Reviews

RB Productions Photo Etch Bending tool

by Timothy Dike

Here's a new tool that will help you make near perfect bends in your photo etch details. This new tool from Radu Brinzan of RB Productions is a just what the superdetailer needs. We all spend a lot of money on photo etch details, so it could be argued that we should also spend some on our tools. Well, good news, this new tool retails for only 25 Euros making it very affordable. Etched from Stainless steel, the tool resembles the photo etch that you might use it to bend. The bed has relief etched fold lines to help you bend the ends up. When assembled the tool has a swinging leaf that interlocks with the base. The holding plate or clamping bar has etched edges for a beveled effect. Etched numbers on one side are graduated in millimeters. This allows for bends of up to 3-15/16" or 10 centimeters in length.

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This part can be turned around for more complex folds. The "D" shaped opening will allow you to completely fold items like the searchlight towers on US Treaty Cruisers accurately. The beauty of this tool vs the others is that it can be easily operated with finger pressure to hold the PE in place using by applying finger pressure on the clamping bar. You then pivot the leaf to bend the part around the fulcrum point (edge of the holding plate). You can control the angle of the bend by how far you swing or flip up the leaf. There are various sized fingers on the clamping bar to allow for tight corners on box shape items.

For more precise bends you can use paper clips like those shown above to hold the part while you line it up and bend it. Those clamps can be purchased at most any office or discount store.

INSTRUCTIONS

The instructions show the assembly of the tool and some typical uses.

If you want to see the tool in action check out the You tube video below.

CONCLUSIONS

This is perhaps the coolest photo etch tool I have seen yet. It's a miniaturized version of what real world sheetmetal workers use in production. Having worked many years as a sheetmetal worker, I used similar tools and it is nice to see a miniature version available for our hobby. This tool is available for 25.00 Euros (about 36 U.S. dollars at today's exchange rate) and that includes Airmail postage to anywhere in the world. Optional registered airmail, trackable, signed for receipt, insured is available for an extra 5.40 euro. Click the logo to visit RB Productions online store.

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