During the IPMS USA Nationals this year, John Vojtech was kind enough to provide several of his tools from Unique Master Models (UMM) to the IPMS Review Corps, and this was one of the items I was fortunate enough to receive. Technically, Kanthal wire is a ferritic iron-chromium-aluminum alloy that has high resistance and also resists oxidation. Although the resistance of a wire means little to a modeler (unless it is being used to allow electricity to flow), resistance to oxidation is a big benefit for any applications where bare wire is needed.

This new product for UMM is advertised as being ideal for making springs, shiny antenna, and various engine or wheel bay details. The spools are 3 meters long (about 10 feet) and are available in 0.2 and 0.4 mm, both of which were provided to the IPMS for this review. UMM recommends that you do not solder Kanthal wire, but attach it using glue instead.

Ian White was born in the West Riding of Yorkshire in 1947 and educated at secondary schools in Rotherham and later in Ilford, Essex. He joined the Post Office Engineering Department in August 1963 as an apprentice and later served as a technician in the City of London. In 1973, on promotion to engineer, he was appointed to the Post Office’s Air Defense Group in London to provide landline and ground to air communications for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the UK, Germany and Cyprus. In April 1984 he joined the Company’s Defense Sales Organization as a Senior Systems Engineer and later as an engineering manager. The final three years were spent as a liaison officer within the defense and law enforcement community. Ian retired in May 2000, following which he attended Anglia Polytechnic University (now Anglia Ruskin University), Cambridge, as an undergraduate history student. In 2003 he was awarded an honours degree in Modern European History.

Masterpiece Models has provided a useful tool – a 1/35 scale ruler. This is one of a series that also includes 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 scale. These cover all the major model kit scales. They are made from acrylic sheet, 6 inches long, 1/16^th thick, and laser engraved.

This is a very useful tool when modelling and can be used for checking part are too scale, for scratch building kit parts, and diorama parts.

The ruler is clear which also makes it easier to use and see what your measuring.

I will now source the other rulers in the series as I can see so many uses for these.

Thanks go to Masterpiece Models for providing this tool for review and IPMS USA for allowing me to review it.