I have a 1/48 Hetzer that I am about ready to paint, the problem is that it is covered in little fiddly PE parts and I don't know how to properly prep it for painting without knocking the detail parts off. Any advice?

Hi Jeremy

I'm sorry but I didn't understand, would you mind explaining me?
What do you mean exactly when you say "properly prep it for painting" ?

Have you perhaps some thoughs about the primer or have you to sand the model surfaces (for exemple to delete glue stains) and you don't know how you can do it ?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Thanks for the question Mauro. To clarify, I am just looking to get my skin oils off of the model so that the paint will adhere. I can't really scrub it or run it under the tap without accidentally breaking some of the small detail parts off.

I don't know what paint you're using, but to be honest, I've never had a problem with adhesion on an unwashed model. I simply spray it with tamyia primer or simple black tamyia if I want to preshade, and go from there. Now, after painting, I always wear vinyl gloves to keep oil and smudges off of the paint.

In retrospect, one solution is to wash your hands with degreasing soap (dish soap) before you touch the model and periodically during your build sessions. As I said though, I've never had an issue. Maybe others can relate their problems, I don't know.

Hope this helps.

Jeremy,
This is standard practice for me, as I only shoot acrylics and almost always use PE. Here's what you do to get skin oils, mold release agent, dust and dirt off of your model without actually touching it.
Spray your model down liberally and completely with Windex a few times.
Rinse with your kitchen sink sprayer, cool water, low pressure.
Place in a Tupperware with the top slightly askew.
Let dry overnight.
Check for water inside the model. Drain out.
Let dry again.
Paint.

Usually to remove mold release agent I wash the sprues before starting to mount the kit.


Otherwise, to remove dirt and dust, I use or the same method that Matthew explained or I soak the entire model in a little basin full of water and a little bit of dish soap, then I wait overnight.
I'm very careful to don't put too many soap in the mixture, to avoid the formation of soap stains after the drying process. I usually use tap water, but I've noticed that sometime water leaves some little limestone stains on plastic surfaces. That depends on the level of limestone restrained on average in the water of your city. Next time to avoid this issue, I think I'll use demineralized water to fill the basin.
After then I rinse the model and I leave it dry in an open plastic bag (I've learn this tip from Matthew and it works very well).

When I'm sure that the model is completely dry, I FINALLY start to paint

Cheers Jeremy

Jeremy,

All I do is dip a wide flat brush into some clean alcohol and "brush paint" it on the entire model after it evaporates it should kill most of the oil residue.

If it is a resin model or parts I will use paint thinner....but be careful using a lot of paint thinner on a plastic subject it could hurt the surface or losen the bonds.

Just ask my friend the 48th scale spitfire I ruined by washing it with too much paint thinner. He lives on now as a test peice!

Ryan

Great, thanks guys! I haven't used any of those methods before so wasn't sure if any of them would be successful. I've never had this much delicate PE on a build before and haven't had to worry about being gentle. I'll make sure to use distilled if I choose to soak it

Cheers fellas
Jeremy H

Good, now get it painted and posted!

Ryan

Yessir!