Discolouring of PE

[amiers]

i take a long time to build my models, some times up to a year, and i have noticed that the pe get a dirty film and stain over it when left for a while. how do i clean it or can i paint over it? p.s this kit is the first i have used pe

[coberg1]

No ship modeller should be without a can of acetone!!!

[John Snyder]

Just use the simple trick I used when I used to custom-paint brass locomotives: dip the photoetch in vinegar until it's clean, then rinse, let it dry, and paint it. The vinegar will even give the PE a bit of "tooth" that will help it hold paint better.

[TomD]

Get a stasis chamber to store your photoetch. Yes, they're a bit expensive buy in my opinion, well worth the cost. And don't tell your wife you have this thing - no doubt she'll find a thousand other [non-modeling] uses for it.