Grandpa Lee's Miniatures

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How to select your kit This page is no doubt the least glamorous - just a boring chart, but it certainly is one of the most important. Your tool selection, organization, use, and maintenance will make all the difference between enjoying your work and total cussing frustration. The more the merrier as they say, but you probably won't need everything listed below and a lot of it is already in your tool box anyway. If you can visualize needing some items you don't have now go ahead and get them. Otherwise, if you can afford an occasional delay just work along until you find you really need an item and get it only then. Almost all the stuff you don't already have is readily available at your local hardware store at very reasonable prices, and most modest tool purchases are justifiable in any case as they will be used  many times over for a variety of tasks on this project and elsewhere. You can rig many more items yourself leaving only a few very specialized tools you may want to order. Click the 'Special Tools' button on this page to see what some of these might be. For the hard core hobbyist, things like belt sanders, band saws, air compressors, drill presses and an assortment of similar power tools are a must, but as handy as these may be, you, as only an occasional handyman, will do just fine without them for now.  

Be a pro The main thing is that once you've gathered all this stuff, you must learn to use it in the right way. It's beyond the scope of Grandpa Lee to turn this into a manual arts class, but there are a few simple rules that will greatly help anyone look and feel like a real craftsman. Whether you have a multi-drawer, ball bearing, roll around professional mechanics tool cart or just a table to lay your tools on, decide on a permanent spot for every tool and put it back after every use. Work safely, keep em clean, keep em sharp and put em back. Keep your parts together as well and constantly strive to keep your main work area clear. Nothing is more frustrating or time wasting than having to juggle through a lot of things lying around just to get a little work space, or trying to find some little tool or part amid scattered heaps of parts, tools, wires, paper, bottles - you get it. Finally, you should have at lease one small lockable box for the control of any sharp or otherwise potentially dangerous items if little kids are going to be around much. Descriptions and photos showing the use of these and other items are presented in greater detail in the following 'How To' pages, and as always we invite viewers to use our 'Feedback' page to ask further questions on the use and care of any specific tool.

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