Xuron offers an excellent set of hobby tools, cleverly disguised as ‘Field Service Tools’ for electricians and technicians. This set is presented in a fabric pouch, which has three pockets for the tools, and two additional pockets to store a ruler, a set of files, picks, scribers, and other small hand tools.
Xuron’s description of the product: “The tri-fold pouch includes a Model 410T Micro-Shear® Flush Cutter with a refined tip for access into restricted areas, Model 440 Mini-Scissor for slitting cable jacketing, and the Model 450 Tweezer-Nose pliers for tightening pins, forming connectors or holding wires.”

For the hobbyist it might be more beneficial to identify the tools in this fashion: The Model 440 Mini-Scissor can be used to snip PE parts from the carriers, as well as those tiny plastic parts from their carriers without damage to the parts.

The Model 410T Micro-Shear® Flush Cutter has an angled cutting surface and is an excellent tool for removing parts from carriers without leaving a separation nub on the part.

The Model 450 Tweezer-Nose pliers can best be thought of as micro needle nose pliers. The inner surface of the jaws, the point at which the part being manipulated would be in contact with the pliers, is a flat surface with a slight taper toward the tip of the jaws.

All three tools are of a superior quality. Some high points are:

• The pivot point allows the jaws to open and close smoothly and is “tight” enough so that there is no sideways motion to the jaws.
• The rubber grips on the metal handles are comfortable and do not slip off the metal handles when in use.
• The tools can handle PE parts of a very small size and delicacy with ease. This is especially true of the Model 440 Mini-Scissor.
• The fabric pouch in which the tools are stored covers the jaws of the tools and handles, thus providing protection to the tools as well as exposed skin of the user.

Thanks to Xuron for providing this sample for IPMS review. This set of tools is highly recommended for plastic modelers as well as scale model railroaders.