Cheap Lee Valley Mini Tools Sets

These tools are outstanding for modelmaking, as well as other small-scale tasks from household repairs to electronics work. Careful machining of the head, hinge and cutting edges results in jaws that stay aligned, operate smoothly and meet cleanly for precise cuts. The spring-return handles have a durable PVC coating for comfortable grip. Made in Japan, they measure between 4” and 6 1/4” overall.

The snips have steeply sloped jaws with hardened single-bevel edges that are offset for finger clearance. The plastic snips have fine-pointed jaws that are offset at 20° and ground flat on the underside, designed for cleanly flush-cutting plastic model parts from the casting sprue, but are suitable for detailed cuts in various craft materials. The metal snips are suitable for wire, wood or sheet metal. The robust jaws are gently curved on the underside to permit flush cuts, but can also be used to shape a radius or chamfer. The detail snips are a favorite among electronics buffs as their narrow tips, flat-backed and offset at 45°, permit precise cuts in confined spaces. A rigid steel nib projecting from the face of one jaw aligns with a guide hole in the opposite jaw, helping maintain precise alignment of the cutting edges.

The needle-nose pliers have narrow, tapered jaws with a lightly hatched surface for good grip at the tips, adjacent to smooth surfaces used for bending material with less risk of marring. A 1/4″ gap in the jaws has toothed sidewalls for a firm bite on round materials. A side-cutter next to the hinge has hardened, double-bevelled edges for snipping wire or small finishing nails and brads. The straight pliers have jaws just over 2” in length, with three small openings for bending wire. The offset pliers have 1 3/4” jaws, with the last 1/2″ set at 45° for leverage when prying or for clearance when working flush to a surface. The needle-nose pliers with tip cutters have double-bevelled cutting edges 3/16” from the tips of the jaws. They can serve as a sprue cutter and detail pliers in a single tool. The 1 1/2” long tapered jaws let you reach into a confined spot to manipulate parts or wire, then make cuts with only a small repositioning of the tool. A rigid steel nib projecting from the face of one jaw aligns with a guide hole in the opposite jaw to prevent skewing when used in a twisting motion.

The wire strippers are excellent for neatly stripping light wire up to 14 gauge (i.e., standard household wire). Because they are held in line with the pull direction, they allow precise control. A knurled brass stop-screw lets you set the jaw opening to precisely match even the finest-diameter coated wires and cables. Once set, the screw can be locked in that position, allowing you to consistently strip wires of the same gauge without having to recalibrate the jaw opening.

The basic modelmaking set includes the plastic snips and the straight needle-nose pliers.

The hobbyist set consists of the modelmaking set plus the offset needle-nose pliers, the metal snips and the wire strippers, to cover anything from building model railroads to electronics repair, as well as general household use.

The deluxe set includes all five mini tools previously listed, plus the detail snips and the needle-nose with tip cutters.