Etch Slide Change Parts 7

U-STAR Etch Slide Change Parts 7 photo-etched detail parts

It is not a kit but an accessory. In the package there is a thin metal fret into which small technical parts have been etched by the photo-etching process. They are held in the fret on thin bridges and are cut out of it only at the moment the modeler wants to use them. Within the range the set is marked with the number seven; the individual numbers differ from each other in the shapes and the motifs of the etched parts. A stand-alone model cannot be built from the fret; it serves to complete a model you are already building or have already built.

Photo-etched parts have an incomparably smaller thickness than plastic, so they look more faithful in scale than softly shaped injection-molded details. That is exactly why they are used where plastic would look too coarse: on panels, grilles, vents, covers and other small technical additions. A universal range of this kind is not tied to one particular model, and you choose the parts by shape and size according to what suits you in a given place.

Use

• Release a part by cutting with a sharp scalpel against a hard surface, and never break it out of the fret by twisting.
• Level the remainder of the bridge with a fine file or a sanding block.
• Make straight bends over an etching bender or at least over a straight edge, bending slowly and in a single pass.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue; on larger areas two-part epoxy is safer, as it gives time to settle the part.
• Before painting, degrease the metal and use a base intended for metal, otherwise the paint holds badly on the smooth surface.

Who the set is for

For modelers who build sci-fi equipment and robots and want to add their own detail work, and for those who use photo-etched elements across genres. Working with an etching assumes a steady hand, a sharp tool and patience; for a beginner we recommend trying one less visible part first.

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