The UMM three-piece (3 pc) bending handle set are molded in black cured resin for use in bending Photoetch brass, copper, aluminum and other malleable metal sheet. It is intended to avoid scratching the part or bending jig.

These three handles are 90 mm long, 10 mm diameter and are tapered on one end in widths of 4, 5 and 6 mm. The narrow tips allow a specific feature or segment to be bent without disturbing surrounding areas not being bent. The ergonomic handle of each handle is 10 mm diameter with an rounded end opposite the tapered tip. The basic shape of these handles are similar to other UMM hand-held tools such as their earlier reviewed Shanked Reamer ( https://reviews.ipmsusa.org/review/micro-pyramid-shanked-reamer-rm-25mm ).

I have occasionally resorted to flat-headed screwdrivers or knives for bending features too narrow for a razor blade. The thickness of the screwdriver tip makes it difficult to insert between the part and the tool. This struggle using a screwdriver or knife can create scratches and may produce poor bends. These resin bending handles can more easily slide into tighter fits between PE parts and the jig or tool, without damaging either tool or part.

I normally use a wider blade that came with my bending jig, or a single-edge razor blade that squeezes under the tighter arrangements. While the wider razor blade is thinner than these resin bending handles, the razor can scratch the part or injure the modeler. These PE bending handles won’t scratch the metal part as easily, and won’t slice your fingers.

I found that the handles were convenient to use and created precise bends. They are intended for bending sections less than 6 mm wide. For wider bends, razor blades or wider plastic blades are still useful.

I can recommend these unique bending tools to any modeler that needs to bend a variety of photo-etch parts, shapes and assemblies. The reviewer thanks UMM-USA for providing this tool for review by the IPMS Reviewer Corps.