strong magnets in various sizes for attaching stores and pylons
Review sample kindly supplied by Magnet Expert Ltd
Reviewed by Geoff Coughlin (2010)
This is a new name in model making materials to us here at SMN at least and what an impact it is having! At our club night last night at South Lincolnshire Association of Modellers (IPMS S.L.A.M.) Mario came bounding in with his usual infectious enthusiasm and demonstrated the superb scale modelling applications of these very strong, yet refined magnets.
The idea isn’t unique, remember Tamiya for example has supplied the pin and poly-cap system with some of their I:32 scale kits so that you can interchange the stores. However, there’s something about the small circular metallic magnet attachment that seems to look more realistic if you want to present your model on occasions cleanly configured?
The pack you see here is sold as the Model Makers Kit, with some incredibly small, yet practical round and oblong shaped items. The pack comes with 70 small magnets no less and is sold at a very reasonable price. Check out the www.first4magnets.com website for latest prices. There’s a discount for modellers of 20% when using the website 20% off code: MODEL20
Whatever your scale modelling interest I’m sure that you can begin to see the applications of these little magnets:
- Attaching stores pylons to the underside of aircraft wings?
- Adding optional, interchangeable stores to armour subjects – these AFVs almost always seem to carry huge amounts of kit and some of that you could make interchangeable?
- Making parts that always seem to snap off your model when transporting to shows removable – pitot probes, even canopies – some of these magnets are really tiny, yet very strong, so definitely a possibility.
Attaching the magnets?
As you can see with Mario’s F/A-18 Hornet above, he’s countersunk the magnets by drilling matching holes with a pin vice drill and that makes them look very presentable and realistic, yet practical too and not at all toy-like.
Verdict?
Excellent idea and highly recommended to all scale modellers – especially those that like displaying their models at shows and elsewhere.
Geoff C.
