by robertmelvin » Mon Aug 17, 2015 2:51 pm
IMHO PE is both a blessing and a curse. It can add a great level of detail that simply cannot be rendered in styrene and can really make a build "pop". By the same token, depending on how much you want to use, and how many tiny, fiddly bits of brass you are prepared to deal with, it can suck the joy right out of a build. Personally, I try to strike a balance between using enough to get a nice looking finished product, but not so much as to totally kill the fun of the project. I do try to constantly improve my ability to work with the stuff (I can't tell you how many Model Master Oerlikon's I trashed before I mastered them), but it can be a slow and tedious process. I admire the guys here who are true artists with the stuff. BTW, I often paint as much of my PE as possible while it is still on the fret, depending on the camo scheme I'm using and can't tell I've ever had an adhesion problem with either CA or white glue.
It does make railings a lot easier to work with if you measure out a specific length using your dividers, not too long, then glue that down, repeat until you have the whole length of the railing applied. This can also help in doing turns in the railing, like 90 degree angles, etc.. And, if you are dealing with a curved length of railing, I've always found it easier to deal with a smaller length to curve than a longer one.
Hope this helps some. Oh, and by the way, I've also discovered that the exercise of a fine vocabulary of swear words can be most useful in dealing with PE at times.
Bob Melvin
IMHO PE is both a blessing and a curse. It can add a great level of detail that simply cannot be rendered in styrene and can really make a build "pop". By the same token, depending on how much you want to use, and how many tiny, fiddly bits of brass you are prepared to deal with, it can suck the joy right out of a build. Personally, I try to strike a balance between using enough to get a nice looking finished product, but not so much as to totally kill the fun of the project. I do try to constantly improve my ability to work with the stuff (I can't tell you how many Model Master Oerlikon's I trashed before I mastered them), but it can be a slow and tedious process. I admire the guys here who are true artists with the stuff. BTW, I often paint as much of my PE as possible while it is still on the fret, depending on the camo scheme I'm using and can't tell I've ever had an adhesion problem with either CA or white glue.
It does make railings a lot easier to work with if you measure out a specific length using your dividers, not too long, then glue that down, repeat until you have the whole length of the railing applied. This can also help in doing turns in the railing, like 90 degree angles, etc.. And, if you are dealing with a curved length of railing, I've always found it easier to deal with a smaller length to curve than a longer one.
Hope this helps some. Oh, and by the way, I've also discovered that the exercise of a fine vocabulary of swear words can be most useful in dealing with PE at times.
Bob Melvin