Bending pliers for photo-etch work have wide, flat, unserrated jaws so that no impressions are left on a thin metal fret. They are used where a bender with a clamping bar cannot be brought to bear: on small parts, on a fold that is not along a straight edge, and when adjusting an angle that did not come out right the first time. They are offered in a standard size and in a mini pattern for the smallest components.
Flat jaws grip the fret across its whole width, so the fold happens on one straight line and the material does not bow into an arc. Always work on the side carrying the etched score, and finish the fold in a single movement — bending back and forth work-hardens the metal and the fret cracks. In practice these pliers are used together with benders, which handle long straight edges while the pliers deal with everything else. The finished part is then picked up with tweezers and glued to the model. For rolling and shaped curves, the tools in other aids are the better answer.
