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Etchmate 3C or Small Shop 5 speed?

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Seattle, WA
Etchmate 3C or Small Shop 5 speed?
Posted by RonUSMC on Monday, March 10, 2008 8:26 PM
Does anyone have any experience with both of these units? Curious as to which one is better.
http://finescalegallery.com Active Kits: 1/48 AM Avenger 1/35 Sd.Kfz 251 Ausf C
  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Maryland
Posted by usmc1371 on Monday, March 10, 2008 10:50 PM

I've had the Small Shop 5 speed.  I really liked it.  I wish it had that channel for bending like the Etchmate 3C.  You realize the Etchmate 3C is not metal right?  It's a composite.

Jesse

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: kent uk
Posted by shroomy on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 5:06 AM

 RonUSMC wrote:
Does anyone have any experience with both of these units? Curious as to which one is better.

got both  and i say apart from the channel on the etch mate the 5 sped is far better  

  • Member since
    September 2007
Posted by rios on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 5:49 AM

The channel isn't necessary because PE will bend at its weakest point - etched lines.
etchmate is a little longer than 5 spd. I use 8 spd so that's not an issue. It has a long section (right end) on the front side so I don't need to rotate the head too much.

5 spd also has grab handle makers, but mission sells grabhandler for that.

Heard rumor that MM is selling the business for 250k. Smalshop might be safer bet for warranty.

  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Maryland
Posted by usmc1371 on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 7:33 AM
 rios wrote:

The channel isn't necessary because PE will bend at its weakest point - etched lines.

The purpose behind the channel is so that the blade won't slip while bending and so that the blade will stay parallel to the head.

Jesse

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • From: Neenah, WI
Posted by HawkeyeHobbies on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 9:37 AM
The Small Shop gets my vote...they are the original!Thumbs Up [tup]

Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt

http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/

 

 

"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."

  • Member since
    January 2004
Posted by Ali1kj on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 11:43 AM

The reason the 5 SPEED does NOT have the grove

 It compromised the unique and very important (THIN profile) finger thickness and increased the vertical forces into the fingers.

that it limited the head postions to x2  there are x4 on the H&F 

It is not nessesary anyway as the amount of force need to fold modelling etch brass is very low, Get or make a good Stiff blade to work with, thin razors are poor as they flex
IF you need to (like some train Kits) bend thicker stock, then position the part to the outside edge, hold the tool in your hands like a sandwich (part facing away) and use a table top to press/roll against, simple, quick and a better fold as well. (Two hands/solid base to roll against=better results) 

I was, But am not now connect with the H&F

 

Alasdair 

  • Member since
    September 2007
Posted by rios on Tuesday, March 11, 2008 12:20 PM
agree with the above.
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