PE Bending Tools

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

I’m interested in hearing some opinions on those pricey PE bending tools. Do they work? Are they worth the money?

2

There are some about…heres a few
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/misc/brassassit.htm
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/misc/holdfold08.htm
http://smallshopeu.com/LeeLLyod_REVIEW8.htm

Cheers…hope they help

3

I use the etch mate here and I have to say it has been worth every penny , it gives nice sharp bends , much unlike what you get when freehanding PE, its basically an aluminum siding tool for photoetch .

4

Thanks! I’ll check out the sites. Already having some knowledge of sheet metal work from my stint in the Air Force as an aircraft mechanic many years ago, I could see that PE bending tools work on the same principle as the ones used for the full-scale jobs. Just wanted some reassurance before shelling out the bucks.

5

I use the Hold n’ Fold and am very happy with it. There is a 4 inch and an 8 inch version of this tool. The smaller one works well for me.

6

Honestly, I hardly ever use my Etch Mate. I think I invested $12 or $15 on four different sets of small pliers that I use 95% of the time. The Etch Mate works great for long bends, but it is much quicker to use the pliers otherwise. In conclusion, I’m not sure it was worth the 65$, but something like the Etch Mate is probably a purchase you should eventually get. Just my $0.02

7

[#ditto] Thats exactly what I was going to say !