Thank you everyone so much, I'm compiling a list of items and links online stores. It's great when a produce gets universal praise such as the permagrit tools, they should be sending me a catalogue... in the mail... like in the olden days
Thanks for suggesting a self healing cutting mat David, I've been meaning to get a larger one for a while, unfortunately it's just one of those 'unexciting' items that tends to get forgotten about, but which is actually really useful for lots of jobs.
Phil, I have a delightful mental image of you sitting at your treadle operated fret saw, I guess the puff to blow away the sawdust comes naturally from the effort exerted? I have a hand fret saw and I'm sure I'll be able to borrow my dad's little model one if I decide that would be better.
In my mind a 'scratch build' would be taking a set of plans and cutting all the wood and formers, and building it up, a 'kit build' would be buying a kits with laser cut bits and a plan and putting it together, then the ARTF being a mostly bolt it together affair. I usually jump off the deep end with these sorts of things :pinch:
Hi Ron, Having got two modern ARTF kits, I have to conceded that there probably isn't much point trying to replicate what they do by hand, trying to replicate the laser cut interlocking pieces would probably be a lesson in frustration. I've been looking at some of the plans you can download from here:, most of which are of an older style of building
aerofred.com/