Useful tools

An etched parts kit is two-dimensional when it lies in front of the hobbyist. It is shaped by cutting out, folding and rounding parts and then soldering or gluing them together. Nothing must be left to chance. If something has to be bent, the handle has to fit; precision and feeling are required. Nickel silver in particular does not allow any corrections once it has been bent, because it breaks very quickly. Special and often expensive bending tools are a welcome here. In many cases, bending pliers can be a good alternative and also a supplement. We would like to introduce three different ones here in a few words:

Mini pointed pliers from Revell (art. no. 39079; on the left in the photo)

The smallest and cheapest model in this line-up is well suited for gripping and shaping the smallest parts such as steps on Z-gauge models. Where it is too big, only tweezers or tweezer pliers will help.

Moulding pliers for photoetched parts from Tamiya (300074067; in the middle of the photo)

Thanks to its narrow gripping surface it offers good accessibility in many applications. The angular shape of the outer part of the pliers also allows very precise bending at a 90 degree angle.

Needle nose pliers with scratch protection from Tamiya (300074065; right in the photo)

At first glance it looks like an ordinary pair of pliers and basically it is. What sets them apart are the replaceable Teflon gripping surfaces in the pliers jaws. They protect sensitive parts from being scratched when they are gripped with them. It therefore not only provides valuable help when working on many fine etched parts, but is also recommended when electronic parts or other components are involved that need to be handled carefully.