Xuron Pro Modeler's Tool Kit Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

I've been using Xuron cutting tools for what seems like forever. I was fortunate to have a hobby shop in Albuquerque that carried quality tools and when the Xuron sprue cutters first appeared on the market, I had one on my bench. Many years later, there have been imitations of these cutters sold in various hobby outlets and I've tried a few, but they seem to lose their edge much faster than the Xuron cutters. I still have at least one set of Xuron sprue cutters on my bench that are over seven years old and still going strong - not quite as sharp perhaps, but not worth retiring either. We've previously looked at the professional sprue cutter here.

Xuron sent over this interesting 'Professional Modeler's Tool Kit' which contains a three pouch foldable tool carrier, a Professional Sprue Cutter (mentioned above), a Professional Photo-Etch Scissor ( which we've looked at here), and a Tweezer-Nose Plier. As I've written previously, the sprue cutter and photo-etch scissor are essential tools on my bench and are used in every build. The tri-pouch carrier is a nice touch as you can pack these away for a trip to a contest and not worry about the tools causing damage to surrounding items or vice-versa.

The new tool to me is the tweezer-nose pliers. I've been using needle-nose pliers used in electronics work, forceps, or tweezers to handle smaller parts. While these tools have sufficed over the years, I found the tips of the pliers and forceps to be too wide to reach into smaller confines and the needle-pointed tweezers would sometimes twist and flip the part down to the waiting carpet. These tweezer-nose pliers are just the right combination of fine point and firm control to work in those confined spaces.

These needle-nosed pliers provide a steady grip when placing small photo-etched sensor probes inside the intakes of an F-4 Phantom project and provide equally positive control when threading and pulling rigging line on my biplane project. If you're looking for a good tool for keeping a steady grip on small parts, this Model 450 Tweezer Nose Plier is another great find from the Xuron tool line. Together with the rest of the tools in this set, you're ready for handing whatever materials in your next project whether you're building at home or repairing at a contest.

If you pay a visit to the Xuron website, you'll find a wide range of tools for a large number of applications. I'm happy that the hobby industry is one of those target audiences! These tools are available from your local hobby retailer or online hobby store.

My sincere thanks to Xuron for this review sample!