IPMS/USA Reviews

Price: RB-T028: EU7 (approximately $9.23) plus S&H; RB-T043: EU9 (approximately $11.87) plus S&H

First off, my apologies to the good folks at RB Productions for a late review. RB were present at this year's Nationals in Chattanooga and were kind enough to provide us with a number of samples including these two delicate p/e stencils. Each is a carefully etched piece of brass material, the smaller measuring 2" by 3" and the larger, about 4" by 3". They are easily bent in either axis which comes in handy for use on contoured surfaces, and I suppose one could cut them into smaller sections for use on cockpits. (Beware of some very sharp and fragile edges, however).

UMM-USA continues it tradition of innovative and useful tools with part MN040, a Flexible Scribing Ruler. What comes in the package it a 6.5-inch-long thin stainless steel ruler. I say ruler but there are really no demarcation lines on it like what is usually thought of as a ruler. But that does not affect its use at all. This can be used in combination with any of the UMM-USA scribing tools or the Template Scriber. The ruler is 0.08mm (about 0.003 inches) thick and is very flexible and strong and can work on curved surfaces.

To give this a test run, I used a Skywarrior that has been waiting for some rescribing due to a lot of sanding/seam filling. And I do mean a lot. As you can see in the pictures, the ruler taped to the curve on the top of the fuselage which will allow a great panel line to be made. I also wanted to show the bend and this is also in one picture. Lastly, the Skywarrior has a box like fuselage so I bent the ruler around the corner one a line and it worked well. I was using my scriber from UMM for the test (version 3) and it worked great with the ruler.

Master Piece Models has an impressive collection of tools for scratch building all kind of projects. Among those tools they have rulers and scale rulers (a ruler that reads you the dimension of the model, 'scaled' to the real object).

In this review I'll cover two of such rules: The 48^th scale ruler and the EZ-Read ruler.

Below are the links to the items

• https://masterpiecemodels.com/product/scale-ruler-mmr-48/ $4.99
• https://masterpiecemodels.com/product/masterpiecemodels-ez-read-ruler/ $7.99

Both rulers are clear (that is great for whenever you are looking at drawings) and about 1/16^th inch thick. They are slightly flexible, but I wouldn't try to bend them much. They are laser engraved and very easy to read, given the contrast of the engraved number and the clarity of the material.

During the IPMS USA Nationals this year, John Vojtech was kind enough to provide several of his tools from Unique Master Models (UMM) to the IPMS Review Corps, and this was one of the items I was fortunate enough to receive. Consisting of an ergonomic plastic handle, eight drill bits, and a bit removal tool, everything you need for drilling small holes is provided in one convenient set.

Measuring 120mm in length, the handle is quite comfortable to hold and the drill bits easily slide into an opening in the end. The drill bits are designed with a grooved base that securely locks into the handle. The bits are 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0mm in size, which are sizes commonly called out in kit instructions, and UMM recommends this set for fine detail work. The wedge-shaped removal tool aids in quickly changing out the bits.

UMM-USA is one of the premier tool makers in the modeling market. John Vojtech has made many of these based upon his needs for his award-winning models. This is the Precision Sprue & Wire Cutter. This version, 02, has a rounded end. The piece comes in a plastic sleeve for easy storage.

So, let's take a look at the cutter. I personally like the rounded end version as it allows great vision for cutting. The end comes to a sharp point and that allows a fine cut on smaller parts. The part is "springy" and acts like tweezers. Because of the action at the cutting end, it allows for a very flush cut and leaves almost no clean up necessary.

So, let's take it for a test run. I started with the tires on Tamiya's P-38 kit and they cut flush. It took one cut to lose it from the sprue and a second cut from the bottom gate off. After that, there was nothing left. The sprue cutter was advertised for wire also, so I grabbed some smaller diameter brass wire and it cut it smoothly also.

This is a great weapon in your arsenal in building and for newer modelers; it should be the first thing you should buy. Recommended.