total cost of the project. My method is to decide what I want to build and make a VERY comprehensive list of all reference material and aftermarket stuff that I may need. From this I whittle down until I find what I ACTUALLY need and then spread the cost out over a few months as the thing gets built, buying as stuff is needed. I never buy kits unless I am actually going to work on them which I find leaves me the money to fully realise the current project.

As always though all of this is a personal thing which I guess is what makes this hobby so interesting - I am always interested in learning how other people actually model, it is the one process of this hobby that is least often discussed.

Lee

Thanks for all the input everyone. Very helpful. I think I will try it. Sooner or later I will have to..and better sooner then later.

What can I use to clean the extra bits that get left behind when I cut a piece from the fret? I'm afraid that sanding will only crumple the part.

Cut the bits close relative to the fret and then his the nub a few times with a needle file. You will need something to hold the PE piece while you are doing this.

You may want something hard to cut the PE off of the fret against, if you aren't cutting them off with the nippers that the others mentioned. Maybe go to a DIY store and grab a sample ceramic tile. I am working my way through my first PE set and have been cutting most of the parts off the fret with a chisel blade in the x-acto knife against an aluminum plate. Be careful that you don't launch the parts if you decide you cut them off this way. (Especially into your eye.)

Hope this helped, maybe a little.

Shaun

What can I use to clean the extra bits that get left behind when I cut a piece from the fret? I'm afraid that sanding will only crumple the part.

I use a super sharp set of cuticle (fingernail) scissors. Actually, I try to use them to initially cut the parts from the tree.

I actually used a nail cutter to clean some of the PE. I stopped when I got strange looks from the woman of the house #:-)

Hi. I can only add one word here: Patience and lots of it. And be careful of the dry-brushing as well. These very small teeny-tiny pieces have a real bad habit of flying off into to another dimension if hit just right or a tad to aggresively.

Take care, sgirty

I bought the Aber set for the Pak 40... Jeez.. they are madmen.. and I am thinking I am mad for even considering to use this...

I use a straight razor blade. The ones found on widget scrapers and a piece of glass from a small picture frame. The bladed allows you to get close the the piece and minimal sanding is needed.
Sanding can be done if you move the piece over the paper not the paper over the piece.
Hope this helps
paul