Since the first installment of this topic I have been receiving emails asking for MORE! Some have asked specific how-to questions which I will make every attempt to weave into my articles. Part of being a great anything is finding ways to come up with methods that work to help you achieve your goal. It is no different in scale modeling. I’ve found that in some cases what works for me is easier than the methods others are using as their preferred way and vice versa. I’m always learning by experimenting on my own and while listening and watching others, it is all part of the experience of scale modeling…I love it!

Let me start with a couple of workbench suggestions/tips/ideas for you to ponder. When working with PE I find that having keeping them flat and organized is most beneficial. Hence the reason for the metal can to hold assembled components…PE parts like to travel to destinations unknown all by themselves if given the chance.

I found at the local craft store sheets of foam in various colors. These can be used as a work surface for modeling…it offers protection from scratching and slipping while you handle and build your model. They also are useful as photograph back drops and for keeping PE frets visible and organized on the bench. I left the product label attached to the pad so you can see the details about it.

I’ve laid out the PE frets and the tools I will be using. Speaking of tools, if you don’t have a CA applicator you’ll need to make one. It is real easy and you’ve probably have all of the materials needed already on hand. Take an old knife handle and a piece of wire…doesn’t matter what gauge really, just as long as it has sufficient surface to pick up the CA. You can bend the end over double to increase the surface area if needed. The thinner the wire the greater the probability you’ll need to do this.

I used some wire from an electric coil out of an old something or another. The wire  is soft and pliable, great for laying plumbing in wells and bays on aircraft. You can also see that I have found a use for those bottle caps from a refreshing beverage. They work well for holding small quantities of paint and CA while working. I apply a drop or two of medium or thick CA (depending on what I need) into the cap. Then use the applicator tool to transfer it to the part or the surface where the part is going to be applied.

The applicator tip can be snipped off to remove any CA residue that might build up during the build. You should have ample replacement material on hand to replace it once it is too short for comfort. The bottle caps, well they get tossed having served more than one useful mission.

Let’s talk about cutting and trimming PE. I use my Xuron 440 PET Shears to cut and do most of the cutting and trimming which I shared in the first installment. I do want to touch more on how I sand PE to remove any little nubs or fret residue. I have found at some expense that using a sanding stick or paper only served to fold and damage the part I was working on. It probably is from having too big of mitts, holding too delicate of a part using tools which could also be used for tooth extractions. But I gave it some thorough thought and remembered how I trim to fit vac-formed canopies…a sanding disc in my Dremel tool!

Remember the scene from the John Wayne movie “The Fighting Seabees” where the old saw mill operator uses that huge saw blade to open his pack of cigarettes? Well this works in a very similar manner.

I remove the screw which holds my drum sanding barrel from the end of the shaft. Then I slip the screw through the hole on a sanding disc and replace the screw. This acts as a backing, yet provides flexibility on the outer edges of the disc. When you place a piece of PE against the disc (the disc is spinning at low speed) you can minutely touch the PE to the disc to remove those fret tags. You can also trim away the edges to make the piece fit into a recess if needed. Be sure your sanding disc is of a FINE or VERY FINE grade of paper. Too course and you’ll rip the PE part apart!

I’ll see if I can’t include a short video of me doing this…seems every time I take a picture of me actually performing this task my fat thumb gets in front of the camera. That’s it for this installment, hope it helps. More to come again soon, so much going on in the workshop but for now I’ve gotta get back to the paying work that is on my desk.