Painting PE parts

[Drawweight]

I’m going to be using some pe parts on my Bismark.

Some of the areas that I’m doing this on will be hand painted using Vallejo model colour.

Do you just paint them as normal? I usually just use the paint straight out the pot.

Should I thin it down for these delicate areas? Or indeed should I be thinning it down as a matter of course anyway?

[dr_gn]

Drawweight said:

I’m going to be using some pe parts on my Bismark.

Some of the areas that I’m doing this on will be hand painted using Vallejo model colour.

Do you just paint them as normal? I usually just use the paint straight out the pot.

Should I thin it down for these delicate areas? Or indeed should I be thinning it down as a matter of course anyway?

You really need a primer for photo-etch. I use Tamiya Fine Surface Primer. If the metal isn't clean, the primer (or any paint) will just fall off if you catch it with anything. I usually go over the parts with a fibreglass pencil to very lightly abrade the surface before priming. Then just paint as normal. If it's Vallejo Model Colour, you could thin it a bit, but I find it's usually OK as-is. Then again I try to airbrush even the smallest parts wherever possible.



For the really, really tiny stuff, just prime it and hope for the best.

I've started wearing latex gloves for modelling - it cuts down on grease on surfaces, and of course eliminates fingerprints on paint.

[lufbramatt]

Some people advise soaking the PE parts in a weak acid such as vinegar to lightly etch the surface before painting, and give them a wipe over with paint thinners to remove any grease from handling the parts.