Help tips needed for photo etch

[Rich7284]

Ok so I purchased the Ford GT from Tamiya this week. Also picked up the PE detail up kit from hobby design. This is my first time using PE ever. Looking for tips and tricks to make this go as smoothly as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Rusty92]

Here is a wonderful write up by our very own @Italianhorses. All credit goes to him.

 

http://italianhorses.net/Tutorials/Photoetch/pe.htm

[Italianhorses]

?

[randyc]

Great write-up!   The problem I always have is the fly away parts.   I either squeeze too hard and it flies away.  Or I loosen my hold on the part and it drops into another dimension.  I'm not sure I am properly equipped to use photoetch successfully.   I guess I need better holding devices?   

But that is an excellent article on working with PE and should cover a lot of the questions of the OP.

[Rich7284]

Thanks for the help everyone!

[Mikey56]

I've had luck with regular old tape....put a piece of tape on the pack of the part that your going to cut off....snip it close to the edge and voila! you have the piece held to the tape and not flying off into space....believe me...I've spent more time hunting for a danged tiny piece than it took to build the entire model!

 

[Tom Geiger]

I've used clear Magic Tape to handle the parts.  From the moment I've separated it from the fret.

It's also good for placement.  Make sure you have applied the tape to the face of the item. Put some glue or some use clear paint, on the back side. Use the tape as a handle to place it, while viewing it through the tape.  Place it.  Wait until the glue dries, then peel away the tape!

[PeeBee]

I've been using Microscale Liquid Tape to attach tiny PE scripts and emblems: 

Apply the Liquid Tape to the mating surface and let it "dry."  Be careful to position the part (lightly) as close as possible to where you want it to go (I use masking tape to hold the part, but I think I'm going to try the Magic Tape that Tom Geiger has suggested) and make minor adjustments before burnishing it down because the adhesive has a "memory."  In as that these parts carry absolutely no load, and don't weigh anything, I find that the Liquid Tape is more than adequate for holding them permanently in place; I have 10-year-old-plus builds with the PE still firmly attached. 

This way there's no risk of smearing CA all over the place or having to trust the tenacity of clear coat. 

PB.   

[bisc63]

One step the linked article overlooked - annealing. Take a match or lighter and heat up your PE fret, then allow it to cool completely. It makes the metal less brittle, and thus bends easier. There's a nice YouTube video on this subject.