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“The Nutter” Scale Detailing Tool by The Small Shop

“The Nutter” Scale Detailing Tool by The Small Shop

Without a doubt, this has to have the most ‘politically incorrect’ name I have come across. So what does this rather oddly named tool actually do? Well, as we say here, it does just what it says on the tin; it makes scale model nuts. Not just one type of nut, but many types and sizes of different nuts; not just hexagonal, but square…both with and without holes. In fact, bolt heads, nuts and rivets. The choice and size of what can be made should be more than enough to satisfy the most ardent modeller with an eye for extra detail, in many scales.

The Nutter came with no instructions, which was a little disconcerting to me to start with until I took the plunge and started to use it. The main body of this tool comes in 2 halves, with a black anodised base with a spongy rubber insert, and a bare aluminium upper with ‘bays’ cut into it from where you stamp the pen tool downwards. The 2 components are held apart via a spring loaded pin with adjustable knobs on the upper surface. This allows the metal media from which the nuts are made, to be clamped between the halves of the tool.

Now that is as difficult as it gets.

You don’t get lots of the laminated metal, so be judicious with how you use it. Cut a piece of the metal from the roll, and clamp within the main body. Once you have clamped a piece of the laminated metal sheet inside the main tool body, you simply choose which type and size of nut, bolt head or rivet you wish to create. The punch heads are set into plastic bases, and easily recognised by their labelling, plus the fact that if you turn the plastic over, you can see the punch heads from below. Choose the punch head you wish to use, and then screw the punch handle onto the punch whilst it is sat in its base, then pull the punch out, which is now attached to the handle.

The Nutter comes with the following size punches:

Press the punch down into the metal sheet until you hear a reassuring ‘click’, then carefully retract the punch. 90% of the time, the resulting rivet/nut lies on the punch bed, and you simply just tip the tool forward until the rivet/nut collects in the shallow tray at the front of the tool. Occasionally, I found the rivet to be attached to the punch head, and a small flick with a blade will release it.

The sheer size of the resulting nuts, and how well they are formed is amazing, especially when you make the very smallest ones. It is so easy to mass produce dozens of these to adorn your model. I found that it is best to remove the metal sheet every now and again and re-flatten it so you can maximise the use of this consumable material.

The Nutter comes with 7 punch heads for producing Hex Nuts and Rivets, in several different sizes.

The Small Shop have kindly supplied us with two extra sets of punch heads. These are:

Again, these are used in the same manner, but produce a new range of very useful miniature stamped parts. I simply had to get the camera macro on overtime to show you the result, up against a rule (albeit a cheap one) with 1mm graduations. Surely you must agree that this is both a very useful and quite amazing little tool.

I told you this was a no-brainer to use. The only part of the Nutter which I suppose is up to you to use your imagination are the semi-circular indents which lie on the top part of the main body. With the metal sheet, I imagine you can use these indents to form things like reflector bases and other similar shaped items.

The laminated sheet is tri-ply and the manufacturers website says that the central core is lead. As this appears to be faced with what looks like tin on either side, there shouldn’t be any real contact with this, for those who are overly safety conscious. The rolled sheet we are supplied with comes in a 6 inch square sheet, and can easily be sourced both in the USA and in the UK/Europe, should you need to purchase further quantities.

So what do we think?

Well, this is one of those tools where, when you get one, you’ll wonder how you did without it. If you are an armour modeller, the possibilities are endless, and if your interest is rail, sail, or aircraft, this tool will certainly come into its own and earn its keep. Absolutely extraordinary. I can’t wait to start work on my vac-form Handley Page Hampden, as I know this tool will be well used. Very highly recommended.


Overall 10/10

Many thanks to Julie at The Small Shop for supplying the review sample. This item is available directly from The Small Shop via their website for $114.99USD for the main tool, and $19.99 for each of the punch sets, or from one of their distributors listed on their site.