I saw pictures of an Etch Mate today, and saw the price. Being the handy guy I am I decided to make my own. Any suggestion on how you would improve the original would be appreciated. About a third of the way finished... Should this be in Rivet Review, since I'm making it? Hee Hee

Could you make me one while you're at it please?

I've used it to do one set of PE and I would have to say that it needs finer threading for the clamp. It's nice to get real close to actually clamping the lid down on a piece of PE before setting it in place, and this can be tedious with the threads it has now. It doesn't make too much difference, but when I bent the PE it was nice to get the edge precisely in between the fold lines etched in the metal.

Good luck

Keenan, make me one also please. I will pay you...

Good work Keenan.
You are a very resourseful person I see. I regret paying $50 CDN for my Hold and Fold now


Andrew

Okay, this deal is getting out of hand. I decided that I would add a piece of flat aluminum stock to the front to the bed with slots milled in it. I am going to put a couple of cap screws in the bed and if I flip the holder around backwards, I'll be able to use this to make lengths of indy track links and have them square. With the slots I will be able to adjust it to any width of track... Check out the pic with the nickle in it. (I haven't milled the slots in the flat aluminum stock yet.) I don't have any idea where this little Keen 'O Matic is going to end up... I got 2.00 in the materials, (the wing nuts) and maybe an hour of machining time. Somebody is going to make this thing, charge 100.00 for it and I'll be kicking myself in the @ss...





#:-) :-)

After making all those little metal boxes for my T-62, I am glad I have a H&F. Worth its weight in gold when using one of the extensive PE sets like Aber and newer Eduard sets.

Also, good work. I hope your's is successful.

I'm with Rob (you're in just in front of me again Rob...)
I got the etchmate, have no milling/machining experiencee and would hurt myself with power tools...

The thing that makes the etchmate so good is a small v-shaped channel or groove right across the front of the baseplate, just in front of the upper tool head, so that when you use a razor blade to fold the part, it drops into the v for a positive location to fold from.

It is hard to explain, but I would imagine that without the groove, the razor blade might slip.

holding head
-----------------
baseplate

except they are much closer together of course..

The reversability of the whole upper head with a solid back edge for folding long (think panther/panzer IV fenders) PE pieces is key too.

flat rear edge
upper head
'milled teeth'
----------------
baseplate


which reverses to

'milled teeth'
upper head
flat rear edge
-------------
baseplate

Mike

MLD,

I think I saw the little groove, probably an 82 degree countersink run lenghtwise along the piece. I was working from a picture on the internet after all. In any case, the Keen 'O Matic will be better than what I have now and it didn't cost me anything. You should have seen me with the steel rule and the Exacto knife... And, no you would not hurt yourself with a mill anymore than you would hurt yourself with an airbrush. It is just one of those things you learn by doing... Thanks for the feedback everyone...