scratch building

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:18 am

Does anyone have any experience doing there own photo-etching of brass parts? I've had fairly good success using plastic card etc. but I'm reaching the limit of scale options with some of the stuff I want to do.

Paul

Hetzen · Post by **Hetzen** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 4:14 am

I have. If you know how to use a vector program like illustrator, it's actually quite simple, in terms of designing the sheet and sending it off to an agency to be etched. What you have to remember, is that the minimum cut width has to be 1.5 times the metal thickness. Also, by sending it to an agency, you can use the colour red as a half bite etch, to get relief on the brass, or cyan to do the other side. I don't think home kits allow you to do that.

What's really good about it, is that you can do complicated paterns like grills or lettering acurately. One thing to bear in mind, is that the acid sort of under cuts the sides which is difficult to file smooth if you're layering up shapes. But could be a very good way of doing utility shovels or other bits of fiddly modelling, especially in this scale.

It's quite expensive though.

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Sat Jan 07, 2006 6:29 am

Dave,

When you say expensive - how much? Do you have any experience with the home kits?

Paul

jb · Post by jb » Sun Jan 08, 2006 1:52 am

Here are some pictures of a Night fighting platoon. The Uhu IR searchlight is scratch built from about a dozen pieces that were laying about. The IR on the panthers are made from Soviet AA mgs,and strands of fine wire.

Hetzen · Post by **Hetzen** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 2:01 am

Paul, I've not used the home kits, but there's now a printable sheet you print off from your computer, then attach to your brass, which by all accounts seems to work well, and is far more user friendly than the old film approach. There is a good acoount of how to do this here http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/fh_pe.htm

I needed to get my etching right without the learning curve for a job I was doing, I also needed to be able to put half bite texture on the brass, so put it out to the 4Dmodelshop here in the UK. It worked out at @ Â£40 for the master film and @ Â£40 for the brass sheet, so after VAT and handling of electronic media (the .eps file) it came to about Â£110.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Jon

Edit, JB nice work there, can't quite see what you've done from the pictures, do you have any larger ones?

miffster · Post by **miffster** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 5:52 am

JB

The night fighters look really cool. A bit on the small side though - got any bigger pictures?

Matt

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 10:50 pm

Hetzen,

Thanks for that link! This project is beginning to really look doable. Now does anyone remember which thread had the picture of the S-Tank with the add-on armor grate on the front of the chasis?

Paul

Also, Does anyone have or can they point me to three view drawings of CV90 and ASCOD family of vehicles?

HMSDiomede · Post by **HMSDiomede** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:22 pm

Paul, I think the thread has long since dropped off the board, but Mark 1 provided the photo links of the S-tank with front "fence" armor. He may still have the links.

David

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:18 am

HMSDiomede wrote:Mark 1 provided the photo links of the S-tank with front "fence" armor. He may still have the links.

Well ...

It seems the S-Tank photos were hosted on Thunder's Microarmor.com site.

Not sure, but it seems that ever since that Conquorer whacked him upside the head while he was TC'ing the JS-III (I really did try to 'splane to him how angry the Brits get when you slip in under their guns ... beside, I told him to button up!), well, that boy just ain't been paying as much attention to the details...

Either that, or moving his household from San Francisco to Tuscon has given him some other priorities to think about, rather than just keeping his server up 24/7 for my convenience.

But I still got several S-Tank shots. I'll get 'em hosted and posted here later tonight.

jb · Post by jb » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:44 am

miffster wrote:JB

The night fighters look really cool. A bit on the small side though - got any bigger pictures?

Matt

I hope this helps. (The 251 pictured was not the one used for the final project)

av8rmongo · Post by **av8rmongo** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 11:41 pm

Mk1,

I think I found what I needed on the internet last night, thanks.

Paul

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:00 am

JB:

I notice that you have done an exceptional job painting the tracks on your IR Panther unit. They look metallic and muddied to the max!

Does this mark a change of heart on the value of painting tracks and running gear? I thought you were of the "cover it all with dusty tan" school...

jb · Post by jb » Fri Jan 13, 2006 3:56 am

Mk 1 wrote:JB:

I notice that you have done an exceptional job painting the tracks on your IR Panther unit. They look metallic and muddied to the max!

Does this mark a change of heart on the value of painting tracks and running gear? I thought you were of the "cover it all with dusty tan" school...

No-I did those like that just for you Mk1-and those aren't even mine to keep

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:38 am

jb wrote: No-I did those like that just for you Mk1 ...

What a nice guy!

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 4:39 am

scratch building

German "night fighting " Platoon