Wagon Laser cut kits

I have been generously gifted two wonderful 17D 5" g. rolling stock kits. Before I start assembly I would be grateful for tips and advice forum members may have. In particular re. the best / easiest / safest method of cutting out all the small strap/ironwork pieces from the supplied laser cut 'frets'? And which tools work best? Also, 'to paint or not to paint'? - and if so which parts generally and at which point in the assembly process? Is it best to to fettle and fully assemble, then strip down and paint?

Not sure how thick your frets would be, but for a G1 laser / etched kit I found Xuron etch fret cutting pliers excellent, can cut right up to the part with almost no distortion. A search would tell you the maximum cutting thickness they are meant for, but I have cut 20 gauge brass with no apparent ill effect!. I bought mine from Eileens Emporium but they are on ebay for around £20, mine have lasted well. For thicker etched brass parts for 5" loco's I've used a mixture of the Xuron cutters for very narrow bits and a piercing saw for the thicker or wider.

Dave

Thank you so much for the steer Dave. That’s very helpful advice.

I think Geoff's 'frets' are steel not brass - so a pair of Xuron snips will quickly be destroyed.

More likely to need a small pair of bolt or music wire cutters, or a hacksaw / fretsaw - either will need some small files to remove the 'pip' that is left, clean up the laser-cut faces and remove sharp corners..

I would prime all the steel parts before assembly.

Choice of top coats and when to apply may depend on how detailed the kit is (does it have strapping internal to the body too?), and how faithful to the original you want it to be. Generally, timber-bodied wagons were not painted inside.

Andy

Thanks Andy. Yes, you’re right, I should have said, the frets are laser cut steel. I have obtained a type of junior hacksaw where the blade pokes out the front of the frame, allowing access through the fretwork - I’ll see how that goes and can ofcs tidy up with a file. Thanks for the painting hints too.

Just to clarify on the internal painting - the metalwork was painted (before assembly) but the timber was left bare.

Andy