Hello all, putting together tools to start building again, but never worked with PE. Have been seeing clips on youtube of guys working with PE block tools, have found a lot of different ones but notice some are made from plastic, others from metal. Is there any preferences or pitfalls with either? Thanks

This is what I use, from here...http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/index.php?manufacturers_id=51&osCsid=nih01edqvg7ir1427eq59c4gv7

Its small, 90mm/3.5" x 60mm/2.36" but I don't need to bend anything bigger. It is reversible. I'm closing in on retirement in a few years so I'm buying as many tools as I can now when I can afford it. I just bought a very fine P.E. saw set. This is a Godsend for cutting canopies and fine parts from thick sprue trees. Next on my list is a micro punch ser

Doug, don't rule out the try-before-you-buy plan with some flat nosed pliers you may have around already, like Michel mentioned. I use an assortment of tweezers to do my PE work, and while not really optimal perhaps, result's are satisfactory. I'm all for having the right tools for the job, but I'd also say understand the job and what it entails, and then you'll have a better idea of whether this tool is something you really need. That said, I plan on making myself a bender tool at some point, mainly for more consistently square, perpendicular bends on ship railings. I'm sure they are very useful, but also seemingly way overpriced.

Just my $0.02.