otaku on a budget: OEM Angle Cutter

Good day plamo nerds! It's been an eventful couple of weeks, making some slow but steady progress on my current WIP, and the unforgettable experience of judging at a build-off for the first time. The recently concluded GM Wars event hosted by South Plamo was a smashing success, bringing together new and veteran modelers for a fun afternoon of mecha mayhem. I had a notable headache after inspecting and appraising 30 excellent entries. The level of work made it all the more difficult to put a number on craftsmanship, especially since I am in no way or form an expert in this craft. But as judges we did our best, and I am pleased with the outcome. Now let's get back to our regular programming! Today I'll be sharing a very quick review of the OEM Angle Cutter I recently acquired to help with my scratch-building projects.

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I believe this angle cutter design was first introduced by Wave, but was quickly followed by similar releases from U-star and this unbranded version from a supplier that claims to be the manufacturer of this product (Wave's tools are made in Taiwan/China afaik). They look pretty much identical except for the branding sticker on the black part of the handle and the packaging card. Of course, the unbranded version is a little cheaper.

First thing I noticed is the decently written instructions - a rarity when it comes to packaging on Taiwan/China made tools. The instructions on the back of the card explain clearly how to use the tool and how to replace the blade.

This tool is heavier than it looks, but is comfortable to grip. The whole thing is metal with red plastic encasing the handles. The blade itself measures about 5.8cm. Only the top segment has a blade, while the bottom segment acts asa chopping block, so it's kind of like an oversized single-blade nipper.

It comes with a protractor-like attachment that replaces the pre-installed support for cutting common angles. The angle markings are engraved clearly on the top surface, and the underside has slots for locking the swiveling clip. You'll need a screwdriver to switch the blue part out.

To use, simply select the angle with the clip, place the material and brace it against the side of the clip, and cut. You need to hold the material firmly so it doesn't slide away during cutting. The blade is pretty sharp and does a scissor-like slicing action so it doesn't take much force to cut styrene sheet.

If the blade starts to feel dull, there are two extra blades stored in the upper handle, and blades are also available separately. It's a pretty nice package for the price, and I can see it being a real time saver compared to using a hobby knife when cutting angles over and over. If you do a lot of scratch-building, an angle cutter is definitely something you want to have in your toolbox!