Alec AL-K32 R-V6 Tool Review
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | November 2017 | Manufacturer | Shimomura |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | R-V6 | Part Number | AL-K32 |
| Pros | Versatile tool | Cons | Nothing noted |
| MSRP (USD) | $27.95 |
Review
I recently saw the Alec series of modeling tools and was anxious to try them out. This tool is called the R-V6 and is a rounded chamfering tool. While the tool looks similar to a ninja throwing star, it has rounded surfaces at each tip with varying sizes/diameters for cleaning inside rounded parts. All of the edges are square, providing enough of an edge to be effective with plastic.
Here is the R-V6 (left) along with the Alec R-Boko (right) and the engine assembly out of a 1/35 AH-6J Little Bird. That exhaust duct had mold lines inside and where I might have sanding or scraped those lines out with an X-Acto knife, the R-V6 was able to do the job without scarring the surrounding plastic. Inside the fuselage halves, there were ejector pin marks with flash, and in some cases, surrounded by details. Selecting a diameter larger than the pin mark allowed me not only to remove the mold flash from the mark, but to remove the mark itself. Trying this with other tools left scars in past projects, but this was quick and easy. Now I have a solution for all of those projects like the Trumpeter 1/35 Mi-4 and Mi-8 where so many ejector pin marks make the prospect of cleaning those parts painfully difficult. This is one of those tools, once you've used it, that you wonder how you've been able to model without it.
Because all the edges on this tool are squared, there are no sharp edges to gouge the plastic surface. If you pull the tool across the surface rather than push it like a chisel, you'll achieve an effective scraping effect that will get better with experience. Not only is it effective with mold lines, flash, and other issues in plastic, it works effectively on resin, and puttied surfaces as well.
I have found four tools in the Alec series (so far), the R-Boko which is an outstanding solution for rounded surfaces, the R-V6 (shown above) which makes clean-up of ejector pin marks and the insides of round parts easy, the F-V6 for working around flat surfaces (especially confined spaces), and the Lagia, which has a combination of these features. We'll examine these other tools soon.
You can find the R-V6 (within the US) at HobbyZone USA here!
My thanks to HobbyZone USA for this review sample.