Hi Guys,

Hoping someone could point me in the right direction(s) please
I've never used etched metal parts before but now have 2 kits with some in. The first is the Dragon FW-190 A7 (slipper tanks) and the other is the ICM Spitfire mkVII but with the phototech interior and exterior sets with it. Now both seem to be of a different quality. The Dragon stuff seems thicker and not as easy to bend.
Whats the best way of bending this stuff to get a straight edge and is there anything I should know before I start, especially with the seat belts. I've read that some people take the belts of the mountings and heat them up to make them more pliable?

Thanks in advance

H

Yes, heating the PE and letting them cool down makes them easier to bend and takes away the annoying "spring" effect PE parts sometimes have, especially if made of steel, like Trimaster and older dragon kits. Notice that Eduard's steel-colored PE is brass that's nickel-plated.
I use a lighter for annealing the parts (candles can blacken the parts with soot), I heat them up, then let them cool down (dipping in cold water only makes them harder and more brittle).
I usually anneal only parts that need to be draped, like seatbelts (and with some brass sets, it's not even necessary). Experiment with the left-over frames if you feel the annealing will help. It depends on the brand and material. For example, eduard's PE rarely needs annealing, since they're brass and don't tend to spring back so fiercely. Also, they don't use very thick sheets, making bending easier. (also, I wouldn't anneal pre-painted PE, unless you feel like re-painting them )
Steel is another case. For example, with older Dragon kits having steel PE I usually anneal the whole frets before doing anything else. (I think their recent kits have brass parts) I feel annealing is a must with steel, as it's hard to bend and tends to spring back to the original shape.

Greetings. Check out the Early Aviation section for info on photoetch parts. In the coming weeks we will be dealing with some specific concerns.

Thanks very much guys.

Great help, I'll have to experiment I think

Thanks again

H