Question re MicroMark 2mm "Tight Spot" Plastic Modeler's Chisel

[Southgate 2]

Anybody here use them, and what do you think of it? Dan

[Attuvian1]

Southgate 2

Anybody here use them, and what do you think of it? Dan

 

I bought both the 2mm and the 4mm chisels and quickly found them inadequate, primarily because they were too bulky and heavy.  I felt like my fingers were expending effort more on holding the implements than having that energy transferred to the task at hand (if that makes any sense).  Even the business ends of these chisels are stout - and therefore more difficult to sharpen than . . .

 

I went to one of my two local all-model railroad hobby stores and found Japanese chisels of 1.2 and 3mm widths under the brand name Trimaster.  Sleeves indicate that these were available in the '90s.  They each came with small honing stones (a great extra feature).  They are much less bulky and more easy to manipulate with precision.  The key here is that their business ends are the tips of small diameter steel rods, not a one-piece chisel that is insufficiently tapered at the end.  Put another way, the Japanese chisels allow for a lower angle of attack when removing things like cast on ladders and grab irons.  You can peel off the plastic instead of more or less gouging it off.

 

I can't find these particular chisels on the 'net but they appear to be very similar to the Hasegawa TT-4 and TT-9 chisels.  Prices for the Hasegawas are generally comparable to the MicroMarks, but may beat them significantly from some on-line vendors.  At one site I found a TT-4 for less than 9 bucks, half that of the 2mm MicroMark chisel.

 

John (of Attu)

[Southgate 2]

Thank you, John. I thought the angle of attack looked rather steep, so I held off pending user feedback. I will look into your suggested alternatives. Dan

[Attuvian1]

Southgate 2

Thank you, John. I thought the angle of attack looked rather steep, so I held off pending user feedback. I will look into your suggested alternatives. Dan

 

A lot easier to resharpen, too.