I take the 13cm Photo Etch Bender from RP Toolz out for a quick trial run.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

My Mission Models bender is mostly carbon-fiber (or some such synthetic material), and cost twice as much!

I really like these bending tools however I will admit I missed the finger depth as a possible issue.

Nice review, Boss!

That's a very thorough review of seems to be a nice product. (I give it a thumbs up) However, I can't help getting the feeling though that anyone who purchases one will find it wanting later on when they have larger PE to bend.
I have the Small Shop 5.5 and am very happy with it. It's larger, has more features, and appears to be cut with more precision. (in looking at the close up photos)
For the money, I think the Small Shop tools are a better value.

I have noticed the last couple of tool have been missing springs to lift the upper plate. Its not needed, but it makes a difference in my opion of setting a piece in place,to have a little of tension . also the upper plate looks unfinished the cuts are rough on the fingures and the bottom looks like the paint was sanded off. I hope this was a prototype
Jim

JIm there are springs on these benders and the underside was sanded by James.

Biggles...I won't go into the MM one

Thanks Bill!

Robert...I'm a big fan of The Small Shop tools, although this one is only 5/16" shorter than the 5-speed. At $23 for this one, and near $70 for the 5-speed there is a big difference in both price and what you get.

My recommendation for anyone on a budget would be the RP Toolz 13cm and the Small Shop Bug...nice combo that should handle just about anything.

Jim...there are springy bumpers which I didn't mention as Darren's review did. They do an excellent job of keeping the finger plate off the base.

I did sand the bottom and that's why the paint is off a bit...I think it was just something that mine needed doing as Darren's other ones don't have that issue.

The cuts may look rough, but the bends come out perfect. The tool does an excellent job of holding the part in place and...well, gives a flawless bend

My apologies I did not know the springs were left out, when I look at the pictures and read the article I missed it.
Please feal free to remove my post as I have errored and it is not right for the maker of the part .
Jim

That's fine Jim, and most likely a question that others had too.

They are actually silicone(?) bumpers bonded to the base plate. They look like they should stand the test of time, and do a good job of separating the upper and lower halves.

Interesting! I would have never guessed. PM inbound
Jim

$70? I know mine is a few years old, but I didn't pay nearly that much for a new one. Maybe this one isn't too bad at $27. As for the roughness that has now been mentioned twice, I guess it's sort of a ZAMM thing. Any takers?

I think I paid about $55 3-4 years ago, still consider that a great deal. Love those tools

Here's a couple more quick pics to show the quality of the bend with the RP Toolz setup. This is on raw brass, no etch lines, not cooked. The longer piece was held by the tool by the narrower end to check its hold down capability. I found both to be quite impressive:

Robert I have the MM bending tool that James sent me many moons ago and I have the little and bigger brother of the RP Toolz bender James has reviewed here, The MM tool has not been out of its box in a long time and I actually went back to using two Stanley blades, but I have reached for the two RP Toolz a number of times since I got them and I am very happy with the results I have managed with them.

I specifically sent the tool to James as I know he uses the Small shop products which while expensive I know to be excellent and I wanted to see how they compared in so much as what James thought of the RP Toolz bender, his opinion has raised some issues that I had failed to consider however the fact that he still highly recommends this bender says to me it is excellent for those on a budget and for those that don't cover their models in PE.

I know that this tool is not going to be for everyone but for those who use what I would call a standard amount of PE; by this I mean standard PE sets rather than the likes of the all singing Voyager mega sets this tool is an excellent consideration. There is nothing on the market that even comes close to matching it for price unless you use two Stanley blades to make bends and these tools performs most of the tasks that the more expensive offerings can manage. James pointed out an observation about finger thickness and very fine “U” shaped bends and I can see his point, but none of the tasks that I have faced it with were beyond the tool.

I will add that it is great to see so many comments on this review be they positive, negative, or questioning as it shows a reviewer that their efforts are appreciated.

Even though I have the MM bender, the most convenient tool I use for any length or size of PE is a good old steel rule and razor blade. Works every time. And both tools are multi-purpose!

i order a couple of tools yesterdays. great feedback of peter, delivery today. as read in a before post i already have the BUG so ordered the 13cm bender for a "combo". thank you for the review.
sdl

Thanks for the great review James
I had been considering a Tiger Model Etch-Partner, but I think I'll get the RP Toolz 18cm instead