Product Review: Master Tools Item No. 09921; Handle Tools Suit; six tools p er set; retail price US$10.99
Advantages: fast, easy way to get identical hand grabs/lift handles for mod eling projects
Disadvantages: this set only works on 0.010" and 0.015" wire (0.3 and 0.4 m m)
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommendation: for any modeler needing small hand holds for a project
There are a number of things all modelers hate to deal with and with the a ge of "super-detailing" (usually adding details the manufacturer left out) or res in kits one of the biggest pains is adding lift handles, hand grabs, or han d holds. They usually have to be made from bent wire or styrene rod and eve n with a jig or tools it is usually a royal pain trying to make several of them the exact same size.
Master Tools from China (a subsidiary of Trumpeter) now offers this nice n ew set of six tools to press out identical hand grabs with little effort. T here are three provided in the set for two different sizes of wire - 0.3mm (0.010") and 0.4mm (0.015").
Each set products three different widths of hand grab presses - 3mm, 4mm a nd 5mm. These are handy for armor models as the first two match up well for tie-downs or footman's loops in many vehicles, and the latter one is about right for most hatch lift handles.
All the modeler has to do is insert the wire and press down on the tool to create a perfect bent grab. The tools all come with six wire slots but onl y the first three are of the same overall depth (about 2.5mm). The last thr ee are reduced with the last one being about 1mm deep.
The kit also shows how to make locking levers out of the results by trimmi ng one end off close to the top.
Overall, until now you had to use a jig, locking press, locking bender suc h as a "Grab Handler" or everyone's old favorite, needle nosed (flat jawed) pliers. This eliminates it but with the one fact that the largest size is only 0.15"/0.4mm so heavy wire will have to be done the old fashioned way.
Thanks to Wes from Hobby Works Bel Air (MD) for the tip!
Cookie Sewell