Sphere Products AFV Clamp

[Mike]

AFV Clamp
Sphere Products

This is an innovative self-assembly magnetic clamp suitable for holding your armour project safely while you are working on it, either painting, weathering or even adding parts during the build process. It arrives in a plastic bag with header card, and inside you'll find all the parts you need to build it up, even down to an Allen key and wrench. A sheet of instructions is included, plus a small bag containing all the fixings, two very strong magnets, nylok nuts and high quality Allen bolts of various lengths.

Construction is simple, and if you follow instructions, you'll be done in a matter of minutes. The circular base had a semi-circle pivot point mounted perpendicular to it, to which the extension frame is installed, taking care to torque up the bolts just enough to allow movement with a firm push. Another pivot point fits in the top of the extension frame, and on top of this sits one half of the retaining magnet pairing. A sponge washer is also included loose, and you can glue this to the top of the lower magnet to reduce the likelihood of paint damage to your model. The top magnet is made up from two threaded and tapped-out lengths of hexagonal metal with a pull-handle installed on top, and the other magnet on the other. How does it work? Read on.

To install your model onto the stand, simply slip the top magnet into the bottom of the hull through a hatch or the turret ring (or wherever you can really), and then offer it up to stand. Once it gets about an inch from it, you'll start to feel it pull, and then lock in place, so line up the magnets for the best attraction, and then you can let go. The stand should hold the AFV in place by magnetic force under most circumstances, but at sharp angles with more weight at one end of the magnet, the vehicle might swing under gravitational forces. Afterall, you can only do so much with magnets! That's all there is to it. A simple stand for a simple task, which frees up one of your hands for more important things.

Conclusion
If you've ever wished you had a third hand while you're building your models, this is a pretty good substitute. It is simple, light yet robust, averse to tipping over, and non-invasive to your model. Fit it and use it, just like that. Be careful when tightening the bolts that pull the MDF parts together, as over-tightening them can lead to the nut pulling through and de-laminating the fibres.

A cool piece of kit, and invaluable to the AFV modeller - Highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of

[Breaker]

Hmmmm, wonder if you could do something similar with aircraft if you used a magnetic nose weight..!

[robw_uk]

very tempting....