Bending On A Budget
I know that not every modeler can afford every tool and contraption out there. My tool collection has taken me years and years to accumulate. As with most modelers, I too had to learn how to improvise to accomplish complex tasks. Maybe that’s why I always felt I would do well as a participant on the show Junkyard Wars. I consider myself a graduate of MacGyver University with a Masters Degree, I watched every episode. 
So to help out a couple of modeling forum comrades here is a way to make a Budget Bender until you can get yourself a manufactured unit. For those who rarely use PE, this just might be enough for you. First find all the steel rulers you can find, even a piece of thin metal stock will work. Find the one that best suits you. You’ll want something fairly ridged but not necessarily unbending.
Once you have the ruler or suitable metal stock, go find some office clamps such as these here. You want clamps with metal lips that are straight stiff and strong. Also find a couple of craft sticks (tongue depressors) or a polishing stick will work too…like I show. It is used to take up space on the underside…between the clamp and the ruler. This helps keep the jaw flat against the ruler on the top side where the bending will occur.
Now you have the basics needed to make a Budget PE Bender. I recommend that before you start bending parts, you cut off sections of the fret to practice making simple bends…90 and 45 degree. Get the feel of the bender.
Wide clamps for wide bends such as flaps. Narrow clamps for short bends such as shown. You may also want to find yourself some ridged fingers of varying widths. They can be made of metal, hardwood or plastic…anything suitable to hold a part with a narrow gap to act as those on the commercially produced benders.
It just takes some thinking and looking around the house, shop and garage to find objects that are suitable for your needs to accessorize your budget bender.
Another resource available and recommended are the pliers from Xuron. These are precision assembly grade pliers used in the electronics industry. They are perfect for working with PE, are affordable and stocked at most hobby retailers carrying Xuron products.
Now for the MacGyver Hawkeye tip of the day for PE bending in a pinch with no PE bender at hand. Take a look at your existing tools…what about your Micro RazorSaw…such as this one. You can loosen the screws and insert the PE part between the handle and the retaining strap. I would remove the blade as it is fragile and could possibly break.
When every I walk through a store regardless of the type I look at things to see what applications they might have in the workshop. Can’t say that each time I find something useful, but you never know where that project saving resource might be found. Hope you found this useful. Be sure to tell your friends about my blog and my website. Without sales of my products, this probably would n0t be possible. More to come…stay tuned!
Thanks for the excellent series – especially the tips on removing tags, and makeshift bending tools.
I can’t quite see what the action is in your bending (part III) tools. Specifically, how would you recommend bending a 6″ long PE girder (model railroading) ? This item is about 1/4″ wide, to be bent to 90 degrees with each side about 1/8″, all along the 6″ length. Two bent sections make up a square box-girder – if one can CA them together along the long edges.
The parts I have are from K&E (girders), and are apparently going out of production soon (June 2011).
Thanks for any tips – a great series, wish it would continue. I am new to PE parts – they’ve always looked far too delicate for my clumsy hands.
richard
I’d look at using one of the larger Hold n Fold products from The Small Shop. Or in a pinch the use of the steel machinists rulers. Two to bind the part and act as a straight edge. You also might look at using a table saw extension, especially a commercial grade one which is made of heavy cast iron and machined flat. I’ll see if I can shoot some images of how I would rig and use it and post them here on the Squawkbox.