Archive How-To's

The Basics of Using Photo-etched Parts - by Tim Bongard

WARNINGS:

All Model Car Crafstman How-To articles are intended for adult modelers only. Children should be supervised at all times when using any of these techniques.

Always wear eye protection when doing any modeling.

Use caution with tools and use proper protection from any chemicals or compounds, in accordance with manufacturer specifications.

  
Detail Master Moon Tank with photo-etched brackets

The incredible delicacy and tiny size of many photoetched parts require that you do a few things that you might not otherwise do in building a model car. Let's first take a look at your work area.

The Work Area

It really doesn't matter if you work on your kitchen table or on a workbench in your basement. Working with photoetched parts can be done just about anywhere so long as you follow a few basic rules that will ultimately make your life easier.

First be sure that where ever it is that you work that it is clean of both debris and clutter. If you have been working on you model for a while, it would be a good idea to collect all the assemblies and loose parts and wipe off the top of you workbench or table so that all the dust, dirt and plastic shavings are gone. In the long run it really does help especially when you are looking for an errant part. Also be sure to remove all the tools and junk you won't need while working on these parts. I can't stress this enough. I personally love to work on a few things at once and personal experience has taught me that nothing will frustrate you faster than loosing a part among kit assemblies, reference materials, tools and other assorted modeling stuff. Clear the decks!

Once you table top is clear, give some thought to the working surface you have. Most of us work on wood topped tables of some sort, which is fine for most things. But in the process of writing this book I came back to something I used to do a long time ago and covered my work area with a medium grey artists board. I found that most of the parts I was working with were small enough that the background pattern of the wood desk actually made it harder to see the parts in question. Actually, any solid colored board will do.

I simply selected a medium grey board about 3/8ths of an inch thick from a local graphic arts store because I could see the parts better without blinding myself with a white background. But more on that in a moment. The cardboard also protected the desk top (a great idea if your work place is the kitchen or dining room table) and was big enough to make it comfortable to work on. Avoid a small piece, it won't do you much good. Use a piece that is at least 24" by 30". Also avoid using foam board for this. The surface is much to hard and if a part should fall free and bounce on the surface it'll be gone! The softer texture cardboard will keep parts from bouncing into oblivion.

Now back to the idea of Seeing. Seeing the parts and what you are doing is extremely important in this area of modeling. Start off by making sure you have enough light. How much is enough? Well, if you aren't working with some form of work light you aren't working with enough light, period. Some form of goose neck or articulated light is the best. My workbench set-up shown here has two lights that I keep at least 12" from my work, if not closer. If you are a kitchen builder, the ideal tool to get for this is a high intensity reading light. In a pinch, a good standard lamp with a 150 watt bulb will do, but I highly recommend special lighting, especially since you can buy what you will need for about 15 bucks. This also should explain why I avoid using backgrounds that are white or very light in color. Light backgrounds reflect a tremendous amount of light and can fatigue your eyes quickly. Keep your eyestrain to a minimum.

EYE PROTECTION IS A MUST with all modeling, especially photo-etched parts. You never know when a small part or shaving or filing or glue drop or other chemical is going to take aim for your eye. Save yourself a trip to the emergency clinic. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use safety quality eye protection when doing ANY modeling, such as safety glasses with wrap around sides. Shown here is a set of magnifying goggles, which are great for detail work.

Which brings me to my next point about eye ware. You may discover that either you have a rough time focusing on small parts or can't grab the parts or thread things through them as you think you should. Keep in mind that if you have a slight vision problem - one you may not even be aware of - handling any kind of small item from a photoetched part to a caper will make that problem apparent. Some would simply advocate running out and buying a pair of magnifiers. A magnifier is a great tool if properly used, but if you find it uncomfortable, if it gives you headaches or simply makes you grouchy, do what you should have done in the first place - go see an eye doctor. I'm not kidding. Take my experience as a case in point.

A few years ago I was fitted for soft contact lenses for the first time in my life. I liked them so much I actually wanted to kick myself for not getting them sooner. Being nearsighted, I saw much better with them than I had imagined, but when it came to reading or building models, I found that I was suddenly having a rough time seeing things clearly up close where I needed to. That was a new experience! On a visit back to my doctor I explained that I was having problems seeing things up close. She checked things over and felt I shouldn't be having a problem. I then explained what I was doing and she then rechecked my eyes with this new information in mind. The solution was simple - I needed reading glasses! I could either choose a perscription for regular reading glasses to be worn after taking my contacts out or a special set of glasses to be worn over my contacts as reading glasses. I tried both and actually found I liked the latter option the most. Now, with the proper eye ware, I can work for hours with little or no fatigue. You too may need only a small amount of visual correction. In any event, if you suspect a possible problem, have your eyes checked and don't forget to tell your eye doctor what you do for a hobby. In our case it can make a difference. So the best advice I can give is take care of your eyes.

There is a final idea that may work very well for you, especially if you are a beginner. Try using a shallow box top that has the bottom covered in felt. If you happen to drop a small part while working over this box, the part will stick to it like two pieces of velcro and you will be less inclined to loose the part. It also works well as a work mat on your table top as well.

This a tray isa actually a standard copier paper box case lid. Anyplace with a copier will have some of these around! Get some dark felt to line the bottom at any fabric store.

Tools

You don't need a lot of tools, but you may need a few that you may not have in your collection now. The collection shown here was accumulated over several years. Fortunately, you don't need all of these to do a good job! Notice that the magnetic strip on the shelf edge is a great way to store tools, so that you can see what youwant, and get it asap.

First, you will need a good pair of cutters. Very sharp precision scissors or a good pair of nippers or diagonal cutters is an absolute must for cutting the parts from their trees. Don't attempt to cut the parts free using an X-Acto knife or twist the part off with a pair of pliers. In either case you may do irreparable damage to the part - or yourself! Personally I used a Lindstrom #7290 nipper for cutting out my parts and don't use it for anything else lest I damage the cutting edge.

Another excellent tool for cutting photo-etched parts is the Xuron brand photo-etched cutting shears. Although they are expensive (about $19), they are made specifically for this job. Contact your hobby supplies retailer for a pair.

For a lower cost alternative, use Fiskars micro-shears, available at most office supply or discount department stores. In any case, ONLY use a small, sharp set of hardened stainless steel precision scissors. Common household scissors are big and clunky, dull and wobbly, and may damage the parts, instead of cutting them. The parts will also damage the cutting edge of cheap scissors.

A good quality cutting tool is required for successful use of these parts!

Flat jaw pliers are another must. Many times you will have to bend and shape the parts or simply hold them while you file or sand them. Precision needle nose pliers with flat jaws are great for this, mine being Lindstrom # 7893. Make sure you get FLAT JAW pliers, not serrated jaws. The serrated jaws may bend or damage parts.

Tweezers or tongs are great to have too because you will often have to hold these tiny parts while threading some other tiny thing trough them. I have big hands and there is simply no way I can hold a part without loosing it in my paws, so using tweezers is a big help.

You will need a sharp X-Acto or other similar hobby knife for some operations, and it's a good idea to keep a selection handy of long pins for applying glue and some Q-Tips for wiping up the sticky stuff up.

Masking tape is the only other basic thing you will need. It's used to keep parts in place, but we'll explain a bit more of that later.

As one final note, it's best to make sure you don't magnetize the tools you use in these operations. A magnetized tool is a pain and nightmare when trying to handle metal parts for obvious reasons. This simple fact however eluded me when I first started using detailing parts because I keep my tools on a magnetic strip on my workbench. Unsticking a reluctant part can be more frustrating than loosing it, but it should show you something about how to find lost parts - use a magnet.

Often when you loose a part you will miss it because you are looking for the color, silver, instead of the shape. The chrome-like finish of the part often helps hide it because it can reflect the colors of surrounds it. But a magnet doesn't care what color or shape it is, just that it's metal.

Adhesives

In my experiments with these types of parts, I've found a few things work best as adhesives for sticking these parts on to models. The important thing to keep in mind it that you have to pick the right glue for the job. With parts as small and delicate as these it is an absolute must that you use the minimum amount of glue necessary to keep the part in place.

Elmer's white glue - The most forgiving of the adhesives, it won't attack paint and dries clear. Even when dry, it stays somewhat resilient or flexible, but it's holding power is not very high - especially on ultra smooth surfaces. It can take a little while to set up, but dries absolutely clear. It can also be cleaned up with water or a damp Q-tip. And if you make a mistake, you can remove it with water and start over.

5-Minute Epoxy

This glue is terrific for many applications but can be tough for novices to use because it takes some getting used to. It's a two part glue which means you have to mix it together to make it work. The good part about that it you can add extra hardener to make it set up faster. You will also end up wasting a lot of this type of glue by virtue of this two part chemistry. The benefits are that it dries clear, can be cleaned up with a damp Q-tip and is very resilient. It's holding power is excellent too.

Gap-Filling Super Glue

While standard super glues can be used, gap fillers like Zap-A-Gap CA+ are far easier to use and set up nearly as fast. While the set up time is nearly immediate, you have to be sure you have the part where you want it - with this glue there is rarely a second chance. It can attack paint or leave a nasty fogging if there is no way for vapors to escape. It can be exceptionally strong, but all super glues are very weak when it comes to "shear strength". When pressure is applied parallel to the plane where the glue is applied, there is little that will hold the part in place. In English, this means that if some clod bumps a corner of a script on you model in just the right way, it will snap off the surface like a broken fake fingernail. IN GENERAL - super glues are NOT recommended for photo-etched parts, as it doesn't adhere to smooth metal well.

Acrylic floor wax

This too can be used as an adhesive and is very strong when it comes to things such as scripts or surface mounted items.

Safety considerations

There are a few safety consideration to address before we go much further. First, it really is a good idea to wear some form of eye protection. Glasses are good for those of us who have to wear them, but for those of you who done, safety glasses should be worn. Look at it this way (pardon the pun). You will be working closer than you normally would to other types of material. This stuff is also metal. When it's cut it has the potential of flying. Face it, you don't blink that fast. Besides, we're not talking about the kind of safety goggles your dad wore even ten years ago. Good safety glasses available at most home centers look more like clear sunglasses than goggles. They have also come a long way in the comfort department too, so always wear some form of eye protection.

Remember that both the parts and the tools you will be using are sharp! Use a good bit of care to prevent cuts.

Finally, watch out for your kids, especially the young ones. Make sure that they are as safe as you are if they are in the area with you. This goes double if you happen to be doing this in a family type area such as a kitchen table or the like.

Photo-etched parts are not recommeded for modelers under 16 years of age, unless adult supervision is provided at all times.

General building notes

Detail Master photo-etched are like kit parts, in that a "tree" or sprue connects all the pieces together. The main thing is to remove the part from the tree as cleanly as possible. With plastic parts, you would usually separate the part from the tree and then cut the nub free from the part. While the idea is basically the same, there are some differences.

The most important thing is to use the correct tools to work with these parts! If you do, then working with photo-etched parts is a breeze. In most cases, hold the smaller parts with tweezers, not your fingers! This gives you much more control.

First, trim away as much of the tree as possible to get a good, clean cut at a given part. You will more than likely make two or three cuts to remove the sprue and than one final clean cut to remove the part.

You may find that backing the entire tree with a piece of masking tape will make things a bit easier. First, when a part is cut free it will stay put on the tape. The tape will also give you a clean background, so seeing where to make the cut is a little easier.

You should try to trim the part off the tree leaving as little a nub as possible. Because the metal is so much harder to clean up than plastic, and the size of the parts makes it all the more difficult, making a clean cut from the start is really the best way to go. LIFT SMALL PARTS OFF THE TAPE WITH TWEEZERS!

Watch how you "seat" the nippers or scissors right before making the cut. Finding the right place to cut is as much a sense of feel as it is sight. Place the cutting jaws where you visually think they should go. Then carefully feel for the actual edge of the part. You will feel the edge through the tool if you try and it will assure a cleaner cut as well once you've mastered the technique.

When cutting the parts, make only ONE cut at a time. This is especially important if you are using scissors instead of nippers. Large scissors are no good here because of the lack of tool control. You may accidentally cut through an adjacent part.

Once the parts are loose, it's best to put them in a small container such as a butter tub, plastic cup or something like that. Just be sure whatever you put them in has enough weight that it won't get knocked over easily. That will loose your parts for sure!

Most parts will come away with almost no clean-up needed if you follow the instructions above. However, if they don't, here's what you can do:

First, hold the part with your pliers and re-cut the nub. Otherwise, hold the part tightly with your pliers and file the appropriate area with a file. The trick is to leave as little of the part as possible exposed above the jaws of the pliers. This way, the area being filed won't flex and will file cleanly.

If you find your file constantly hanging up or chittering like a frightened squirrel, choke up on the piece in the pliers and try again. Also be sure that your files are jewelers type files with a fine cut to them. A coarse file will hang up constantly. Emery cloth or 600 grit Wet-or-dry sandpaper is good too, but be sure you back them with some sort of sanding block - a popsicle stick will do nicely.

Finally, it's when you glue the parts in place that these details will draw attention to your model. It won't do you a lick of good to have some fine looking script glued to your model if it looks like it was put on using a caulking gun. Go easy on the glue! The idea is to attach the piece in such a way that it defies the viewer to figure out how it's staying where it is.

To do this, there are two very easy ways to minimize the amount of glue you use. First, put your glue on a piece of glass or taped-down plastic (like a plastic lid) - don't apply the glue to the part right out of the tube! Then either use a pin or toothpick to apply small quantities to the part, or spread a very thin layer of glue on the glass, and carefully, using tweezers to hold the part, touch the part on the spot of glue. Clean up any excess with a pin or toothpick, and then put the part in place.

Those are the basics of photo-etched parts, and with a little practice, you'll probably be adding them to every project, because they look great, and really stand out!

- end of article -

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