Augustus1967

Greetings Fellow Tankers...

In the process of working up some HL/Taigen Tiger 1's, wanting to add some scratch Brass & Copper bits
along with Photo Etch detail....
Also looking to add PE to a number of static kits I'm working on, that are outside of the Armor Genera.
So I thought now would be A good time to gather Tools and Info,
in an effort hopefully, to get it right.

Being completely new to Photo Etch I went at the Search Engine.
After a few hours digging through threads dating back to 2006...
I think I just about got the missing pieces for a decent Soldering Station figured out.
But still feel no closer to getting a handle on what kind of Tools(Bending Tool?) and Adhesives(Cement-CA?)
that I should reasonably have on hand to work with.

Some of these Photo Etch Bending tools are fairly expensive...
Heck, I don't mind spending Good money on Useful Tools.
But I sure don't like wasting Good Money on the wrong tools.
Do these odd looking "Hold & Fold" Contraptions work?
Would they benefit a Novice?

With Photo Etch in mind, I currently have a couple decent Tweezers(Tamiya),
decent Snippers, Safety Razor Blades, Safety Glasses, all kinds of Spring clamps,
Mini Files, Sanding gear and what not on hand...

I have gathered that CA Glue might not be the best choice for installing PE onto Plastic or Metal surfaces.
Should I be looking at a Two Part Epoxy?
Or perhaps some kind of Cement?

Thank You for any guidance.

Regards,

-gus

Max-U52

Hey Gus, First, the only bending gadget that I'll recommend is the etchmate. They go for about 50 bucks and they're a great tool for PE. You might also look at some of the round bending tools (mandrels), like this http://www.micromark.com/bending-mandrel,9896.html

Micromark is a great place to look. They have a whole section in their online catalog dealing with etching and plating.

As for adhesives, I've always used thin CA, but you have to make sure the metal is clean. Sometimes they have a factory coating that has to be removed, which can usually be done with a little mineral spirits or acetone. You'll also want to learn about "tinning" for soldering PE. If you want to see photos of any of my stuff just let me know. I'm not an expert at PE, but I have used it quite a bit and I love the detail it can give you. Here's a photo of a replacement fender on a KT that was made from .004 shim stock.



I bent this with the etchmate.

Gary/Max

ausf

I use either PVA or apoxie for PE. CA doesn't have good sheer strength, so you can literally side swipe all your work away. PVA (specifically Bindex) has the tiniest amount of flexibility, so it holds brass very well and apoxie is just ridiculously strong.

Keep in mind these are all 1/35 examples and none are finished to a final look:

http://ausfwerks.com//techniques/apoxie/pe.html

http://ausfwerks.com//techniques/apoxie/stren.html

For cutting, use a cutting board. Any high density plastic. Self healing mats are too flexible and will distort the PE.

http://ausfwerks.com//techniques/block/main.html

For bending, look for something similar to this (the FB is no longer available). For small pieces, a good set of flat nosed and needle nose pliers are all you really need. Not Harbor Freight stuff, quality precision tools like Xuron. Well worth the added expense:

http://ausfwerks.com//techniques/FB/main.html

Finally on soldering, resistance soldering is the best way, but the only unit you'll find is the American Beauty at around $400. Irons tend to overheat PE. The lowest power you can get and a lot of liquid flux with the absolute thinnest solid core solder you can find (preferably high lead content). I used to buy mine from an eBay store in the UK. Using that, I could solder four piece 1/35 clamps that worked. Bob was in my shop once and saw 1/35 Pz I fenders completely made of soldered PE with all the tool guides and clamps that worked. It takes a lot of practice, but the results can be well work it.

Max-U52

That fender bender looks slightly easier than an etchmate, what does it cost?

ausf

Yep, it was my answer to the Etchmate, I didn't like the way the aluminum fingers would bend with heavier stock, so opted for steel.

Unfortunately it's no longer available.

Panther F

I build a lot of 1/35th so I didn't want too large of a bending station. The 4" Mk IV Hold & Fold from The Small Shop is perfect for me. I don't believe I'll ever be doing any fenders in 1/16 so it's the right size and the right price too... under $50 bucks.

If there is a small fret of PE in the box, it get's used everytime. AND, if I am faced with bending anything outside it's range I just improvise.




Jeff

Augustus1967

Thank You Fellas!

Just about have my Soldering Station set up...

had another project fall into my Lap.
Actually have to Work before I can get back to Tanking...

-gus