1/48 Lightning... photo-etch details for the first time..

[c7xlg]

So I'm getting ready to start work on the 1/48 airfix lightning kit I ordered from wonderlandmodels on friday (order 3pm, arrived 9am next day!).

I've just bought a can of acrylic silver metallic spray paint, some masking tape and some enamel thinners.

I've also just ordered a detail photo-etch set: http://www.modelsrgo.co.uk/eduard-1-48-english-ele....

This will be the first time I've:

1) spray paint an airfix model
2) Used photo-etch
3) Attmpted 'wash' technique to highlight the surface detail in the model.


Is there anything I should know? My plan was to:

1) build the model including painting cockpit internals etc
2) mask over canopy and other areas.
3) spray with silver acrylic.
4) apply 'wash' by very thinned down matt grey or black enamel paint: apply with brush over surfaces and then after XX seconds/mins wipe over with thinners to remove excess.
5) apply photo etch and decals.

Do photo etch details apply in the same way as usual airfix decals? ie cut around, soak in warm water and apply?

thanks!

[Eric Mc]

No, they are metal (usually brass) and are affixed by glue - usually superglue of some sort or a PVA glue.

[c7xlg]

thanks Eric!

Good job I asked... though I guess it would have been pretty obvious when they just sank in the warm water and didn't stick after!

[halo34]

I got the Revell Bismark and went OTT ordering photo etch - never having done it before it didn't end well.

I can tell you that superglue and using toothpicks to be precise are not amusing, especially when glued onto your finger !!

However I made some progress, but I think the trick is to get the right glue that sets either quickly or slowly depending on where you are tryin to locate.

I found a no hands magnification glass a big help too!

Some of it is very fiddly...

The Bismark remains unfinished as I got fed up trying to get the railings on!

[dr_gn]

I think you're in for a nasty surprise if you think photo-etch details are similar to decals! Eduard do sometimes include pre-painted, self adheshive etch parts for instrument panels and the like, but they're not that common.

Photo etch is very thin metal, usually used to replace plastic parts with something of more scale thickness, or to add details not present in the base kit.

You'll need some sharp scissors or a blade and solid cutting surface to cut the etch parts from their frets, and plyers or a bending tool to bend the various parts into 3-D structures ready to attach to the model. Tweezers will be required for small components, and for handling really tiny pieces, use a speck of blu-tac rolled onto the end of a cocktail stick.

Cut photo etch is razor sharp, so it's best to stick some masking tape to the back of the fret before cutting out - this prevents any tiny parts springing off never to be found again during cutting.

To fix, I use medium or high viscosity superglue in conjunction with accelerator, PVA canopy glue or Johnsons's Klear for tiny surface parts. It's best to lightly abrade the surface which will be glued with a blade or a sanding stick.

You'll need to prime the metal parts before painting - spray entire sub-assemblies if possible rather than individual pieces.

Phot etch isn't the easiest medium to work with if you're not used to it.

ETA, for the wash you MUST use dissimilar paints. You can't use an enamel wash on an enamel surface, or else when you try to wipe it off, you'll ruin the base coat. Use acrylic basecoat and enamel wash or vise versa. Pro Modeller washes are good for beginners becasue they are water soluble and so won't affect fully cured basecoats of either type. They are however a bit coarse.

Good Luck!

Edited by dr_gn on Wednesday 21st March 13:45

[Eric Mc]

A toothpick is too blunt a tool for applying superglue to precise points. You can use dedicated applicators. However, I use a piece of strtched sprue cut fairly short or the tip of a Swann Morton 10A blade.

[Skodaku]

c7xlg said:

So I'm getting ready to start work on the 1/48 airfix lightning kit I ordered from wonderlandmodels on friday (order 3pm, arrived 9am next day!).

I've just bought a can of acrylic silver metallic spray paint, some masking tape and some enamel thinners.

I've also just ordered a detail photo-etch set: http://www.modelsrgo.co.uk/eduard-1-48-english-ele....

This will be the first time I've:

1) spray paint an airfix model
2) Used photo-etch
3) Attmpted 'wash' technique to highlight the surface detail in the model.


Is there anything I should know? My plan was to:

1) build the model including painting cockpit internals etc
2) mask over canopy and other areas.
3) spray with silver acrylic.
4) apply 'wash' by very thinned down matt grey or black enamel paint: apply with brush over surfaces and then after XX seconds/mins wipe over with thinners to remove excess.
5) apply photo etch and decals.

Do photo etch details apply in the same way as usual airfix decals? ie cut around, soak in warm water and apply?

thanks!

Unless I'm missing something you make no mention of primer. Spraying silver acrylic direct onto the plastic could very well be a disaster. Surely you'll need to give it all a primer base-coat first ?

Just a thought.

[SlipStream77]

Skodaku said:

Unless I'm missing something you make no mention of primer. Spraying silver acrylic direct onto the plastic could very well be a disaster. Surely you'll need to give it all a primer base-coat first ?

Just a thought.

It can be done, you can prevent 'beading' by spraying a misty coat on first and drying it with the airbrush, it gives the next coat something to which to grip.

Ideally though you're right, it's better to apply primer first.

I'm going to be starting a 1/48 Lightning soon too, alongside a Canberra BI8, I will get the build thread up soon.
Both of mine will be camo, if the OP is going for the all silver finish, the one thing you should remember is that you must keep the surface to be sprayed free from dust. Spray in a dust free area and then cover the model until it's dry.

[c7xlg]

Thanks to all for the comments...

Looks like a trip back to the shops to get a spray can of primer is a good plan. Do I need to be careful about which type I pick, to go with the acrylic paint?

The photoetch sounds like it is going to be a fair bit of fiddly work... which isn't my strong point! I'll have a look at it when it arrives and maybe just pick the simpler/larger looking bits to add to the standard kit.

[dr_gn]

Skodaku said:

c7xlg said:

So I'm getting ready to start work on the 1/48 airfix lightning kit I ordered from wonderlandmodels on friday (order 3pm, arrived 9am next day!).

I've just bought a can of acrylic silver metallic spray paint, some masking tape and some enamel thinners.

I've also just ordered a detail photo-etch set: http://www.modelsrgo.co.uk/eduard-1-48-english-ele....

This will be the first time I've:

1) spray paint an airfix model
2) Used photo-etch
3) Attmpted 'wash' technique to highlight the surface detail in the model.


Is there anything I should know? My plan was to:

1) build the model including painting cockpit internals etc
2) mask over canopy and other areas.
3) spray with silver acrylic.
4) apply 'wash' by very thinned down matt grey or black enamel paint: apply with brush over surfaces and then after XX seconds/mins wipe over with thinners to remove excess.
5) apply photo etch and decals.

Do photo etch details apply in the same way as usual airfix decals? ie cut around, soak in warm water and apply?

thanks!

Unless I'm missing something you make no mention of primer. Spraying silver acrylic direct onto the plastic could very well be a disaster. Surely you'll need to give it all a primer base-coat first ?

Just a thought.

If it's model specific like Tamiya acrylic spray it won't be a problem, but as I said, if there are bits of photo etch stuck to the surface then they should be primed ideally. Tamiys fine surface primer is the stuff to use.