Hate Photoetched? Here is how I do it. 

I'd like to offer a few tips for consideration when working with PE. First, get a small piece of 1/4" Acrylic sheet, or alternatively a small ceramic tile. Use these to do your cutting on. This has the benefit of avoiding bending the metal when trying to cut it with a knife, something you will usually encounter if cutting on a self healing cutting mat. The acrylic is better from the standpoint of not dulling your balde as quickly, but it will scratch more easily than the tile. The tile is probably the best overall choice and readily available in any hardware store. Secondly, when filing the edge of a small piece, use a pair of pliers (as you did), but hold the part closer to the edge where you are filing. It is far less likely to bend the PE part that way. Thirdly, use a stiff piece of thin wire held in a hobby knife handle as your applicator for CA glue. You want something that will remain relatively straight rather than something that bends easily (such as copper wire). I use a short section of the internal wire from a guitar string. The benefit of the wire is a more precise application of the thicker CA glue. When it builds up on the end of the wire (which it will do), then a small lighter (such as a BIC lighter) can quickly burn the CA glue off of the wire. Avoid the fumes. Another choice for holding PE is to acquire an inexpensive jewelry gemstone picker. These are usually steel handles with small rubber coated end pieces (on both ends of the handle). They are a little less forgiving if you get CA glue on them, but a bottle of CA Debonder will take care of that. And finally, it is advisable to evaluate parts before folding for the best order of folding. Sometimes, more complicated parts have to be folded in less than obvious order, so taking the time to evaluate the folds can help to avoid any surprises in this regard.

Perfect timing! I'm going to be using some PE seat belts on an airplane kit for my club. It'll be my first time, but a fellow club member gave me some advice for them. I'm surprised those tiny parts didn't (as our British friends say) "ping off."

I've made 'friends' with photo-etched accessories over the last couple of years! The game changer for me was getting a good photo-etched cutter, needle nose tweezers and in most cases using some type of canopy glue.

Instead of using a wash for the recessed areas, use a sharpie marker in the color of your choice. Let it dry. Then take a tight weave cotton bud, like the Tamiya ones or the make up ones, dip it in either ronsonol lighter fluid or isopropyl alcohol and dry the cotton bud off on a paper tow so it's no soaking wet, then gently rub the surface. The cotton bud will remove the marker from the top surface, leaving the color in the recesses. Also if the sand the photo etch before painting the paint seems to hold just a little bit better. (It's so hard to get paint to stick to PE)

Once again, excellent tips, James. I don't work with too much photoetch, but if I ever do I'll remember these lil bits of wisdom.

I've been kinda afraid to use photo etch, but I have 2 kits in my stash that have them. I'll use your techniques to try my first attempt at them. Thank you, James!👍

Great video James. I use ultra fine point Sharpie markers to add color to photo etch emblems. I color them while still attached to the fret. then when the ink is dry I carefully polish the top of the emblems with 3000 grit sanding sponge then remove then with a hobby knife or photo etch scissors 😃

Perfect timing for this video James! My next kit has photo etch and I've never used it before. I was used your white glue method yesterday. Thanks for the help. 😎👍

Great video James! Happy days! 😎🇨🇦

One thing you did but didn’t explicitly call out is to keep one side of the protective layer in place - this is to stop parts pinging off and disappearing into the void when you cut them off the sprue/frame. Another thing you didn’t covering is annealing - photo-etch, especially the thicker stuff, is quite springy, so if a part is to conform to a curve it is often best to annealing it first - heating over a flame and then cooling - this will make the metal more malleable and will bend and curve smoother and keep the shape. Another thing I have seen with parts like boxes is to solder where the folded edges meet - otherwise, under closer inspection, you have boxes with gaps in the corners.

I USE AN ETCH PRIMER FOR THE PHOTO ETCH IT BONDS WITH THE METAL AND ALSO THE GLUE STICKS BETTER. AND IF YOU ARE USING STEEL PHOTOETCH AND YOU WANT TO BENT IT MORE EASYLLY JUST PUT THE METAL IN THE OVEN SET IT AT 200 CELECIUS FOR AN HOUR LET IT COOL DOWN AND IT WILL BE MORE MALIABLE. NICE VIDEO ,AND SORRY FOR THE CAPS MY KEYBOARD IS ON THE FRINGE!

Haven't attempted photo-etched yet, but I will soon. Thanks for the tips!

Great tips! Thanks for sharing.

Awesome video James!!!

Thanks for sharing have a great week!

Thanks for the video and tips.

Nice video there James, thanks for showing us all the tools and tricks, I'm sure I'll find this helpful for my future photo-etch jobs 👍🏼👍🏼

Great video James. Thanks for sharing

Really cool👍

Awesome

Thanks for sharing another how to video with us Mr. James!!👌👌👌👌

Need to get one of those diamond files. And possibly a wax pencil..i have been using a pinhead of poster tac on a toothpick for picking up small photo etch. You might try removing the photoetch from the fret on a hard surface versus a cutting matt. Works better for me, but its all about what you're comfortable with.

Thanks for sharing. 🏁

I'm left with those sharp stubs after snipping PE as well🙁

Thank you James always wonder how guys cut that stuff and make it look better

FOR SCISSORS I RECOMEND THE Xuron 9180ET AND THE .9180NS ITS ABOUT 40 EUROS BUT IT CUTS LIKE RAZOR!

I saw a really good version of those photo etch bending blocks at Haven Hobby. But it seemed like in a lot of applications, how you're doing it would be easier. I have to get one of those pencils. Where did you get it? Great video, James! Great recovery from accidentally placing that photo etch on that pedal! And not editing out shows even at your skill level things can go wrong!

Good video. Like the broad nosed tweezers.

Great tutorial..

Well done PE tutorial. Thank you. Where does one find a 'wax' pencil? The PE wiper arm...mfg'er & supply source if you please.

James, would a photo-etch grille look like that? I have an older un-built AMT '69 Torino Cobra kit that lacks grille detail. I'm wondering if it would be worth the search to find a P-E grille for it, and what difficulties I'd have with something that big. How would it be mounted in the opening?

Great Vid. Thanks. What are your thoughts on metal primer? Brands? VMS vs. Mr. Hobby, for example. Thanks again for all you teach us.

Great tip by the way what do you use to do your videos with?

Great video, question those pliers seem modified , where can you find pliers with that flat wide edge to bend wider parts like you just did. do you always have to use super glue and can other glue work as well? thank you I appreciate it..

I am doing a Revell 1950 Oldsmobile. I have photo etch for it which has individual letters for the word “Oldsmobile” on the hood and the trunk. My problem which I an experimenting with is finding an adhesive which will give me working time to adjust the position of the letters, which will dry clear when set and which any excess outside the letters can be removed. The closest I’ve gotten so far is rubber cement. Any suggestions?

Nice Tutorial Bro 🏆🏆🏆 God Bless 🙏🤗 Gary.

Hi James, Do you ever use a primer (etch or otherwise) on your PE?

Please use a harder suface when cutting parts off the fret as a soft surface such as the cutting mat will lead to bent/distorted parts, ask me how I know...

Never managed this without at least one piece dropping on the carpet and disappearing forever...

Great video. It's a shame it didn't include bending windscreen wipers as I find these are very confusing and combined with super crap instructions, it's a recipe for a car with none at all :)

Do you ever solder your photo etch? That’s when it really gets fun.

how do you have so much kits, I see a lot on the background or are those only the boxes, lol

Sorry but for me modelling is about enjoyment and there is no enjoyment in using photo etch . Therefore unless the parts are large and easy to fit (Covers for radiators , air coolers ) l substitute plastic parts where possible . l model AFV .s and photo etch in 1/72 and 1/35 is a nightmare .

You couldn't use a large piece to demonstrate technique...? You had to use the absolute smallest one!? Thanks for the process though.