Modelling US Armor of World War 2

99 Pages·2009·79.62 MB·English

by  Steven J. Zaloga

The essential guide for the serious modeler
G US ARMOR
o
LD WAR 2
STEVEN JZAlOGA
A complete guide to building and finishing _ Hundreds of color photos _ Step-by-step instructions
Techniques for the expert _ Ideas for more creative modeling _ Create realistic & eye-catching models
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OSPREY MASTERCLASS
Modeling US Armor
of World War 2
I• I
I• I
Steven J. Zaloga
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Series editors Marcus Cowper & Nikolai Bogdanovic
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I
CONTENTS
Firstpublished in 2009 byOspreyPublishing Author'snote
Midland House,WestWay, Botley, Oxford OX2OPH, UK Manythanksgotothe"usualsuspects" atmylocal
443 ParkAvenue South, NewYork, NY10016, USA hobbyclub, AMPSGroundZero inAberdeen, Maryland.
E-mail: [email protected] Introduction 4
•
©2009OspreyPublishing Limited
Chapter 1 Construction tips and tricks 13
•
All rights reserved. Apartfrom anyfairdealingforthe
purposeofprivatestudy, research, criticism orreview, as Chapter 2 Painting techniques 43
permitted undertheCopyright, Designsand PatentsAct,
1988, nopartofthispublication maybereproduced, stored Chapter 3 Battle bits: stowage and tools 90
inaretrieval system, ortransmitted in anyform orbyany
•
means, electronic,electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical,
photocopying, recording orotherwise, withouttheprior Chapter 4 The human factor 124
written permissionofthecopyrightowner. Enquiriesshould •
beaddressed tothePublishers. Chapter 5 Setting the scene 144
•
ISBN 978 184603 3988
E-bookISBN: 978 184603 7726 Chapter 6 Photography 174
•
Editorial bylliosPublishing Ltd, Oxford, UK Chapter 7 Further reading 186
(www.iliospublishing.com)
Pagelayoutby: KenVailGraphic Design (www.kvgd.com)
Index 188
Index byPeterFinn
Originated byPPSGrasmere, Leeds, UK
910111213 10987654321
ACIPcatalog record forthis bookisavailablefrom the
British Library.
FORACATALOGOFALLBOOKSPUBLISHEDBYOSPREYMILITARY
ANDAVIATIONPLEASECONTACT:
OspreyDirect,c/oRandomHouseDistributionCenter,
400HahnRoad,Westminster,MD21157
Email:[email protected]
OspreyDirect,TheBookServiceLtd,DistributionCentre,
ColchesterRoad,FratingGreen,Colchester,Essex,C077DW
E-mail:[email protected]
www.ospreypublishing.com
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INTRODUCTION I wantroemphasizethe phrase u,erewillbeenoughtechniques fi-om
f TOP Youonlyimproveyourmodeling
U I'vewrittenseveralbooksand "mytechniques."This bookdoes the basicthrough advanced levels to skillsbyexperimentationand
::J
o
o hundredsofarticlesonarmor notcovereverypossible paintingor appealroabroad rangeofmodelers. experience.Thisisoneofmyearliest
scratch-buildattemptsinthemid
'" modeling,andIdecided totakea constructionmethod as theresimply I am a fairly impatientmodeler
f- 1960s,an M5A1lighttankcobbled
Z differentapproachinthisbook.Instead isn'tthespace ro doso.Itisabout andI would rather build ten prctty
togetherfrom balsawood, indexcard
ofdescribingsomespecificmodeling the methods thatI use.I do not good models ayear rather than onc andthesuspensionfrom an HO-scale
projects,I'vesteppedbackandttiedto clam,thattheyare the best single super-duper-spectacular. RocoM4 high-speedtractor. It'spretty
crudebytoday'sstandards, butI
provideabroadoverviewofmy redmiques, buetheyare techniques
thoughtitwaswonderfulwhen Ifirst
modelingtechniques.I'vedonethisso thatI have found effectivefor my builtit.
Mymodeling thesedaysinvolvesmore
thatI canspendmoretimeoneacl,of ownstyleofbuilding.This book
thanjustbuildingatankmodel. Ialso
MIDDLE Thisisoneofmyearliest
thesemodelingspecialties.When isintended tobeabitofa liketodisplaythemodel onascenic
attemptsatscratch-buildingin plastic,
writingaboutmylatestmodel,I've smorgasbord.Mymodelingstyle baseand includeoneormorefigures an M8 75mm HMCwhich Ibuilt
togivethemodelasenseoftimeand
oftenfound thatIfalJ backinro encompassesnotonlyatank model, around 1970.
place.Thefinal stageisphotography
roboticmodewhenu'yingto butassociated figures, srowage,scenic
bothasatool toexplain mymodeling
BonOM Thisisoneofmyconversions
summarizemypaintingorweathering displayand phorography.I don't inarticlesand books, butalso tohelp
from theearly1970s,an M31 tank
ted1l1iqueforthe400thtime.Sothis expectreaders ro beinterested in torecreatethehistoricalsettingofthe recoveryvehiclebasedon theoldAirfix
model, asin this photomontagedon in
formatprovidesmewithabitmore all thesubjects,andI don'texpect 1/76Grantkit.
Adobe PhotoshopofmyAcademyM3
spacethanusualtodescribemy readers to be interested in all the medium tankofthe2/13thArmored
tedmiques. various techniques. It's my hope that RegimentinTunisiain December1942.
6 7
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Afteramonth or two, my patience fromTunisia, Italyand the Pacific, while tanks are complex, full
f
U has worn thin with any project.So but the vast majoritydepicts ofsmalldetail and easierto
::J
o
o alotofthe techniques here are vehicles from the battles in France, individualizewith crewand
c:r: aimed ata happy medium for very Belgium and Germany in stowage. I was first inspired by the
f
Z good results withoutconsuming 1944--45. I'vealso thrown in the new American magazineMilitary
vastamountsoftime. More occasional Allied vehicle such as Modeler.The first issueI found on
fastidious modelers may want to the LocustandStaghound that ourlocal newsstand had areally
use moreelaborare techniques to were manufactured in the US even excitingarticleabout recreating Oneofmyfavoritesmall-scale
obtain amore preciseresult. Other though used by other Allied forces. the battleofKursk with Roco conversionsfrom theearly1970s
wasthisM15A1basedonthe1/76
modelers with less time orless I've been modelingsinceI was a I/87-sca1e mini-tanks. For
scaleMatchbox kit.Therewerevery
ambition might want to take kid back in the mid-I950s. From authenticity, theysetafew ofthe fewpartsfrom theoriginalkitbythe
shortcuts.That's the nice thing the dim fog of memory my first kit models on fire!Theyalso had the timeIwasfinished!
about this hobby.You can spend 10 was a Lindbergh "Spiritof first articles I had everseen on
hours on amodel or 1,000 hours. St. Louis"in 1956. Until my convertingmodels intodifferent
The contentofthis book is teenage years, I builtmostly variants.This was eye-openingstuff
heavilyslanted towards the US aircraft. I eventually became more in the I960s even if it's appallingly
Army in the EuropeanTheaterof interested in armormodeling amateurish by today's standards.
Operations(ETO) in 1944--45 as becauseI had the mostfun with Formany years, I built mainly
that is the period that interests me small-detail work. Airplanes tend small-scale AFVs in 1/76scale.
the most.There are afew models to be smooth, simple and boring The hobby back in the late 1960
This KoreanWardioramashowinga
Marinepatrolwalking pastadestroyed
Thisisoneofmybettersmall-scale 1/76-scaleT-34-85 isoneofmy
scratch-buildingeffortsintheearly better-knownearlyprojectsasphotos
1970swhileincollege,a1/76-scale ofitappeared inoneoftheoriginal
T26E3 Pershing.Themudwasmade ShepPainemodelingbooks.
from Testors'puttymixedwith
enamel paint,anearlyandsomewhat
and early I970s was very different time, but the earlyTamiya kits were I slipped outofthe hobby in the
crudeweatheringtechnique.
than it is today.There was little in much more toylike than today's I980s because the daily commute
the way ofaftermarket products, superb offerings. As a result ofthe to work in NewYork ate up most
and no photo-etch. Resin kits were thin offerings available at the local of my free time, and I devoted my
apt to be simple, and the resin shops, alarge fraction of my spare time to my military history
back then was nasty and brittle models were substantial writing and book illustrating
with asticky surface like adamp conversions orscratch-builds. I instead. I was lured back into the
candied-apple. Kit releases were began experimenting with resin hobby in the mid-I990s after I had
few and far between. Small-scale casting, and I did a few of the switched jobs and no longer had
modelers were lucky to get one earliest photo-etch sets. At this three hours ofcommutingeach day.
new Airfix kit each year, and there time, I was very interested in model With more leisure time on my
was jubilation when other competitions, and I did quite well hands, I noticed the abundance of
companies like Fujimi and at International Plastic Modellers' excellentnew armor kits, the
Matchbox entered the market. I Society(IPMS) regional and flourishing aftermarketsupplies
builtafew I/35-scale kits at the national shows. and thegeneral renaissance of
8
9
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Therearealsoanincreasingvarietyof
I plastickitsin1/72-scale,suchasthis
U
:::J MirageM3A3seen hereinthemarkings
o
o oftheFrench2ndArmoredDivision.
c::
I
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Otherhobbiescanserveasinspiration
fornewarmormodelingtechniques.
ABOVEIrevisitsomesubjects.Thi I an Havingseen theuseofphoto-etchparts
Airfix1/76LVT-4 thatIconvert dinto bymodelrailroadersandWorldWarI
anLVT(A)-1 completewithinterior modelaircraftmodelerslikeHarry
detailbackintheearly1970s. Woodman, IdesignedthefirstAFV
no
photo-etchsetaspartofa 75mm
LEFT Imodeledthesamevehicleand HMChalf-trackconversion.Thiswas
sameschemeinthemid1990susln marketedforashorttimebyFoto-Cut,
theCromwellresin1135-scalekit. betterknownforitsWorldWarImodel
aircraftsets.Thismodelwasfeatured in
FineScaleModelermagazineafewyears
laterintheFall 1983issue.
Istill liketodotheoccasional
conversionsandthisM4Crocodile
flamethrowerwasmorestraightforward
than mostsincethearmoredtrailerwas
alreadyavailableintheTamiyaChurchill
Istilllikethebuildanoccasionalsmall kit.ThisscenedepictstheM4Crocodile
scaletankmodel.ThisistheGiesbers duringoneofitsrarecombatactions
1/76-scaleresinT14assaulttank againstthefortressinlulichduring
convertedintoa"whatif"version, Operation GrenadeinFebruary1945
re-armedwitha76mmgun. with the739thTankBattalion(SMX).
10
11
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Irevisitedanti-aircrafthalf-tracksmore
fun.These days the Internetoffers Model/il/g, this has shifted my scratch-builds any more.This is in
I recentlywith thisT28E1 combination
U
::J gun motorcarriagebasedontheold asplendid venue to display your modeling focus somewhat. Editors no small measuredue to the
o
o Tamiyakit.Ascanbeseen, littleis models to enthusiasts around the are always happy to getarticleson constantarrival of new kits that
et: originaltothekitbutthechassisand globe, all from the comfortof the latest new kit, so my choice of have steadily filled many of the
I cabwiththerestfabricatedfromsheet
Z
plasticandresin.Althoughelaborate the den. subjects is often sparked by the gaps. Likewise, I don't do as many
conversionssuchasthisonewere In the late I990s, I began arrival ofa new kit.While the heavy conversions as I used to do,
relativelycommonin thehobbyin the writingabout modelingon a more preponderance of kits these days for much the same reason.
1980sand1990s,theyhavebecomea
regular basis, and these days I write isstillWorldWarII German Even when I/35-scale releases
bitofararityduetotheprofusionof
excellentnewplastickitsfromAsia. articles on nearlyeverythingI build subjects, there is asteadyenough slowa bit, there is always myoid
exceptfor my occasional aircraft flow ofnew US and other Allied favorite, 1/72scale, or the newly
orship model. SinceI write for kits to keep me busy. Unlike revived 1/48scale. I am sticking
commercial magazines like Military the old days, I do very few with 1/35 scale for mostof my
HereisthecompletedT28E1 CGMCin
aphotomontageshowingitinaction in Sometanksstill haven'tbeen kitted in
1943 inTunisia. plastic,soconversionisstilltheonly
alternative.This Leafletnight-fighting
tankisareal Frankenstein,consistingof
aVerlinden resin CDLturret, aCromwell
resin hull,suspensionfrom anAcademy
M10and bitsfromseveralotherkits.
armor modeling.Theemergence my fairshare of badarmor judging trophies, and I don't need the
ofarmor modelinggroups in the atshows,I gave up on model aggravation. SoI promised myself
United States, notably the Armor competitions. Back in the early not to enterany more competiti ns
Modelingand Preservation Society I990s, I putofftoo many projects and to focus on buildingthings I
(AMPS), certainlyaided this becauseI kept thinking, "Well, wanted to build in the fashion J Here'stheLeafletnight-fightingtankin
aphotomontageshowing itduring
process as it brought together a I'mgoing to have to correctthat wanted to build them. I wanted operationsalongthe Rhinein 1945
core ofdedicated armormodelers god-awful thingamajigon that modeling to be fun again. with the 736thTankBattalion(SMX).
to swap notes and to encourage Tamiya kit, otherwisesome judge Butfor modelers who have fun
fellow hobbyists.This has been willding me at the competition." entering competitions, all power
further amplified byarmor Modeling became achore. Projects to you! I willenjoy seeingyour
modeling on the Internet, and I became victims to my worries models at the shows. But for those
have been fairly active on the about the whimsofcontestjudges ofyou who worry about how a
Missing-Lynxsite over the past and I dropped some adventurous judge will score your model at the
several years. projectsornovel techniques for fear next competition, nee yourself
Mystyleofmodelingchanged a thatwouldn't pleasethe judges. from theslaveryofother modelers'
bitas well. Havingseen more than I'vealreadygot plentyof model opinionsand build models to have
12 13
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Idon'tscratch-buildtankmodelsas
f oftenasIdid backin the 1970s, but 1:
U CHAPTER
:J here'soneofmy1/35-scaleprojects,
o
o ascratchMarmon-HerringtonT16 CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TRICKS
'" lighttankofthetype used in the
f-
Aleutiansin 1943.
Z
This chapterlooks atsome basic
construction problems that US
tank modelers commonlyencounter.
Super-detailingofteninvolvesavarietyof
techniquesand material.Thisisan Italeri
M36B1 thathasbeen upgradedwith lotsof
Therearestill manygapsin the
smalldetail, castingtexture, resinstowage
coverageofUSartillery,soI
and otherenhancements.
scratch-builtthis 37mmanti-tank
gun. It'sshown here inasmallvignelle
depicting theclash between Darby's
Rangersand abattalionofItalian
RIVETS
RenaultR-35tanksinGelaonSicily
inJuly1943. Rivets are to tank models as
rigging is to biplane aircraft
models - an unavoidable
challenge. It's not an
overwhelming problem on US
WorldWar II tank models due to
the extensive use of casting and
building, as over the years I have in this book as it's too vast a everysingle productseen in thes welding construction, but the
built up quite astash of subject. So you won't find a history pages as there are too many. Some problem crops up often enough
aftermarketaccessories suchas of the evolution of theSherman aftermarket products such as resin that it is worth examining.There
crew figures, stowage and decals. turret in these pages. I have thrown figures I used adecade ago are n are numerous techniques that can
On the other hand, I find the in afew historical notes about longer in production and, by the be used, varying in cost,
smallerscales such as 1/48 and "frequently asked questions" time you are reading this book, complexity and authenticity.
I/72 to be ideal for vignettes (FAQs) that turn up repeatedly some of the products I used
and dioramas, as wellas for more onInternet websites that deal more recently may also have ABOVESomeprojectsrequirealotofrivets.Thisismyscratch-buildoftheMarmon
complex subjects I am too lazy to with more general issues about disappeared. A far timeliersource HerringtonT16lighttankwith plentyofrivetsmade usingaWaldron punchand die.
do in I/35 scale.So this book US Army tank modeling. on information for hardcore
LEFT Mymethodforattaching rivets isto
will focus on I/35-scale modeling, Having described what this hobby consumers is the Internet; spearthem usingthesharptipofan Olfa
but with the occasional foray into book is, I should also describe I encourage you to log on to the hobbyknife, thendipthem inadropof
Testors'liquidcementandattach themtothe
the smallerscales. what it is not. It is not a catalog betterInternet hobby sitessuch
model.Thisisabetteralternativethantrying
I've tried to avoid too much for ordering hobby products. I as Missing-Lynx, Military
to putasmall puddleofgluedirectlyon the
discussion about research issues have notgone to great pains to list Modellingand Armorama. model,which istoodifficulttocontrol.
14 15
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~ Thisisacomparisonofsomeofthe
U0~:: rpiavienttoedpti(oringshti)n.oFrriogminatlofportmob(loetftto)man:d(A) Tfrhoemreaaftreermaavrakrieettyfiromfsr,ivaestsseaevnailhaebrlee. .........................
..........
Cl salami-sliced.015in. plasticrod; (B) Startingfrom thetop,thebrownsprue ............
«Z Wanadld.o0n23Sudbis-cMsifcroromp.u1n0cihn.apnldasdtiices.h0e1eBt; ibsyfrsoommetheextMraosdperlkuaesdteentasilest,frfoomllowaned ..·.......................
V<ll. (C)GrandtLineinjection-moldedrivets AcademyM10kit, someTichymodel _ ··..........
...
~ 153rounded.032in.and152conical railroad round rivetheads, andfinally ~- ·.....
oZ .032in.;(D)rivetscutfromTamiya sets151 and 152from GrandtLineof II - ·.....
1/35-scaleGrantkit; (E)rivetspainted roundandconicalrivets.Totheright
U~ usingTulipSlickblackdimensional aresomeofthenewArcherdecal rivets. ·• •.•.•.•.4
:J fabric paint. • • • • •
0::
~ • • • • •
oZVl mm 10 20 asmallnumberofrivets are needed. •• ••••••••
U I make extensive use ofthese •·•.•..••
CANNIBALIZING KITS stash ofM3 Lee/Gtantkits.These this may prove to be too expensive. productson my models as they are "
One way to obtain rivets is to wete always agoodsoutce ofrivets; This technigue is also good if yOLi easy to use and veryhandy. I use
cannibalizeother kits, oreven these days many kits result in a only need to replace a small boltand washersets more often AFTERMARKET DECAL RIVETS started to use these but they are
the kit itself In the old days, smallstockpileof unused parts numberof rivets that were than the simple rivets, asI have This is a new field pioneered by stillso new1'm notyet ready to
you could always tellserious and thespares box can also serve damaged during constructions, easierand cheapertechnigues for Archer in the UnitedStates.These casta final verdict. I think that this
scratch-builders bycounting their as asource of rivets.The best way such as when gaps have to be reproducinglarge numbers ofrivets. are conventional wet-slide decals style of rivet is best for depicting
to remove rivets is with asharp cleaned up at the expense of Some kits these days, such as the but instead ofathin coatof ink, relativelysmall rivets, especially
Intheolddays,youcouldalways single-sided razor bladeorachisel neighboring detail. I seldom us Academy kits, come with spare the decal consists ofathick layer
identifyaseriousscratch-builderbyhow
blade on ahobby knife; my favorite this method, as I have plenty ( rivets moldedon the sprues.This is of resin on the decal sheet.These Archermakesanextensivelineof
manyM3 Lee/Grantkitstheyhadin
theirstash.Thishaslong beenafavorite is the Olfa brand, which is other methods ofdoing rivers. acleveridea butthere areseldom come in a varietyofstyles "surfacedetail"decals,which include
rivetsinvarioussizes.Theseare
sourceforobtainingplentifulrivets. extremelysharp.This approach is enough ofthese to do much more including rivets, weld beads,
especiallyusefulforrowsofsmall
1don'tusethismethod muchanymore
good ifyou are only replacing a AFTERMARKET PLASTIC than replace afew missingkit rivets. anti-skid and casting marks. I have rivetsorscrewheads.
asitisneedlesslyexpensive, butIusean
smallnumberof rivets. If you are RIVETS
Olfachisel bladetoremoverivetswhen
1dousethismethod. scratch-buildinga riveted tank, Railroadmodelersalso have a river
problem,andsomeof the
aftermarketfirms such asTichyand
Grandthave packages ofsmall river
thatcome onsprues.Thesecome in
avarietyofshapesand sizes
including both round and conical
rivets. In addition, these firms als
do other types ofindustrial
fasteners suchas hex-rivets, boltand
washersets, and otherdesigns.The
goodside is that these are of
styrene plasticand so easy toglue.
Thedownside is thattheyare
relativelyexpensive per rivet, andso
bettersuited to projects where only
17
16
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~
U rows ofsmall machine screws such
0::
f- as rhose found on rhe rank's sheer
o
meral pares. I don'r rhink rhar rhe
Z
«
rivers srand proud enough from rhe
0V..l surface co be suirable for rhe larger
f rivers on armor plare, alrhough
Z
o they may suffice wirh careful
f paineing where rhey can be
U
:J acceneed in the finishing pcocess.
0::
f
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Z
o COUNTERSUNK SCREWS/
U RIVET ENHANCEMENT
Some rivets and screwheads are
0:: countersunk.These can be
w
f reproduced using abeadingtool,
«0..
I asmall rype ofawl used in jewelry
U
work and othercrafts.This is also
ABOVE Mypreferred techniquefor
asimple merhod co simulare very
making rivetsisto useaWaldron
small rivets, even if ir is not Sub-Micropunchanddieto punch
enrirelyaccurare.These cools work them outof.010or.015in. plastic
sheet. Iplacethedieontopofa
best wirh sofr plasric. I also find
wooden"0"tocatchthe rivetsandto
rhat a beading cool is very useful
preventthepunchfrom impactingthe
when dealing with kirs rhar already worksurface. Iuseasmallcrafthammer
have molded rivers rhar are poorly toavoid damagingthedelicate punch.
defined.The detail can be
RIGHT Here, I'm punchingout
reinforced by stampingover somesmall rivetsto replicatethe
ABOVE Onemethodtorepresent BELOW Here, I'm using ab adll1t
rhe rivet, which creares asmall small pop-rivetsaroundtherimof
countersunkscrewheads isto usea tooltomakesomecountersunk
thestamped Shermanwheel.
depression around it, berrer beadingtool.Theseusuallycomein screwsnexttoarowofArch rrlv l
defining its shape. setswithvarioussizedies. forcomparison.
lastone I boughrcosraround make iteasier co feed plasticsheet ir co bend ifcoo much force is
$115, burI use itso often thatI through the gap berween the metal used. My spacer is simply a
MASS-PRODUCED RIVETS:
rhink ir's woreh rhe money. I die and the plastic alignment plare. wooden number "0"I purchased ar
PUNCH AND DIE
The merhodI use mosrofren for generally use rhe rwo smallestsizes, This is easy CO do using apiece of alocal Home DeporDIY srore,
reproducing rivers on my models which punchourdiscs rhar are .020in. plasric. ineended as ahouse number.This
is co use rheWaldron Sub .023 and .OI8in. in diamerer. I Anorher useful addirion is a shape is good since it provides a
.oro
Miniarure punchand die sec. generally use or.OI5in. spacer co place under the tool good workspace under the cool
Waldron went outof business plasric sheerdepending on how while punching to avoid driving rhe while ar rhe same rime acting as a
some years ago, bur rhe set has . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . .. . promineneI wane rhe river co be. punch into the worktable. Ir's nor a carch co corral the flying rivets. I
coneinued co be marketed; there There are severaltricks to using good idea co allow rhe punch CO hir usually cura strip of plasticsheet
are orher brands available as well. one of rhese cools.To begin wirh, rhe work surface below since rhis and feed it inco rhe die, punching
TheWaldron cool is nor cheap; rhe ir's agood idea co addspacers to dulls the punch and can also cause abour 20 rivers ar atime.