CB Model Products Scale Aircraft Wheel Sander

This neat tool arrived in the mail yesterday and when I saw it, I thought 'What a neat idea'. This is a tool that allows you to get a flat sanding of aircraft wheels. As you know, just about all aircraft tires are flat on the bottom to some degree from the weight of the plane.

If you are like me and many other modelers, you have some difficulty not only getting the bottom of the wheel really flat when using conventional methods but often end up with a less than perfect job even when sanding away pour stubs from 'pre-flattened' resin wheels. You can see the wheel held in the clamp in the image to the right. Note that the tool is upside down to more easily show the wheel.

The tool comes with a selection of rubber o-rings to help protect any wheel detail you think might be damaged by the clamps. One simply attaches these with a bit of white glue and when done, the glue peels away easily and the o-ring is ready to use again.

In addition, the tool's clamp is able to turn a short amount so that one can sand wheels that are normally at an angle, like on a Bf-109. this is shown in the image on the left with no wheel installed. It shows the maximum angle the tool can be used. In these cases, the wheel will jut out more than usual.  I tried the tool on various wheels and got an excellent result each time. The tool has a cut-away area on one clamp that allows room for a hub to stick through and lets you to properly align each wheel.

One is supposed to place the tool on a piece of 320 sand paper and gently move it back and forth. I found that one can also use a sanding stick on it to get similar results.

It really is a neat item that you should consider adding to your tools.

Review items courtesy of CB Model Products. To order one, e-mail them at cbmodelproducts@hotmail.com

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.

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