Hello everyone,
Sometimes in the course of my modeling work I run across ideas or products that really make a difference. I recently began using some of the excellent products produced by The Small Shop,
http://thesmallshop.com/ , a top notch company producing a range of products designed to make modeling easier and more enjoyable.
Of course, I have been using photo etch tools for quite some time and for the most part I was satisfied with their performance. I figured that these tools were about the same, and that one tool was about as good as the other. However, I recently found this line and am now using a number of the Hold and Fold tools from The Small Shop and I wouldn't even think of going back. The all metal designs and hard edged fingers make precise bending a breeze. I've also come to appreciate the convenient release screw that allows for quick adjustments of the tool work area.
I like to keep the small, but highly functional “Bug” on my bench at all times. Its small size doesn’t clutter my work area though it has more than enough bending options to handle most routine photo etch bending needs. When larger or longer bends are required, such as fenders, I reach for one of their larger bending tools, either the 4" MkIV "The Workhorse" or the 5.5" "5 Speed".
In addition to The Small Shop’s bending tools, I also picked-up their Wire Wrangler; a handy tool which ensures that most any gauge wire can be quickly and accurately bent to precise lengths. The first time I used this tool was for making the grab handles on my recent JS-II. The process is amazingly easy. Simply determine the length of wire that you need then find the corresponding width on the calibrated clamp, slide the wire between the halves, clamps down and bend. The circular shape also allows for the easy production of circular ring and D-ring shapes as well.
Happy Modeling,
Rick
I am not affiliated with this company, to contact The Small Shop Directly:
http://thesmallshop.com/
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The Small Shop tools.
Linear Mode
