While December brings visions of presents, snow and twinkling lights into people’s minds. My head fills with thoughts of shiny nails, band saws, and weight placement, as any derby dad would a month away from the “Big Day”. Needless to say I was in derby mode! So when the wife and I stopped by a Michaels craft store and I saw the new BSA / Revell display, I was drawn like a moth to a flame. They had everything. Wheels, body kits, axle presses, body tools, graphics, axle polishing sets! I started browsing and grabbed an axle press and body tool for $12.99 each. Did I need them? No, I had my own already. But I had a workshop coming up and having two at the stations could alleviate back up. (This was my excuse to the wife.)
The axle alignment tool was anodized an attractive red and came with a #44 bit. It also had a slot in the back with a bolt that would allow you to attach two of them to a ruler and make a jig. The axle press was chromed and looked very similar to the Derby Worx one I had purchased off the web. Both had instructions on the back on their uses. On closer inspection of the axle press, I found that it was obvious the two pieces were not machined together. It had a small channel to hold the nail and would not fully encase a nail when inserted. This actually allowed a severally bent nail to stick outside of the channel when hammering. The nail head beveling portion did not work well either, mainly due to its inability to hold the nail correctly.
Disappointed with the axle press I was more pleased with the axle alignment tool. The inner width measured in at 1 ¾ inch on the caliper and included the raised axle hole on the back to make a three wheeler. I particularly think the clamping portion on the back is a nice feature. The included bit appears to me a little smaller and noticed the drill bit bores slightly tighter holes then my current #44 bit. Over all I was very pleased with this product and it makes up for the less then stellar performance of the axle press. It is nice to see that these type of derby specific tools are available to the masses. Not to mention the convenience of being able to get official BSA products if you're not near a Council store.
