Mantua "blue painted" photo-etched brass

[Alexisgm97]

Hello,

I have recently bought the Royal Caroline kit by Mantua and as it is a quite old model (I got it at a very good price from second hand although everything is new) some parts that are now made of thin wood are a photo-etched brass sheet. See the images below to see what I mean, please.


Here you can see the wood parts that come with the new version of the model (The photo is from Katsumoto's build log found here).

However, in the old kit I bought, this same part is made of a brass sheet and it has a blue colour on the embossing, which I imagine is to protect it against scratches or oxidation as we all know brass tends to get a brown colour very fast.



So my doubt is, how do I get rid of this blue colour without damaging the brass too much? Mantua's instructions say that it can be removed with sand-paper but I'm afraid it can be too abrasive and mess it up.

I hope you can give me some advice on how to remove this blue paint without damaging the brass and give it a really good finish.

Thanks and stay safe.

Alexis G.

 

[jimmystratos]

Fine grade steel wool would be less likely to mark it.

 

[Dematosdg]

Hello,

I have recently bought the Royal Caroline kit by Mantua and as it is a quite old model (I got it at a very good price from second hand although everything is new) some parts that are now made of thin wood are a photo-etched brass sheet. See the images below to see what I mean, please.

View attachment 223530
Here you can see the wood parts that come with the new version of the model (The photo is from Katsumoto's build log found here).

However, in the old kit I bought, this same part is made of a brass sheet and it has a blue colour on the embossing, which I imagine is to protect it against scratches or oxidation as we all know brass tends to get a brown colour very fast.

View attachment 223531

So my doubt is, how do I get rid of this blue colour without damaging the brass too much? Mantua's instructions say that it can be removed with sand-paper but I'm afraid it can be too abrasive and mess it up.

I hope you can give me some advice on how to remove this blue paint without damaging the brass and give it a really good finish.

Thanks and stay safe.

Alexis G.

For blackening the brass, I place all my photoetched parts in Acetone. After a few minutes I dry it in a paper towel I place them in the blackening solution. If the piece is not homogeneously blackened I return it to the Acetone

Bottom line, Acetone have always cleaned out the protection added to brass etched parts in my case.

Best
Daniel

 

[Alexisgm97]

Fine grade steel wool would be less likely to mark it.

Thanks, I also thought about that but I wanted to know if there was something else.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Alexisgm97]

For blackening the brass, I place all my photoetched parts in Acetone. After a few minutes I dry it in a paper towel I place them in the blackening solution. If the piece is not homogeneously blackened I return it to the Acetone

Bottom line, Acetone have always cleaned out the protection added to brass etched parts in my case.

Best
Daniel

So just place the parts in acetone for a few minutes and it would remove the blue paint? Sounds great because this way I don't scratch the brass. But I am afraid it can "eat" the brass completely.

Thanks

 

[Dematosdg]

So just place the parts in acetone for a few minutes and it would remove the blue paint? Sounds great because this way I don't scratch the brass. But I am afraid it can "eat" the brass completely.

Thanks

No... brass is not affected

 

[Alexisgm97]

No... brass is not affected

Perfect! Thanks, I will try it

 

[Dematosdg]

Perfect! Thanks, I will try it

Take out one of the small pieces and try on it. Or cut a corner of the brass plate and try on it.... just in case

 

[Dematosdg]

Perfect! Thanks, I will try it

Looking again your pictures, are you sure that blueish color on all the embossed elements isn't it in purposely!!!!

It is strange that the rest of the brass plate isn't blueish.

In all the ship I built the brass etched parts where all brass color. ALL the plate. And ALL was covered by the protection cover against oxidation.

The wood example you posted also the embossed, has diferent colors from the genersl piece of wood.

Just a thought,

Best
Daniel

 

[Alexisgm97]

Looking again your pictures, are you sure that blueish color on all the embossed elements isn't it in purposely!!!!

It is strange that the rest of the brass plate isn't blueish.

In all the ship I built the brass etched parts where all brass color. ALL the plate. And ALL was covered by the protection cover against oxidation.

The wood example you posted also the embossed, has diferent colors from the genersl piece of wood.

Just a thought,

Best
Daniel

This is something strange because I had also thought about what you are saying, what if the blue cover is there because it is how it has to be mounted and glued? But I checked some photos of the ship where the brass parts go and no, they do not match. It is strange because it is the other way round. I mean, the parts where there is blue covering should be the brass colour and the parts where there is no covering they have to be painted in blue! Check these images from the box and compare them to the brass sheet.






As you can see the colours are inverted! The blue parts in the sheet have to be "gold" and the exposed brass parts in the sheet have to be painted in blue!

So I believe it has to b removed because I have a Cannons Weapon model also from Mantua and it also has a brass sheet with some strips that have to be attached to the cannon wheels and they have the exact same blue covering.



Thanks,

Alexis

 

[Dematosdg]

This is something strange because I had also thought about what you are saying, what if the blue cover is there because it is how it has to be mounted and glued? But I checked some photos of the ship where the brass parts go and no, they do not match. It is strange because it is the other way round. I mean, the parts where there is blue covering should be the brass colour and the parts where there is no covering they have to be painted in blue! Check these images from the box and compare them to the brass sheet.

View attachment 224099
View attachment 224100
View attachment 224101


As you can see the colours are inverted! The blue parts in the sheet have to be "gold" and the exposed brass parts in the sheet have to be painted in blue!

So I believe it has to b removed because I have a Cannons Weapon model also from Mantua and it also has a brass sheet with some strips that have to be attached to the cannon wheels and they have the exact same blue covering.

View attachment 224102

Thanks,

Alexis

You are correct is the other way around. The sanding suggested by Mantua is to do it on the brass raised section leaving the background in another color, but not brass color. If you remove all the blueish you will have to paint the background.

What about if you paint the background (like the ship pictures) and then with a very soft sand paper (320 or more) you take out the blueish of the RAISED brass sections.

 

[Alexisgm97]

You are correct is the other way around. The sanding suggested by Mantua is to do it on the brass raised section leaving the background in another color, but not brass color. If you remove all the blueish you will have to paint the background.

What about if you paint the background (like the ship pictures) and then with a very soft sand paper (320 or more) you take out the blueish of the RAISED brass sections.

Yeah that sounds like a great procedure.

I still don't have plans to start with this model but whenever I do and I tackle the brass part I will post again and show how it goes.

Many thanks.