Hi guys, I started making the PE handles - 3 parts and it is hell lol, got one done in a hour!
Why can’t they make them 2 parts like below? Still get the same detail, and looks, but a lot faster and easier…
Are you talking 3-part handles or tool clamps? I’ve done enough 3-part Aber tool clamps now that I can crank them out at about 5 minutes a piece. But that has come over time and doing several dozen until I have system down. They’re not my most favorite part of doing armor.
Glenn
Looks kinda like your doing a clamp, but… either way, good luck to you[;)]!!
BTW, saw your KT on another site, Armorama I think, looks niice[tup], I hope mine looks as good[sigh].
Bill
Try this one it helped me, i do 3 inabout 20 mins
http://www.bsbit.co.uk/models/kt2.html
Also try & get yourself an apron if you hav,nt got one & stick one piece to the apron & the other to the underside of what ever table you work at !.
So if you drop a bit it falls into the apron not on the floor & it stops the[censored].
Hope it helps Alan
Wrong link Alan 
Here it is http://www.bsbit.co.uk/models/kt2.html
They really tick me off, but they look good.
Yeah…why else would we subject ourselves to such mental anquish?[banghead]
Glenn
I have never tried PE handles, but I dont know if this would help you out or not… It is a bit pricey, which may be a reason not to try it… but just thought id throw it out there…
http://missionmodels.com/index2.html
Grabhandler 2
or
http://smallshopeu.com/RollerSet%20Page.htm
for rolling AND handles, even very small ones.
Alasdair
"Quote"Also try & get yourself an apron if you hav,nt got one & stick one piece to the apron & the other to the underside of what ever table you work at !.
So if you drop a bit it falls into the apron not on the floor & it stops “quote”
Exactly!![:D], I use a white sheet onthe floor under my chair, feet and surrounding area,LOL. Plus the white towel on my lap, wasn’t smart enuff to do this in the beginning but after crawling on the floor with a flashlight and still not finding the stuff I got wise.
HI ALL
Sorry about posting the wrong link. I forgot to remove the #zimm, but you would be on the right place just had to open details.
I myself now use my etchmate butbecause it does all that i want it to do, it does small PE parts & by undoing the winged nut you can turn the head around to fold larger PE parts.
ALso the grabhandler apart from making wire grabhandles, i also use the grabhandler to hold the u shaped when i putting the 3 part clamps together.
It works great & you can still hold it in your hand.
Hope this helps good luck.[:D][:D][:D]
I have a somewhat related question on how to bend even simpler handles. I’m sure there must be a technique for this, but I cannot figure it out.
I’m looking at the standard handles that are in the shape of a hat::
____
_| |_I just don’t see how to make all 4 bends on a standard Etch Mate. I ended up making the two main ones using it and then the two smaller ones (where the handle attaches to the door) using 2 pair of tweezers, but somehow I think there’s got to be a better way. Can somebody explain PE geometry to me???
STOP STOP STOP
You shoukd not bend wire on that type of tool, Both the HOLD & FOLDs and the Etchmate are designed for FLAT brass (or other types) .
If you bend wire with this “flat-face” type tool you WILL damage the folding-edges which are only strong when the load is spread evenly over the whole lenght of the fold.
If yo use wire you concentrate these forces and you will tear up the edges where you fold.
Both The SMALL SHOP and Mission offer various tools to achive the result you wish.
Alasdair
If you’re talking to me, I’m not bending wire. These are PE “strips” that have fold lines on them to produce wide handles with the cross-section I showed.
I am talking to you Ralf !!
Looked like wire , flat strips OK
As for the method
1 Bend UP the legs on the tool in the normal way
2 Place the feet section and bend down (this has the part sticking up in the air BTW)
So you do the legs first then turn the feet out
AJ
OK, I can see that if I have the second bend take place off the edge of the tool that would work. The base of the tool is too thick for the handle to go around, but if I put the handle as follows I think I can see how it would work. Will try this tonight:
(Again, this is a side view. In the picture below, the + represents the bend line and the vvv and ^^^ represent the jaws of the tool, with the PE sticking off the side. The idea is then to bend the strip 90 degrees counter-clockwise, producing the first of the two feet.)
____+__
|
| vvvvvvvv
----+--
^^^^^^^^Thanks for the help - I figured there had to be a solution to this.
By George he,s GOT IT LOL
AJ