PE Bender Suggestions

I had the same debate. Which one to get? Here's how I decided:

What am I going to use it for? - Size matters here.
 
Versatility - what kinds of bends will I be doing and how will it work for me? Complex tiny bends vs long bends? What will the tool do?

What materials will I use? - I had the notion of bending brass sheet (Not sure how the composite would hold up here)

I urge you guys to read my article (above) and see some of the techniques involved. It may make the decision for you that much easier

Would be nice, but i think at the end of the day, if you are going to be serious about PE, you need something to help get those bends right. All these tools seem to work basically the same way from what i can tell, i personally don't see whats its made of makeing any difference. I did read that the 3c is durable because its made of composites, but how durable does it need to be to bend PE. I have seen that there are smaller, and therefore cheaper ones. But as i do alot of 1/35 armour i think a bigger one would suit me better. As for the cost, ye, at £36 it is a bit to splash out, but then the 251 halftrack i am building cost more than that by the time i add in PE and stuff.

The 3c seems to suit my needs and i have found a couple of places here that sell it, so that puts it at the top of my next shopping list.

I'm glad it was of use to you Bish...it sounds like we're both at the same point; ready to buy and just making up our minds which one. I'm leaning towards the 3C myself, I just wish I could examine one firsthand before I order one...

Cheers

This is certainly an opportunly timed thread for me!  Last night I started to look for info online for these units...my one-and-only LHS doesn't stock any brands, so I guess I'm gonna have to order one in.

The one I found the most info on was the Etchmate 3C...I'm not sure how it compares to the others listed here...but thought I'd throw that "name in the hat".

It's made of composite instead of the aluminum (sounds less durable...but who knows with the polymers they're coming up with these days!)...I found this demo done by Brett Green if you wanna see one in action:

youtube.com/watch?v=26S7jnC9nsE

It'd be great to get more input on this...

Cheers

Drew,

I read your "how to" article.  Thanks so much for posting the link.  I've never used one before; I used to use a pair of pliers or tweezers for bending PE and it was a pain.  I figured if I'm getting in this for the long haul, a quality bender will help.  Your write up is really informative and the pics are great in explaining the techniques you used.

Matt

Thanks all.

I went with the 5.5" model, seemed to be the best fit.  I do have a couple of kits with longer pieces that The Bug wouldn't be the best fit for.

http://www.thesmallshop.com/index.php

www.greatmodels.com sometimes has them in stock

HawkeyeHobbies wrote:

The Small Shop...there is no substitute!

what shops sell them, as that's exactly what I need

gary

The Small Shop...there is no substitute!

I was over at the LHS awhile ago, and the only thing the carry is the Etchmate. I like it except for really small stuff. Right now it looks like I'm going to end up with two sets of tools unless I can find one that will do 4" plus handle the really little stuff easilly. I did ask about the Tamayia pliers, and they were actually unaware of their extistance, but it seems like I saw them once in a MicroMark sales add inside FSM.

gary

I used to use The Small Shops 4" Hold and Fold.  It's a great tool and well made.  The only thing I didn't like about, was constantly screwing and unscrewing the knob to set and release the PE.  That's why I like the pliers.  I just squeeze, bend, and release and I'm done.  Just my two cents.

Jesse

Summit wrote:

I have had Terrific Results with " The Bug" available from the Small Shop  http://thesmallshop.com/index.php This was my first attempt at using Photo Etch parts

I've been loking at a couple PE bending tools myself, and this was one of them (plus they larger one they sell). Just how long of a piece will it bend? I'd like something that I can do the fenders, etc. on armor. I've looked at the Etchmate, but have only seen photos of the "bug".

gary

I have had Terrific Results with " The Bug" available from the Small Shop

 http://thesmallshop.com/index.php

This was my first attempt at using Photo Etch parts

I've been using Tamiya's Bending Pliers:

http://www.tamiyausa.com/product/item.php?product-id=74067

I like them because I can do long folds on them and they're spring action.  They also allow a fold past 90 degrees.  They may seem a little expensive for bending pliers but Tamiya's tools are top notch.  You can find them much cheaper than at TamiyaUsa.com

-Jesse