Hey gang,
I know micromark sells that specialized PE bending rig http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=83137 but $70 isn’t feasible right now.
So, does anyone have some tips and tricks that they’d be willing to share for bending the fiddlin’ little parts?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Fred
Just having the most expensive tool sitting in your workbench won’t do you any good if you do not understand how to use it efficiently.
In order to efficiently fold photoetch you need to understand the sequence of folds necessary to create a 3-D object out of a 2-D flat sheet of metal.
To do that I recommend 2 single-edge razor blades and a piece of bathroom tile. After cutting & trimming the PE, place it flat on the tile. With one razor blade, hold the piece down. Put the edge where the fold will be. Slide the other razor under the metal so that the blades oppose. Lift the under blade in a hinge motion to make the bend/fold. Stop at the desired angle. With practice you will understand how to move the piece to make successive folds – say to form a box.
What a Hold-n-Fold or EtchMate gets you is a clamp with various-sized fingers to hold the work. You can do the much the same by cutting a razor with a rotary tool (typical precautions apply).
You also need to practice with whatever tool or method you choose
Here is a variation of what Ed was talking about… about 1/3 down the page.
Ooops, I forgot all about this thread [(-D]
Thanks for the tips, guys. Wing-nut, that’s a really great site. I’m going to go and read through the whole thing - thanks.
-Fred
Marc, that’s a great page. I haven’t visited your site for a bit, and man, did you add a lot of stuff! Looks great - where do you have the time?
BTW, that’s a sharp looking CAF Mustang on the “Soft Third Hand” section. I checked out the model on in gallery, don’t know if you already know this, but the characters on the nose says “Sky Horse” in Chinese. Where did you get the decal sheet from? I would love to build one like that.
Thanks for the comments regarding the site. Time? If it wasn’t for insomnia I would be able to get anything done at all.[sigh]
The decals are from Mike Grant. I did know that meant “Sky Horse”… I think Mike told me…maybe. It si a great set of marking. All the stripes line up perfect and they are really thin.
Hey, COOL! He has your build on his site, very nice.
Fred, sorry for hijacking this thread.
Yeah Fred… me too.
And a small “BTW” I have the Etch-Mate too but when doing just a few small bends the tweezers and pliers get used a lot. The Etch-Mate is essential through for long bends as in a set of landing flaps.
No apologies needed, guys.
I understand that side conversations happen and if they keep a topic in the spotlight, then there’s always a chance that somebody might see it and have some more pertinent information to add.
Most of the PE stuff I have is less than a 1/2" long at most, so I guess I can save myself the $70 for that bending rig [:D]
-Fred
Fred, I use the Etchmate too, its really nice and convienent but not a necessity. The new version is out now using a hard plastic material and the list price is now $50. The www.thelittleshop.com also sells a smaller similiar tool called “The Bug” from their hold n’ fold line, that goes for $40 and is 2"x 2". Don’t know if those hit your price points.
erm…
I think that’s www.thesmallshop.com [:)]
Phil, LOL - I you are correct - temporary brain lapse moment for me…