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Tool Review
Micro-Chisel

by: Jim Rae [ JIMBRAE ]

Product Description:
MIO-09: Micro-Chisel is produced by Mission Models in the U.S.A.. The chisel consists of a stainless-steel handle with a 2mm wide, hardened steel cutting tip. The handle has a rubber grip towards the 'business-end'. The cutting tip provided, can with the use of a small Allen-key, be removed and interchanged with other cutting and scribing tools.

First Impressions:
It's a clean, simple design. It fits nicely in the hands and with the addition of the rubber pad, it feels comfortable. Even for someone like myself who has larger than average hands, it feels comfortable... It's also surprisingly heavy although despite this, feels well-balanced.

Taking it for a test drive
The tool is designed for horizontally cutting plastic, resin or even soft (white) metal. I did a series of tests with it using a variety of subjects. These are the results:

1) Hard Styrene: I removed some unnecessary plastic from an Italeri trailer and using a series of V-cuts, I had the plastic off in no time at all.

2) Resin: I removed some slight mould lines from a resin turret which came off very easily. With the control of the Micro-Chisel, I was able to completely avoid any damage to the surrounding surface.

3) Seam-Lines: I tried removing some seam lines from some 1/35th scale figures. As they were on clothing folds, this was not the easiest test imaginable. The Chisel came through with flying colors - I removed what I wanted without causing any damage.

4) Raised Panel Lines: I have a few (older) aviation kits, which will need the panel lines re-scribing at some point. However first, the raised panel lines will have to be removed. The Micro-Chisel seems to have been designed for this - perfect!

Conclusions
A highly-versatile and, more to the point, PRACTICAL addition to the workbench. Too many tools are 'gimmicky' and capture the eye (and the attention of one's credit card) but one is hard pushed to find a use for them.. In this case, this is a tool which has a myriad of possible uses. It's comfortable in the hand and importantly, the design allows millimetric control, absolutel vital when you want to remove without causing gouges in the surrounding area.

Definitely a tool that's going to used....

Further Information:
The Micro-Chisel comes complete with a 2mm cutting blade, which should be useful for most purposes. However, Mission Models have also produced three sets of replacemen/additional tip sets. These are:

MIO-10: Mission Models 1mm Micro Chisel replacement tip set.

MIO-11: Mission Models 2mm Micro Chisel replacement tip set

MM-12: Mission Models Panel Scribing Tip set

For details of availability, check the Mission Models Website (LINK)
SUMMARY
One of the problems with making horizontal cuts is always controlling what you're doing. Using a chisel blade in a knife-handle is o.k. but these chisel blades are NOT the toughest tools on the market and do tend to blunt easily and can be expensive to replace. I had heard about the Micro-Chisel when it was first released, but only this summer did I decide to take the 'plunge' and invest in one...
  PRICE:90%
  CONSTRUCTION:100%
  EASE OF USE:90%
Percentage Rating
95%
  Scale: Other
  Mfg. ID: MIO-09
  Suggested Retail: $14.99
  PUBLISHED: Sep 10, 2006
  NATIONALITY: United States
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 88.06%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 77.50%

About Jim Rae (jimbrae)
FROM: PROVINCIA DE LUGO, SPAIN / ESPAñA

Self-employed English teacher living in NW Spain. Been modelling off and on since the sixties. Came back into the hobby around ten years ago. First love is Soviet Armor with German subjects running a close second. Currently exploring ways of getting cloned to allow time for modelling, working and wr...

Copyright ©2021 text by Jim Rae [ JIMBRAE ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

I picked the 2mm chisel up last year and recently added the 1mm chisel and the scriber. I love the 2mm chisel -- the tip cuts wonderfully and the heavy handle helps control -- all my other scrapers/chisels are now redundant. The 1mm is purely for fine work in small spaces. The scriber works OK also -- I prefer it for a square shape to the cut after I've scribed a path using one of the more traditional scribers. That said, I recommend folks try the 2mm chisel. You can buy the other tips separately so you really only need one handle. John
SEP 12, 2006 - 07:03 AM
Thanks for the review I was going to pass on this tool but now I'm interested. I will keep an eye out for it. Tom
OCT 15, 2006 - 06:45 PM
   
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