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Preparing Plated or Coated PE for Soldering

Sharkmouth

Sharkmouth

Information Overload
Staff member
Having received a Hasegawa P-40E for my stash, I went and found some old Eduard and Part on which I wanted to try my American Beauty Resistance Soldering Unit.

Well, the Eduard PE is Nickel Plated and the Part sets have a lacquer coating designed to make gluing and painting easier (what's Eduard's excuse for plating?)...

I usually wash all model parts (including resin and PE) before use in an ultrasonic cleaner filled with Simple Green (20%), Windex with Ammonia (5%), Dawn grease cutting dish-washing detergent (a few drops), and water (75%).

I placed the PE on the bottom to keep it flat and the plastic on top set for 480 seconds. Once completed, I noticed that the Eduard sets got darker and the PART sets had raised edges.

I therefore throw out the solution and placed half an inch of straight Simple Green set for 480 seconds.

The Eduard set started showing brass and the Part sets released slivers of lacquer which floated around.

I set the timer once more and... forgot about it until the next day (thank my son for that).

Anyway, the Eduard set was free of the plating as well as the PART. The PART brass did get 'ghosting' imagery from the frets placed on it but all the lacquer was gone.

A word of warning!

I'm not sure if it was the ultrasonic portion or if the Simple Green solution etched the nubs, I found many loose brass pieces from the fret placed on the bottom of the tank. I don't think I lost any pieces but will know when I try to build the flaps on my Kitty Hawk.

I hope this is of help.

Regards,
 
I recall someone on the old board telling us how to remove the coating from Eduards's stuff but I don't recall where or what was used. This weekend I simply scrubbed a couple of parts that were giving me trouble glueing. I scrubbed with fine steel wool and cleared enough plating to see brass. Applied a little solder and heat. Bingo. Simple Green is not much unlike the Greased Lightening I have. I've carved out some time this evening to get in the shop, i'll set a fret in to soak in the Greased Lightening and see what it does by this weekend. I'll leave the ultrasonic out of the equation for now.
 
Checked on the PE this morning as the truck was warming up. Soaking a fret of Eduard F4F-4 Flaps (since they are useless there's no loss) in Greased Lightning. Saw no change other than a nice shinny finish. Greased Lightning is having no effect on it's own. I'll check it again this evening when I get home, if still no change I'll give it some time on the ultrasonic and see if that makes a difference.

anyone remember what thread it was we talked about how to strip Eduards on the old board, I seem to remember someone mentioning vinegar.
 
moon puppy wrote:
...anyone remember what thread it was we talked about how to strip Eduards on the old board, I seem to remember someone mentioning vinegar.
Click to expand...

Could it be this? I am still formatting the thread but this comes from the working with PE thread:

sharkmouth on Wed Jul 29, 2009 5:26 am

"Good suggestions so far. If I may:

I do solder a lot of pieces but, even if I don't, I wash all the metal frets. I use a sonic cleaner with full strength Simple Green. It is then dipped into clean water and allowed to air dry. PART (of Poland) has a lacquer finish designed to accept glue so it should not be removed unless one plans to solder the parts. If you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner, a dip into full strength vinegar and a rinse in clean water will do the trick."

Note that vinegar is mentioned to clean the parts, not remove the lacquer coating. I had used a lacquer remover once and posted that I used lacquer thinner. When someone else tried it, they correctly took me to task as it did not remove the coating. Lacquer remover is too strong a solvent to be using so this is why I was pleasantly surprised with the Simple Green solution.

Regards,
 
Soaked for well over 36 hours and no effect. I ran the ultrasonic with Greased Lightning with no effect. But it sure is clean!

Guess I'll road trip to Lowes for some Simple Green. I sure thought the Greased Lightning would have worked, it'll take white off rice.
 
Before you do, try my recipe as there was more in the beginning than just Simple Green (it may have started the effect):

"I usually wash all model parts (including resin and PE) before use in an ultrasonic cleaner filled with Simple Green (20%), Windex with Ammonia (5%), Dawn grease cutting dish-washing detergent (a few drops), and water (75%)."

Regards,
 
Tried it again. This time with a CMK bolt spacing tool photo-etched by Eduard. Here is the result:

EduardPE.jpg


Regards,
 
I'm getting mixed results. Your formula worked well for cleaning. I had the PE soaking in alcohol and water mix. when I pulled it out and cleaned it I notice the coating coming off then. Cleaned out the Ultrasonic cleaner and mixed your formula, soaked and it cleaned but didn't take any more coating off. I left the PE soaking in the alcohol mix last night. I'll see this morning whats going on.
 
Well,

It seems we are both showing how to do it different ways so it is all good!

Regards,
 
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