Etch Slide Change Parts 6

U-STAR Etch Slide Change Parts 6 photo-etched detail parts

The package contains a thin metal fret with small parts created by photo-etching. The parts are held in the fret on very thin bridges and the modeler cuts them out of it gradually as needed. It is an accessory to a model, not a kit. The number six tells this variant apart from the other frets of the range, which carry different shapes and motifs.

The main benefit of an etching is thickness. Injection-molded plastic cannot be shaped below a certain limit, and fine edges, grilles or covers on it always look more massive than they would be in reality. Etched metal does not have this problem, and that is why it is used everywhere the detail is meant to be sharp and flat. A universal range is moreover not tied to one model; you choose the parts according to what suits a given area in shape and size.

Use

• Lay the fret on a hard smooth surface and separate a part with the pressure of a sharp scalpel, not by bending and twisting.
• Sand the remainder of the bridge with a fine file or a sanding block, so that it sits down flat.
• For bends use an etching bender or a straight metal edge, bending the metal in one calm movement.
• Glue small parts with cyanoacrylate glue; for larger ones reach for two-part epoxy because of the longer time to settle them.
• Before painting, degrease the metal and cover it with a base coat suitable for metal.

Who the set is for

For more advanced modelers who want to add their own fine detail work to sci-fi equipment and robots, and for everyone who likes the freedom of universal etchings. The work calls for a sharp tool, a firm hand and calm; with very small parts tweezers and good light will help.

The package contains only the photo-etched parts. Glue, paints and tools are not part of it. The parts have sharp edges and are small, so work carefully and keep them out of reach of children.