Hold N' Fold

[Lionheart]

Hey, guys.... I've read references on here to Hold N' Folds. Where can I find one? Or do you guys make them yourselves? Trying to make accurate folds on these tiny parts is about to drive me nuts. and trying to make folds when the line that needs to be folded on is hidden or away from you is maddening. I'm still so new at this.......

[rickstef]

can you give us a reference?
link to a post, picture, anything?

if it is tool, i am missing it

Rick

[Leif Oh]

You got my curiosity up. A quick Google search produced this website:



See: http://69.12.6.178/tnt1/001-100/TNT0...lak/TNT008.htm

Quote from that web site:

"Basically, it works like this: the toolhead screws down over the part to be bent, and locks it in place on top of the 'table' area of the tool (which is a minutely grooved, non-skid surface). The supplied razor is then slid underneath the part and bent to the desired angle. When you're done, unscrew the toolhead, and remove the part - that's it. It's that simple."

Close-up of how it works:



And the result of the operation. Quote: "A ten second job with 'Hold and Fold'! The Flightpath 1/48 A-10 HUD."



Available from The Small Shop, says the website quoted.

Intended for photo-etched parts, it still sounds and seems like a very nifty tool also for pure cardmodeling. If you follow the link to The Small Shop, you'll find that they have a line of these tools in different sizes (I could spot three), plus a US and a EU branch for aquiring them. Very nice indeed.

This company has a line of other useful tools, such a set of rolling dowels, now in anodised aluminium, with corresponding rolling bases. The product line looks more and more impressive - go have a look for yourselves, don't miss their "Products", "Demonstration", and "Reviews" sections!

Begin here: http://www.thesmallshop.com/index.htm

Leif

[SteveM]

Seems like wicked overkill for paper folding. I've sometimes needed something similar but its pretty easy to just clamp the piece down with steel ruler and my fingers, slide a blade under the free part and fold it up.

SteveM

[Al hazlet]

It looks like they've reinvented the sheetmetal brake in miniature -- the machinists next door to my old employer used similar tools.

Myself, I've got tweezers and hemostats for such work.

[Gecko23]

Originally Posted by Lionheart

Hey, guys.... I've read references on here to Hold N' Folds. Where can I find one?

www.micromark.com is one place, they have a gigantic selection of modeling stuff. I imagine any other large model related outfit would have them too.

Personally I just use a straightedge myself.

[Old Ranger]

Exactly right! It is a miniature bending brake - elegant to be sure.

I'm working on a MiG-15 in thin sheet aluminum using the paper model for patterns. Once that stuff is bent, it's bent forever!

Main thing is to figure out how to hold the work firmly to the work surface without wrecking it and bend the other part of the piece up crisply.

I do the crease first (use a smooth "pattern wheel" I found in the sewing dept. or a small stylus), then hold the big part of the piece onto the desk top with an old 6" steel ruler I peeled the cork off the bottom from.

For the bender part I use a cheap paint scraper (the one where the single edge razor blade retracts into the handle), slide the blade under the small part of the piece, smartly bend it up, and it's done.


Looks like everybody sort of works out their own solution. Head to your local home center and do some "hardware store engineering". It's amazing what things are on the seleves that can be adapted to modeling purposes.

[Lionheart]

Yeah, for the price, it's definitely overkill. I'll cobble something up from the local hardware store.