Review on Trumpeter TSM 9910 Rivet Maker by Bomba Ton

Seriously. If you do any type of model building from 1:1 to 1:720 scale, you must own one of these, if not 4 of them! I've included some photos for the model making gurus to give you an idea of what patterns you can create with Trumpeter's riveting tool and what they actually look like (also note that I've added weathering dust to increase the contrast on white styrene to enhance). . If, like me, you make a lot of model kits and build from scratch then you know how time consuming and tedious it can be to create beautiful scale buckle patterns. I used to make small rivets and screw heads the old fashioned way, i.e. long and not very accurate. I used to use a ruler, mark the notches, and then use a vise to drill through each notch. Now that I have this wonderful little tool, I can get a lot more work done in a short amount of time, not to mention the incredibly accurate reproduction of the scaled fasteners I can now make. Using the riveting tool is very simple and straightforward. in 3 easy steps: Step #1 Choose the right wheel for your application (4 included). Each cog has a different tooth size and spacing (too lazy to break out the calipers, but see my photos for scale) and they're labeled A, B, C, and D. Slide the guard back, pull back the locking clip and change the wheel. Be careful though as the center pin that the wheel rotates around and which goes into the clamp to hold the wheel in place is quite a bit is small and can fall out if you are not careful. Step #3 Now with the guard removed to the rear (teeth exposed) turn the tool over so the handle is sticking out vertically or slightly off vertical at about 75 degrees and place the tip of the tool on the workpiece. While applying light pressure, slowly pull the tool toward you in a controlled, fluid motion until you achieve the desired result. If necessary, repeat with the appropriate wheel size. That's all! Like I said, easy, right? Another thing to mention is that you should avoid applying too much pressure when laying it out as all parts are plastic (except the wheels) and can break with enough force. You can also create perfectly straight rivet lines by laying down a ruler to guide the wheel as you pull. And think about safety and always use appropriate personal protective equipment, i.e. H. Goggles, goggles, gloves, etc. If I had any suggestions for improvement, it would be the inclusion of aluminum in the plastic handle, safety guard wheel retaining clip, or anywhere. Also, changing wheels would be much quicker if the locking mechanism were simplified, perhaps if it could be revised to hold all 4 wheels at once with the ability to select single or multiple wheels to use. Otherwise it is difficult to improve perfection! I hope you find this review helpful. Enjoy!