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I ordered one of these Galaxy Model "grinding pens" https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33027364811.html They look like mechanical pencils, but the core is obviously made of something else than graphite. Does these have another name that is more widely used? One of the problems with many Chinese tools is that is difficult to find reviews of them. Does anyone have experience with this kind of pencil? What's the material of the core, is it fragile? I ordered one with a 0.5mm core. I'm hoping that the tool will be useful in cleaning small parts.

Rivet Marking Tool Galaxy Model Riveting a model can make it look a lot more interesting and realistic, even though rivets in real life aren’t holes in the skin of an aircraft, but are either flush or domed. It’s nigh on impossible to achieve that effect for your average modeller though, so most of us compromise and make tiny wee holes in the skin of our models to add visual interest, then don’t worry about it, as if we did we’d also have to be concerned about over-thick canopies, panel lines and so forth. It’s best not to for your own sanity. Re-riveting areas after sanding or other damage can also be a tricky job as you have to mimic the existing pitch and size of the rivets that were there originally, keep them in nice straight lines and stop them right where they’re supposed to finish. That’s not all that easy to do well even with a riveting tool, but it’s a lot more easy if you have a good riveting tool rather than just a cheap pounce wheel or a needle chucked into a pin vice. There are plenty of choices when it comes to riveting tools from the DIY options mentioned above to other commercial offerings from various companies. This is one such commercial option, and from the time I’ve been examining it, it seems to be a good one. The system centres around an anodised black aluminium handle with brass ferule and chuck that vaguely resembles an X-ACTO knife handle. If I had one of mine to hand I would be able to tell you if the wheels fit the grooves in the X-ACTO chuck, but they’re still in storage so I’ll update this when I find them. At this stage I’m 95% sure they’d fit, but please don’t take my word for it. That said I like the handle, as it is high quality and well presented with the Galaxy Tools logo engraved through the anodization toward the back end and a bevelled rear edge, both showing off the bare aluminium. A tip for long-term happiness of your handle is to add a little grease to the screw thread that attaches the chuck to the handle in order to reduce contact and dissimilar metals (galvanic) corrosion over time, particularly if you have to place it in storage for any long periods or in damp cold conditions. The riveting wheels all share a common design but differ slightly between sets. The common features are that they are Photo-Etched (PE) from varying thicknesses of metal with a nickel plating over the top, plus branding and size details etched into one side of the flat surface. Happily the sizing remains visible when chucked into the handle, which is nice and rather practical. The riveting part is attached to the shaft by a hex bolt with a nut on the back, with the necessary hex key and PE spanner included in each set behind the foam insert, and has a smaller diameter washer to spread the load over a wider area to help prevent bending of the wheel. There are three types of set as follows: Fan “Wheel” This tool is at its most useful in tight places and for riveting ends of lines accurately, or riveting up to a perpendicular face or some other obstruction. It contains less than a quadrant of rivets in a fan shape with the rivets going right to the edges and they are applied using a rocking motion from one end to the other. Small Wheel A full 360o of rivets for carrying out general riveting along a template or ruler. It is capable of tighter radiuses if you require curved lines. Large Wheel This has a larger diameter and the shaft flares out past the edge of the wheel for a large proportion of the circumference to protect people and plastic from accidental riveting. The larger wheel also helps staying against the line when riveting longer lengths. They are supplied in plastic boxes of three for each type, with the small pitch sets having 0.75mm, 0.65mm and 0.55mm, while the larger pitch sets have 1.5mm, 1.25mm and 1.0mm sizes. You can choose which sizes and styles you want, and can also splash out on multiple handles if you feel the urge, as no-one’s about to judge you for your profligacy in search of convenience. The wheels are held in place within the latched boxes by a close-fitting dense foam insert, and on first opening you need to remove a piece of tacky plastic sheet that holds them in their recesses during transit. To get at the adjustment tools behind you’ll need to lever out the foam insert with a broad thin tool such as the rounded end of a metal rule. In Action The wheels fit snuggly into the handle, which is comfortable in the hand, and you can use the wheels to tighten or loosen the chuck by holding the knurled section still, which I found quite helpful as I’m still recovering from hand surgery (again). Some of the Nylok axle nuts were a little tight out of the box, but that’s easily remedied by the supplied Allen key and PE spanner, which is closed “ended” so you don’t slip off the nut. It's also worth mentioning that the provision of Nylok nuts should prevent or at least reduce creep of the nut in either direction, which is again another nice feature. Once you’ve experimented and got the rotation to your preferred tension it is advisable to take some time with pieces of scrap plastic or model to get used to using it and also using it in conjunction with a straight-edge or length of Dymo embossing tape. When you’re confident, you can apply your new-found skills to an actual model, using the fan wheels where necessary with either a combination of the two other wheels, or your choice of either. My experience with them was really rather pleasant, firstly running lines of each type freehand to experiment, and finding that they stay on track quite well even without a rule to follow. To make the card demonstrating each pitch I followed a PE rule that was probably a bit too shallow but still stayed on line. I slipped slightly at one point, which left a bit of a short line in the 0.65mm test but that’s down to a slight hangup on the guide that I didn't notice beforehand, not the tool. I also noticed later that I can’t draw parallel lines for toffee, so you’ll have to excuse me! The rivets are nicely formed, and once I had smeared a little ink over them to highlight them for the camera they really look the part and would blend in with pre-existing rivets if you pick the right pitch. Looking at the numbers it’s easy to think that they’re hardly different, but looking at the finished lines its plain to see that they are, and it’s important to choose the correct one if you’re repairing or extending existing rivets. It would be wise to rivet a small slip of styrene sheet and hold it up against the kit rivets for comparison, as once you’ve riveted something, it's more work to un-rivet it, which will slow your progress down. Conclusion I rate these riveting tools pretty highly and am pleased to add them to my tool kit. Whether you’re riveting a whole airframe or just adding some back where they’ve been obliterated by the build process, they’re going to be a very useful tool to have around. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

US Navy Carrier Deck Base (E72002) 1:72 Galaxy Model This new base from Galaxy models represents the deck of the CVN-75 USS Harry S Truman. It measures 37cms x 19cms. The plastic textured deck is moulded onto a block board base with a 3mm edge around the outside. A small sheet of PE provides the deck tie down points. Included is one of Galaxy models Flat bottom round hole tools to make the holes in the base to fit the points into. Tape masks are then provided to mask the points for painting. A final touch is a set of four self adhesive pads to sit the base on. Conclusion This is a new entry into the base market and it would seem to be a good one. Other bases are available in both 1/27 % 1/48 Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Su-57 Russian 5th Gen. Fighter Colour Separation Die-Cut Flexible Masks (D72002) 1:72 Galaxy Model for Zvezda The Sukhoi Su-57 or Felon as NATO calls it, is a 5th gen fighter, but with the emphasis on frontal radar cross-section, rather than whole airframe stealth. Its future wasn’t looking too bright until the recent order of 76 Airframes that was announced by Mr Putin, so hopefully we’re going to see some interesting colour schemes and modern models of in-service airframes, such as Zvezda’s own scale-up to 1:48, which is good news. Zvezda’s 1:72 kit has been out for a short while, and the box art shows a very enticing digital scheme that would be hard to achieve without a plethora of masking and furious cutting of squares, so this new release might allow Felon fans to breathe a sigh of relief, as it contains a full set of masks to accomplish the task, plus a little more besides as has become customary with their releases. The set arrives in an unassuming ziplok bag, with a cover card, A4 colour instructions on glossy paper, two sheets of masking paper pre-cut for your convenience, and a sheet of clear self-adhesive transfer paper for moving tricky shaped masks around. The instructions are printed in full colour on one side of glossy A4, with the left half showing the main masking of the upper digital-camouflage, with the lighter grey sprayed first, then masked up to paint the darker grey in the central sections of the aircraft. The lower side has the digital camo duplicated on the elevons, and a group of masks for the sensor suite under the nose, intake ramps, leading edges and sensors again at the rear. Canopy masks are included, as are wheel masks, plus a delicate set of masks for the two sets of exhaust petals. At the rear of the airframe are more small masks for panels, sensors and blisters, then finally a couple of small panels just aft of the canopy. The photos accompanying the instructions are small but useful, and prove conclusively the veracity of their research. The two sheets of masking are of the Kabuki type we’re all familiar with, and the set is overprinted with area names, numbers and separating lines in bright red, which unlike the first releases doesn’t seem to rub off during handling. Conclusion This masking set is an excellent short-cut for anyone wanting to depict the digital scheme on the box, and in true Galaxy Model style it’s well-detailed and annotated. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F-14D Mask (D48009 for AMK) 1:48 Galaxy Model Our friends at Galaxy Model have been beavering away making this useful set that includes other items rather than just masks. They’re taking a leaf out of their own book and adapting their Tamiya Tomcat set for the new AMK kit, which we’ll get to shortly, we promise. This set arrives in a ziplok bag, and under the cover sheet you will find a glossy A4+ sheet of instruction that uses photos heavily, which is a very good thing IMHO. You also get two A5 sheets of pre-cut kabuki tape masks with numbers printed in red next to each mask part. There’s also a clear transfer sheet of sticky-backed plastic that you can use to carefully place the masks without puckering or stretching them, which is another deft touch. Penultimately, there are two small pieces of a semi-reflective sheet that is tailored to fit the front windscreen panel, which has a particular sheen that is replicated by the coating on the sheet, with a choice of smoke grey or gold deposition, so check your references. This will do a lot for the realism of your finished canopy once applied. Finally there is another small bag containing a turned brass pitot tube and angle-of-attack probe, which are excellent bonuses in this useful set. The masks go further than just a comprehensive set of canopy masks, adding masks for the walkways on the intakes next to the canopy, vents just aft of those, more at the base of the twin tail fins, air brakes, the gun port under the nose, intake lips, the tail feathers for the inset sections between each petal, and a comprehensive set of masks for the weapons with stripes for the JDAMs, “corset” masks for the GBU-31 JDAMs, plus fin base masks for the AIM-7 and AIM-9 Sidewinders. It’s details like these that will both speed up your productions and make for a better finished article with crisp clean lines if you burnish the masks down properly. Conclusion I have a lot of respect for Galaxy Model’s sets, as they’re clearly designed by modellers for modeller, and think of the helpful things to assist us in making better models that other companies often don’t. They’re excellent sets. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II DIE-CUT Flexible Mask (D72001) 1:72 Galaxy Model - For Hasegawa Kit While the Hasegawa F-35B is a good kit, getting the painting right on the kit is a real challenge if you don't want to resort to decals. The set arrived in a thick ziplok bag, which saved it from the beating the envelope received during transit. Inside is a nice glossy cover sheet that provides additional stiffness to the package, and where they consider that not to be sufficient (such as decals), a further sheet of thick glossy card is also added to maintain the product's integrity. This set consists of 2 sheets of pre-cut masks A5 in size of kabuki-style yellow masking material, plus a clear transfer sheet to avoid mis-shaping the masks on the way to the model; and an A4 full colour, glossy sheet of instructions that should help you make a good job. The masks provide the details of the design, which makes the task easier and less likely for the edges to be dragged off-course by lumps, bumps and compound curves. Where necessary a sequence of steps is numbered to guide you through the process without stumbling. Each mask is numbered in red ink, which seems improved and appears to be much more resistant to smudging than earlier batches, which is good to see. The numbers correspond to the diagrams, and additional parts are included for the roll-under edges that extend onto the lower wing and root extensions/chines. The properties of this type of mask lend itself well to masking of acrylic paint especially, which is less resistant to damage, so it makes an easy way of obtaining crisp demarcations with minimal risk of paint pull-up. You can find out where to buy these sets from their website by clicking the button below: Review sample courtesy of

Sukhoi Su-35S Camouflage Mask & Stencil Sets (D48006 & G48019 for GWH) 1:48 Galaxy Model GWH laboured long and hard on their new überkit of this impressive aircraft, which is now available, enabling Galaxy Model to pattern some useful sets to help you paint and decal your model. Both sets arrive in thick ziplok bags, which saved them from the beating the envelope they arrived in received during transit from their location to ours. Inside is a nice glossy cover sheet that provides additional stiffness to the package, and where they consider that not to be sufficient (such as decals), a further sheet of thick glossy card is also added to maintain the product's integrity. Sukhoi S-35S Camouflage Mask (D48006) Designed for the GWH kit, this set consists of pre-cut masks on two sheets of A5 kabuki-style yellow masking material, a clear transfer sheet to avoid mis-shaping the masks on the way to the model, and a full colour, glossy sheet of instructions that should help you make a good job. The masks provide the sharp edges of the design, with you filling in the gaps between them and the paint that you wish to protect, which makes the task easier and less likely for the edges to be dragged off-course by lumps, bumps and compound curves. Where necessary a sequence of steps is numbered to guide you through the process without stumbling. Each mask is numbered in red ink, which seems improved and appears to be much more resistant to smudging than earlier batches, which is good to see. The numbers correspond to the diagrams, and additional parts are included for the roll-under edges that extend onto the lower wing and root extensions/chines. The properties of this type of mask lend itself well to masking of acrylic paint especially, which is less resistant to damage, so it makes an easy way of obtaining crisp demarcations with minimal risk of paint pull-up. Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E Variety Code (Blue) & Serial Number Decals (G48019) Again patterned for the new GWH kit, but probably eminently suitable for many other subjects, this sheet of decals contains a heap of red number codes with white outlines in fuselage and tail sizes, black serials of two types with "RF-" prefixes, some bomb-shaped mission tags, and four styles of "BBC POCCИИ" with white outlines and without at two different character spacings each. Decals are printed anonymously, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, and a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Five example airframes are depicted on the enclosed A4 guide, with a top profile on the front sheet to assist you with the rest of the painting (if you haven't opted for the masks for some reason), at a suitable size that it is easy to pick out the markings and locate them correctly on your model. You can find out where to buy these sets from their website by clicking the button below: Review sample courtesy of

Grumman F-14A Tomcat Flexible Masks (for Tamiya) 1:48 Galaxy Model Tamiya's new Tomcat is a masterpiece of injection moulding as of time of writing, and although it's kind of expensive, it's become the de facto F-14A of choice in 1:48 for many. The Tomcat generally wore either all-over grey, or the old hi-viz grey over white, which begs the question why you'd need masks. Good question – we're glad you asked, and looking at the instruction sheet below will give you some answers to that question. The set arrives in a thick ziplok bag with two sheets of kabuki-style masking material, one clear adhesive-backed transfer sheet, instructions and a small bag with two pieces of pre-cut iridescent "holographic" film to replicate the elusive look of the centre panel of the windscreen. This set of masks is designed for the Tamiya kit, and sets about providing the modeller with a really helpful masking set that extends way beyond simple canopy masks, although they too are included. The canopy is masked by the usual full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. The same process is applied to the inside of the canopy, and the optical film is applied to the inside of the centre windscreen panel, adding a substantial bit of realism to the canopy. There are also masks for the anti-glare panels that apparently differed between squadrons, so take care to apply the correct ones. The top panels on the intakes have a complex ladder-style mask applied to each one, with the transfer film coming in handy here, as explained below. There are masks for the vents against the spine, at the base of the twin tails, at the rear of the airbrake, and even the underside. The wings have panels masked along their length as well as the leading edge, and the elevons have leading edge masks too. The exhausts get the full treatment, with a bucket-load of small masks that will make the finished item really pop once they have been removed. Finally there are masks for the stripy arrestor hook, the exhausts of the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, and you guessed it, the wheels! Conclusion A fine set of masks that takes some of the intricacies out of painting your new wünderkit will be a boon, especially if you're not all that fond of masking. The addition of the optical film is just gravy. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

PLA ZTZ-96B Main Battle Tank Masks & Improvement Set (35003 for Meng) 1:35 Galaxy Model Our friends at Galaxy Model have been busy again, and this new set from them allows the modeller to execute the digital camo scheme that was seen at the 11th Airshow, Chinas North industries Coproration Exhibition, Zhuhai, China in November 2016. The Type 96 is one of China's MBTs, with the B being a 2016 upgrade of the earlier A (no surprise there), with improved systems and enhanced power pack delivering power to a lightened and tuned set of running gear. This particular scheme was first seen at the show, and has a sand brown and olive green digital camouflage over a light sand base colour, which extends down to the sideskirts, with the wheels painted different colours, rather than having the digital pattern. The set is designed for the Meng kit, and arrives in a sturdy ziplok bag, which at first glance appears just to be a set of kabuki tape masks to accomplish the complex paint job. Once you open the bag however, you see that it is also a fairly substantial and interesting upgrade to the final finish of your model, with some really cool additions adding to the value. The contents are as follows: 2 x pre-cut kabuki tape masks 1 x instruction sheet with profiles 1 x clear sticky-backed mask transfer sheet 1 x decal sheet with various Chinese flags 2 x Photo-Etch (PE) wheel masks for both types of wheel 1 x tin foil sheet 1 x sticky-backed pre-cut holographic film for vision blocks 1 x paper key for the holographic film parts 2 x wire for antennae Going from top to bottom, the kabuki tape is pre-cut and marked using red ink numbers that correspond to the instruction sheet, with the sides written on each section for your ease. Do be careful handling these, as the ink can smudge, leaving you guessing at the numbers. The clear plastic sheet can be used as a transfer sheet to carry the more delicate masks to the model, and the decal sheet is for the national flags, which are affixed to the foil sheet to obtain a realistic drape mimicking material. The PE masks are for the road and idler wheels, allowing you to spray the centres after painting the rubber "tyres", without having to do any masking or hand-painting. The holographic film is sticky-backed and pre-cut to fit the kit clear parts, and the paper key gives you the part numbers for cross referencing on the instruction sheet. They will impart an almost ethereal sheen to the vision blocks to represent their anti-dazzle coating. Finally the two lengths of wire (not pictured) are taped to the rear of the header card, and are cut to length to replicate the antennae. It would be worthwhile rounding off the top of the cut parts to avoid poking yourself in the eye at some future date, as although it would still hurt, a jagged end would hurt much more. Conclusion What a great set! I just wish I had the model now, so I could get to use it. The instructions are concise, the parts highly innovative in places, and it shows a level of understanding of the modeller and the modelling process that is nice to see. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

F-35A Die-Cut Flexible Mask (for Meng) 1:48 Galaxy Model If you read my review of the new tooling from Meng here, you'll have seen me mention it a couple of times. My reason for this is simple. It is an almost mandatory purchase if you value your sanity, or dislike complex masking jobs of any shape or form. Due to the different types of RAM applied to the F-35's skin, there are two distinct shades of grey, with a lighter shade around many of the raised areas, and a lot of the flush panel edges too. Without pre-cut masks it makes for a rather tiresome an long-winded masking session encompassing almost every part of the airframe. This set of pre-cut flexible masks endeavours to make that job much easier for you, with a large sheet of yellow Kabuki tape that has been cut and numbered up to 221 in red print, and a detailed photographic instruction sheet that shows you exactly where each mask goes. It's still a fairly large task, but infinitely easier than creating each mask by hand as you must otherwise do. The masks go onto the model after the application of the darker of the two greys, and when the set has been applied completely, you need to complete the wings and empennage with straight masking jobs. This has been done to reduce the amount of masking material needed and thereby the cost of the set. Even I can mask straight lines myself! The tricky shapes on the fin roots and at the tips of the wings have been provided for you however, so your work shouldn't take you too long. You also need to mask up all the areas between the detailed sections to prevent overspray. There is a sheet of clear acetate supplied that can be used as a transfer sheet as per the accompanying photograph too, which will assist in preventing any stretching of the masks due to mishandling. With everything completed, the lighter grey is sprayed over the entirety of the exposed airframe, assuming you have the presence of mind to mask any open bays and the clear parts yourself… you did, didn't you? Masks have even been included for the tyre sidewalls, the tips of the exhaust, the chin-mounted EOTS targeting system and two small lenses in front of the canopy. Kabuki tape is famous for its flexibility and its clean removal, so as long as you have prepared your model properly before painting, the dangers of paint lifting should be minimal, but always remember to pull tape at an acute angle to the surface, to reduce the forces on the paint finish and further reduce the likelihood of any paint lifting. Galaxy Model are in the process of facilitating easier ordering, as well as re-vamping their website, but you can presently buy the masks on what I assume is the Chinese equivalent of eBay, TaoBao! Hopefully, we'll see them take on a European distributor soon, and make it much easier to get hold of their products. They already have a new batch heading our way, so expect to see those reviewed in due course. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of