Whats the difference between THE CHOPPER 2 and 3?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Does anyone use these.? I build a lot of FSM kits and they said these are really usefull. Whats the difference between the Chopper 2 and The Chopper 3? Are these worth the money?

Thanks

Mike

2

I would say a difference of 1. [:)]

http://www.nwsl.com/Catalog/CatalogSect2.htm

Rich

3

Mike,

I have one of the original Choppers. The Chopper 3 looks like a long version of the original Chopper, which would allow easier work when cutting long pieces of stripwood, styrene, etc.

The Chopper 2 is the heavy-duty version of the original Chopper. It will most likely hold up to regualr use or mass quantities of cutting. It also looks like it would be able to cut heavier stock than either the Chopper or Chopper 3.

4

All three versions used a single edged razor blade as the cutter, so the only difference seems to be the size of the table and the blade holder/handle.

5

With Chopper I and Chopper III the cutting surface is tempered masonite. Evidently you can also set up multiple handles/blades with the (longer) Chopper III

With Chopper II the surface is one of those green self healing mats. The mat can be replaced

With the masonite Choppers over time a groove is created where the blade hits. Gluing a small block of wood where the handle comes down helps a bit to keep the blade from digging into the surface. Over time the groove needs to be filled and various suggestions exist how to do this. Some involve sawdust mixed with ACC sanded smooth.

I find my Chopper I to be extremely useful when scratchbuilding with wood or strip styrene. I should probably also invest in the NWSL Duplicutter and True-Sander.

Dave Nelson

6

Yes, they are. The Chopper2 is a particularly good tool for the money.

I have to ask, why do you need a Chopper to build a FSM kit?

Mark.

7

I own a Chopper III, and it has mounting points for a total of three cutting levers. As I understand it, the idea is to purchase two additional cutting levers so the modeler can have up to three different setups on the same tool. That is, if you are cutting parts that require multiple miter cuts, you can arrange the stops/angles at each of the cutting levers for each required cut to produce a finished part in a quick series of steps. Of course, on the Chopper I or II, all you do is make the first cut on all the parts, then change the setup for the next cut and run all the parts through a second time, and so forth.

I’m really not sure there’s any huge advantage to the III, the only reason I bought it was that was the one that was in stock at my hobby shop and I didn’t want to wait for a Chopper II to come in.

Tom