Heres one i havent tried it myself yet but they seem to have a good selection tinytools

I think Minicraft vanished off the map a while ago, here's a few alternatives

http://www.proxxon-direct.com/

http://www.modellersmate.co.uk/products.htm

http://www.expotools.com/

Small power tools. Like Dremel etc

u can get mini hand drills (size of a pen)instead of mini electric rotary drill
u can use sandpaper/wet & dry with suitable size block instead of sanding disc attachment of various shapes sizes
some people prefer hand tools as feel they have more control
electric rotary tools are quicker at doing the same job but might need getting used to using them (oops slipped oops pressed too hard )

Choice of tools is definitely 'horses for courses'. When I started my HMS Halifax some years ago, my wife desparate for a christmas present idea bought me a Dremel power tool with the usual accessories. As Budgie suggests it took some getting used to and to avoid slips the hand drill was often a more controlled option.

This winter I decided that I really ought to get organised to finish first Halifax and then Bounty and included a vertical drilling stand for the Dremel in my Christmas list. I also bought the relatively large and heavy hand vice so I could position pieces accurately. In the picture, I have set up a circular piece for an end hole.



This has given me so much control over positioning holes accurately and also drilling metal pieces was never easy by hand. I guess the consistent high speed of the drill is important.

AND THEN ... ALONG CAME VICTORY!!

So I now have three kits on the go plus Cutty Sark hidden in the attic!

Once I have finished the deck fittings on HMS Halifax, which I now regard as my training project before Victory, I will be moving on to the masts and spars. I really admire some of Zeptraders earlier posts showing his re-fitting on Bounty but decided that this could be really time-consuming using hand sanding. I tried sanding using a normal electric drill clamped horizontally but again for me, I found this awkward,

Therefore the birthday fairy was persuaded to deliver the ultimate power tool this week in the shape of the Proxxon DB250 mini wood-turning lathe and a set of 5 mini-chisels.



So far it has taken me several hours on the web looking at wood-turning video lessons and about an hour of practice. The results are on top of the motor unit.

I am justifying this in terms of speed and accuracy.

In my opinion the mast profiles for Halifax get quite complicated and you need to turn down from large to quite small diameters.



This last picture shows the tapering exercise based roughly on part of the topmast profile which includes the narrow bit towards the end. Not bad, I thought for a first ever attempt at a craft I have always wanted to try my hand at .. wood turning.

As a footnote: the birthday fairy (oops SHMBO) has decided that a fitted spice rack in the kitchen with turned vertical pillars would look really nice!! I did suggest after Victory but the outcome was .....)

Mike T

I know I should have listened!!!

Following on from what Tomick said about sprung calipers I had a look at the above site and found some. Also they do a modelling tool kit which seems to have some different items to those we are expecting to get as part of the build and coincidently covers a shopping list I was beginning to build up such as a proper cutting mat and a mini plane etc.

So I have placed an order with Tinytools and will let everyone know what their service and products are like when it arrives.

Mike T

I was looking at the picture of your workspace. The drill and stand is clearly identifiable and I assume the unit on the right is a circular saw table(?) but it is difficult to see the middle tool, in the shadows a bit, any info and what make is the saw?

Mike T

mike,they are all minicraft, saw table,sander,drill andstand all from e-bay,I also have a black and decker rotary sander with loads of attachments, only use that on the big jobs,brilliant tools minicraft and fairly hard to obtain.

I use the Dremmel as I have limited work space and it does everything I need to do.