[WWI] First time playing with PE Spandaus

[Diego Fernetti]

Marcio!
> Since I don't have an airbrush, I got a can of Tamiya gunmetal spray
> paint and will use it. Depending on the result, I may change strategy
> for the Dr.I Spandaus.

Good work on your machine guns... as you shall see, however, practice helps
a lot aligning and rolling PE bits. Take into account that you'll lose
several microscopic parts in climbing the learning curve...
About painting: paint tends to obsecure finely etched details, and thining
it usually just give you a translucent coat, only good for washes. I would
consider a chemical blackening agent (for instance a liquid named
"blacken-it") or else use common india ink. It covers quite well, shrinks
when dry and is quite opaque. If the machine gun parts are clean it adheres
very well too, and unless you like to put your models in water from time to
time, it will stay on the parts. Once the ink is thorougly dry, you can
highlight some details with a rub with a graphite pencil.
WW1 machine guns had a 100% black coating -as far as the museum examples
I've seen show- and a few polished parts, hardly discernible in 1/72 scale.
D.