Photo-etched Plates - Small Rectangles

A photo-etched sheet with a grid of small rectangles (Green Stuff World)

A thin photo-etched metal plate with a regular texture of small rectangles. It is neither a finished part nor a kit but material for detailing of your own: from the plate you cut out exactly the shape you need and stick it onto a model, onto a figure base or onto the surface of a diorama. The fine pitch of the pattern suits cases where the texture is meant to be apparent at first glance but not to overpower the scale of the build.

How the sheet is worked with

• Trace the shape out in advance and cut the plate with sharp scissors, which leave no burrs.
• Flatten the cut piece between two smooth surfaces, so that it holds a plane.
• Glue it to plastic with cyanoacrylate or an epoxy; ordinary cement for plastic will not join metal.
• Before painting, degrease the sheet and go over it with a primer, otherwise the paint holds badly on smooth metal.
• The texture is accentuated by a dark wash into the recesses and light drybrushing with a lighter shade.

Who it is for

It will be appreciated by modelers who make small parts themselves, by creators of dioramas and by wargame players building bases. The work calls for no special tools; sharp scissors, tweezers and patience are enough. A smaller grid is rewarding above all on smaller areas, where a coarser pattern would come across as out of place.

The edges of the sheet are sharp after cutting; work carefully.