HMS Sphinx by Delf - Vanguard Models - 1:64 scale

[DelF]

Having completed HMS Speedy and The Duchess of Kingston I'm moving on to my third kit from Vanguard Models. I received HMS Sphinx in late 2021 and apart from opening the box to drool over the contents she has stayed on the shelf whilst I built the Duchess. Shortly after ordering her I bought a copy of her original draft from Greenwich and had it framed, which at least kept the interest alive:

 

 

I have always intended to build Sphinx as a Navy Board style model, with no masts and with at least some of the decks missing to expose internal detail. I was very nearly tempted away from that plan by Ron (@hollowneck)'s magnificent rendering of the kit as HMS Camilla, complete with sails in a most realistic seascape. However I reluctantly put temptation aside and decided to follow in the footsteps of another fine builder, Blue Ensign (@Blue Ensign) who led the way down the Navy Board route.

 

Others have described how well packaged and presented the kit is, so I won't repeat that here. Neither do I intend this log to be a blow-by-blow account of the build. I see little point in simply recording steps that are perfectly well described in the excellent manual. Rather, I will limit the log to points of particular interest - problems encountered, solutions found, novel tools and techniques and any kit bashing/enhancements.

 

I got to this stage fairly quickly and with no problems or deviation from the manual:

 

I built the supplied building cradle (right, in the photo) but at this early stage chose to use my homemade keel clamp. As with all the Vanguard kits I've had, I was impressed by how accurately the components had been cut, and how well they fitted together.

 

The only issue I had was around how much fairing to do off the model. The manual seems to suggest a fair bit to the bow and stern assemblies but I bottles it, and have probably left myself with a lot to do later in the build.  Here's my half-hearted attempt at the stern:

Thanks for looking in. Next, I'll describe the first departure from the kit.

 

Derek

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Afternoon Derek,

I also have a box full of Sphinx goodies waiting on the shelf so will follow your log with interest.

Have been admiring your DoK for a while now.

I agree with your comments ref. the instruction manual and the plans provided.

This is a quality bag of bits and I am looking forward to starting building in May or June this year.

I like the idea of building a Navy Board version but have a few months yet to decide.

Blue Ensign's log looks very impressive.

 

Best regards,

Sam.

[DelF]

Lower deck decisions

 

Blue Ensign's Sphinx underwent extensive surgery to some of her bulkheads and her keel to allow access from the lower deck to the fore and aft platforms. The fore platform is provided in the model. but B.E had to make the rear platform and the ladder leading to it. I initially decided that neither mod justified chopping bulkheads in half and other such hair raising alterations. I reasoned that neither would be very visible once the upper decks were in place, with the rear platform in particular requiring an endoscope to get anywhere near it. 

 

So I glued the lower deck in place, sans mods. Of course as soon as I looked at the result the lack of access looked right back at me. In particular, the top of bulkhead 4 and the keel visible through the foremost ladderway stuck out like a sore thumb. 

Consequently I tried to come up with a practical and hopefully non-destructive way of recovering the situation, at least for the fore platform. I eventually concluded it would be too difficult to cut a chunk out of bulkhead 4. Instead I decided to chop the short length of false keel (the one at right angles to the bulkhead in the photo above) short enough to allow a ladder to fit over it. My crew will be slimmer than B.E.'s and therefore their ladder will comfortably fit in the space next to the bulkhead . I used a razor saw to cut the keel:

 

The kit ladders are laser cut from 0.6mm pearwood. I used a spare piece from the kit sheet to cut the ladder sides and treads, then it was over to the Proxxon mill to use an 0.6mm end mill to cut the necessary slots:

I used double sided tape to fasten the ladder sides to each other and to a wooden table made with a couple of pieces of scrap glued together and held in the vice. The mill is fairly low powered, and with such a small end mill the tape was sufficient to hold the workpiece rock steady. Here's the slots cut:

  

I used a sanding stick to round the treads before gluing them in their slots:

And here's the final result - probably the last clear view anyone'll have of the ladderway!

I'll plan more carefully in future.

 

Derek

PS  just noticed that hatch is upside down and you can't see the realistic ledges and battens (visible in the preceding photo)- fortunately it's not glued yet

[DelF]

25 minutes ago, SIDEWAYS SAM said:

I also have a box full of Sphinx goodies waiting on the shelf so will follow your log with interest.

Have been admiring your DoK for a while now.

Thanks Sam. The trouble with Chris Watton is that he designs and produces kits far faster than I can build them. I've got Indefatigable on order so no doubt she'll sit on the shelf tapping her foot impatiently for a year or so while I build Sphinx. Still, having too many kits to choose from is better than having too few. Your Endeavour is coming along nicely so hopefully Sphinx won't have too long to wait.

 

Best wishes

 

Derek

[SIDEWAYS SAM]

Thanks for the comments Derek.

All i wanted was some decent boats for Endeavour and I made the mistake of looking on Chris' site.

I ended up bodging the boats supplied by Caldercraft and bought Sphinx instead.

Am already saving up for Indefatigable.

Have a copy of AOTS Pandora on the book shelf which is providing entertaining reading.

Can't wait to get started.

 

Best regards,

Sam.

[Blue Ensign]

Enjoy your new adventure Derek, it's a great kit to build.

You'll have one advantage over me in that you will be able to  furnish the Great cabin, Chris's  furniture arrived to late for me, I couldn't get the stuff between the beams.

A lot of the mods I made to Sphinx were addressed by Chris on his Indy kit, especially the Quarter galleries, which is perhaps the trickiest  change I made on Sphinx.

 

B.E.

 

 

[DaveBaxt]

There are a number of Sphinx build logs but I have been looking forward to you starting this one Derek and I look forward to watching your progress. It already looks like you are off to a great start.

[DelF]

23 hours ago, Blue Ensign said:

You'll have one advantage over me in that you will be able to  furnish the Great cabin

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. I'll order some furniture as soon as the selection I want is back in stock.

 

Derek

[DelF]

I emailed Chris to ask when the furniture I wanted might be available. He replied in less than an hour to say it was back in stock, he just hadn't had time to update the website. He also offered to post in the Indefatigable delivery due next week to avoid extra shipping charges. What service! I don't know how he manages to keep all the plates spinning, what with running the business, producing current kits, designing new ones and answering customer queries. I'm just grateful he does.

[DelF]

Gundeck Support Beams

 

I'm on tenterhooks this morning as I wait for UPS to deliver Indefatigable. Nevertheless I found time to finish fitting the gundeck support beams, some parts of which needed to be shaped to represent the rounded columns under the beams. I had considered cutting these parts off and replacing them with wooden columns turned on the lathe. However I re-read Blue Ensign's log and noted that he advised against this as it might weaken the structure. In the end I compromised, threw caution to the wind and mounted the whole component in the lathe:

 

To my relief it worked, at least for the single columns. For the doubles I fell back on more conventional and safer methods - initial cuts with a scalpel followed by sanding. I found the best method was to cut a strip of sandpaper to the width of the rounded part of the column and use it on the component mounted in a bench vice:

The next choice was colour. To decide between Vallejo Flat Red and Admiralty Red Ochre I painted a couple of test pieces:

The Vallejo on the left won hands down, despite having looked far too bright fresh out of the bottle.

 

NB The hatch coamings are not glued to the deck at this stage. When dry fitting the various components on this deck I found that the coamings were a very tight fit between the support columns, so I glued the columns and beams in first, then sanded the edges of the coamings until they fitted. I was glad I hadn't glued them earlier.

 

Here's the current state of play, with the support beams in place together with the four longitudinal beams. I lightly sanded the coamings to soften their sharp edges. A subtle change but giving a more realistic impression, I think. 

 

In the last shot I'm considering leaving grating off the foremost hatch in order to display the deck below. If I do I'll have to neaten the side of the ladder I made earlier.

 

On to the stern frames next.

 

Thanks for looking in , and the likes and comments.

 

 

 

Derek  

 

 

[Blue Ensign]

Worth fettlin' the columns Derek, even if the only ones ultimately visible are those adjacent to the Main ladderway.

 

You've made a nice job of them.

 

B.E.

[DelF]

Stern frames, lower sub-deck & gunports

 

Thanks B.E., and all the likes.

 

As designed, the shape of the stern fames incorporates a bench seat in the great cabin:

As others have noted, and I checked in my copy of AOTS Pandora (a virtually identical frigate) this bench is over-size and too high up. Following @Blue Ensign's lead I got to work with the Proxxon scroll saw and trimmed the components back to the bare frames, the idea being to construct the bench separately later in the build.  

The gundeck subdeck was fairly easy to install, only requiring light sanding in a couple of areas before the two halves fitted in to the slots in the hull frames. 

 

With the engraved maple deck glued to the subdeck I'm sure the resulting surface would be very solid. However I've already more-or-less decided I'm going to cut and fit my own boxwood deck planks, so I had to provide extra support for the two halves of the subdeck, especially down the middle. Not for the first time I followed Blue Ensign's lead. Like him I glued frames under the ladderways and hatchways using some boxwood from the scrap bin cut down to 3mm square:

It was tricky to locate and clamp the frames so I had to tackle the job in stages:

 

The end result feels solid.

 

The next task was fitting the gunport frames. There are 44 of these in total - two frames per gunport per side. Here's the frames from one side of the ship:

Note how all components are numbered. It's worth pointing out that each pair is different, making sure that each exactly fits its position on the hull. In fact they're so well designed and produced that there is absolutely no slack in their fitting. I found you have to orient each piece precisely as you offer it up to the hull otherwise it won't slot in to place. 

 

Here's the result:

 

 

 

More filler pieces to fit to the false keel next.

 

Derek

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by DelF

[DelF]

Update

 

Progress has been somewhat chaotic over the last month, with log keeping falling by the wayside.

 

Shaping then fitting the filler pieces to the keel was straightforward:

 

 

I started fairing the inside faces of the frames to prepare them for gluing the bulwarks. However I found this very laborious and decided to order a Proxxon pen sander to speed the work. Unfortunately my supplier was out of stock and I ended up waiting a fortnight for the tool to arrive. In the meantime I made a start on the ship's boats and got as far as attaching the keels to the frames:

 

  

 

You'll see I couldn't resist making a start on the stove.

 

When the sander finally arrived it did a good job. These shots show it on it's transformer and in action:

 

Fitting the four sections of the gundeck bulwarks in place went very smoothly, with no bending required. In this next shot the front bulwarks have been fitted and the quarterdeck beam spacing patterns are being glued in place prior to the rear bulwarks:

Here's the stove, just waiting for some steel weathering powder to add highlights. I'll probably add a grill and drip tray before finally fixing it in place.

With the bulwarks fitted I decided to see what the etched deck it looked like. I was so impressed I went against my earlier decision to fit my own deck planks.  Here's the deck glued and clamped, with dowels in place of the three masts to keep everything aligned:

So far so good. It was at this stage that the wheels started to come off. Part of the deck around the main mast felt springy and clearly was stuck down properly. There was no easy way to inject more glue, so I thought if I soaked the deck around the springy area and applied weight, that might revive the existing glue get it to stick. This actually worked surprisingly well, but unfortunately I hadn't taken sufficient care in setting up the weight. I used my miniature anvil and, although I put a sheet of paper under it, the water soaked through the paper and leached some muck of the anvil thereby staining parts of the deck. I'm not sure what the stain was, but it had soaked into the wood. I was faced with a choice - lift the whole deck and revert to Plan A, ie make my own deck, or try to repair it. 

 

I opted for the latter, and with the help of some sharp tools I managed to lift the ruined planks and replace them with ones cut from the same maple sheet as the deck. Here's some shots of the work:

The remaining stain near the mast will eventually be hidden, and to the naked eye the repairs look almost invisible.

 

That's enough excitement for one month. I'm hoping to report more normal progress in future!

 

Derek

[DaveBaxt]

I like the look of that Proxxon sander Derek. The fitting on the end must be a game changer. I have the other larger one which works off  the mains. It is great for doing hull planking and masts etc but for that pesky little fiddly job its not much use. Darn it Derek it looks like I need to get another tool . Only joking and thanks for the update on your newest project which is coming along nicely. Best regards Dave

[Blue Ensign]

Good fix on the deck Derek, that will blend in beautifully. 👍

 

B.E.

[DelF]

Gundeck bulwarks - finishing off

 

Fitting the spirketting to the bottom part of the gundeck bulwarks was straightforward and as per the manual. The deck clamp patterns that run along the top edges of the bulwarks came next. The manual suggests fixing these so that the top edges come slightly above the top edges of the bulwarks. This felt slightly imprecise so I decided to use pins through matching holes in the patterns and the bulwarks to hold them in place whilst the glue dried:

For the colour I decided to try matt red in AK Interactive's 3rd Generation acrylic range, as recommended by @James H and sold by Vanguard Models. I was very impressed how this brushed on and covered, and I'm looking forward to trying it in my airbrush.

 

I never think bulwarks look complete without a waterway so I departed slightly from the manual by fitting my own. I used a spare length of boxwood cut to a an angle on the table saw as described here in my Duchess log. 

I'll drill out the scuppers later.

 

Next I looked at the area in the bows around the bridle ports, which is not covered by the bulwark pattern supplied with the kit. Here's the section around the starboard bridle port, just ahead of the stove:

 

This area will just about be visible if the bridle ports are shown open so I decided to follow @Blue Ensign's lead and finish them off with some spare material from the bulwark and spirketting frets:

A tad crude, perhaps, but in this barely visible area that'll suffice.

 

A mammoth fairing session next. Deep joy!

 

Derek

[DelF]

Fairing

 

Thanks for all the likes!

 

Before starting on the fairing marathon I tried out the various jigs that Chris has provided to maintain the shape of the bulwarks during subsequent operations. These all fitted perfectly, which suggests everything is well-aligned so far: 

 

I took the fairing very steadily, just a short session every day in between chores around the property, and I’m reasonably pleased with the result. The proof will be in the planking. 

 

The large number of bulkheads, the gunport frames and the extra shapes in the bow and stern sections make it fairly straightforward to sand down to the correct hull shape – along with constant testing with a planking strip to check.  

My only slight difficulties were in the bow and stern sections, and that was because I was too timid in sanding these off the model and consequently left myself with a lot to do after they were glued in place and access became more difficult. However with my new pen sander and a small drum sander on the Dremel I was able to get into the awkward places. Here’s the result: 

 

Here’s the tools I used for fairing: 

 

The next job was trimming the gunports. I did the initial work with a scalpel, then finished with a barrette file. The file’s triangular shape ensure you only cut the face you are working on, and not the adjacent sides. The way the gunports are framed in MDF makes trimming the inner bulwark patterns very easy:

 

Finally I cut up some of the 4mm MDF fret to frame the quarter gallery doors: 

 

Next job will be preparing and attaching the two upper hull side patterns. 

 

Derek 

[DelF]

Upper hull side patterns

 

Fitting these patterns is one of the more critical early stages in the build. As others have pointed out, it is essential to look several steps ahead because the slightest misalignment at this stage can cause problems further down the track. I learnt a lot by reading @Blue Ensign and @Glenn-UK's logs, and the advice Jim Hatch offered on them.  

 

However I soon found that simply following others’ logs isn’t enough to avoid problems. For example, B.E. spotted a difference between his build and the manual – the slot marked ‘A’ in the shot below was partially above the bulwark in the manual but not in his. However the kit plan drawings seem to support BE’s model. Try as I might I couldn’t get the patterns to sit low enough to match BE’s Sphinx without losing alignment with the gunports. My alignment looked closer to that in the manual. I was concerned because I knew BE’s model turned out fine (more than fine, actually!). I took some comfort from the fact that the curve marked ‘B’ in my photo lined up perfectly with the corresponding curve on the hull, but decided the only way to proceed with confidence would be to temporarily fit the stern patterns to make sure everything lined up.

 

Here’s the three patterns fitted with double sided tape and clamps (not very well adjusted at this stage!):

 

One of the key tests is where the upper side patterns meet the upper stern pattern – there must be sufficient room for the capping rail that will eventually sit on the side pattern, without it sticking above the stern pattern. This shot suggests there will be sufficient gap: 

I can’t explain the differences between my findings and BE’s. I can only guess that, no matter how accurately the parts are designed and produced, tiny differences will creep in between models as they are built without necessarily impacting the final result so long as care is taken to test everything for (reasonable) alignment at every stage. 

 

I want to open up the quarter gallery so before gluing the upper patterns I needed to mark and cut out the doors (I’ve already done that for the inner bulwark patterns but forgot to log that). I clamped the patterns in place and marked the door opening as accurately as I could with a sharp point... 

...then used a jeweler's piercing saw: 

I’ll tidy up when the patterns are glued in place. 

 

Next it was on to pre-bending the patterns. Ever since I permanently shrank one of the Duchess’s patterns by using boiling water I’ve been nervous about this process, preferring to use dry heat where I can. I wasn’t sure that would suffice with these patterns so I soaked them in moderately hot water for 45 minutes, clamped to the model, blasted with a hot air gun for good measure then left overnight. The result was fine, with the bent patterns requiring very little persuasion to conform to the shape of the hull when I glued them in place: 

I used dilute wood glue as suggested in the manual, to allow time for getting the alignment just right, supplemented with fine pins to hold the lower edges of the patterns tight against the frames. I only had enough clamps to do one side so I took my time with this, allowing each side to dry overnight. Everything looks OK so far: 

 

 

I'm pleased that the patterns follow the gentle concave curves of the upper hull as shown in the last shot.

 

Planking next!

 

Derek 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by DelF

[Nipper]

Congrats on your successful fitting of the side patterns - I know from my own experience how challenging this is!  Thanks also for your detailed description and analysis of your methods - this is so helpful to us all in a similar way to B.E.'s outstanding build logs.

[James H]

Fitting those parts can be nerve-wracking as so much relies on correct positioning. Looks good too me though.

 

And to see you set the top stern fascia and made sure it sat correctly above the bulwarks too. 👍 

[glbarlow]

Somehow I missed the start of this log, as usual your is doing a masterful and creative job of building another fine Vanguard model.  And as usual I see tools I just know I need, even if I didn’t know that before like those small thumb clamps, that angle thing for the saw, and surely I need a Proxxon router table for something or another😊

 

Nice work and creative problem solving as always, I’m onboard for the ride now.

 

[DelF]

1 hour ago, Nipper said:

Congrats on your successful fitting of the side patterns

Thanks Nipper. I've found the most important part is the planning and preparation prior to gluing. Once that was done actually fitting the patterns to the hull was comparatively easy. I had much more difficulty with Speedy where I had to resort to a steam iron to get the kinks out of the pattern (see here). Fortunately my technique has improved since then!

 

23 minutes ago, James H said:

Looks good too me though

Thanks Jim. As I said, I learned a lot from the advice you gave on earlier logs.

[DelF]

7 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

I’m onboard for the ride now

Welcome aboard Glenn. I wouldn't feel I was doing my job if I wasn't encouraging you to buy even more tools - you do it to me often enough! 

[VTHokiEE]

5 hours ago, DelF said:

then used a jeweler's piercing saw:

It’s the little things - but wow am I impressed how straight your cut is. I need to significant practice there…😬. 
 

BTW - Everything else looks fantastic!

[DelF]

18 hours ago, VTHokiEE said:

how straight your cut is

Thanks Tim. No significant technique - I just find that if you can hold the piece properly it makes it easier to cut straight. To that end I made a little cutting table similar to a jeweler's bench peg; just a square of thin MDF with a triangle cut out of one side and clamped to the bench top. Cutting within the triangle area means the workpiece is well supported and can be moved around as necessary.

[DelF]

Starting the planking

 

Thanks for all the likes and kind comments.

 

The first two strakes on each side were easy, with no tapering required. The third was slightly trickier as an extreme bend was required at the stern.

 

The curve at the bows is fairly gentle and strictly speaking I didn’t need to pre-bend the planks. However I think it’s always a good idea to do so and thereby remove any unnecessary stress in the hull. Besides, it didn’t take long – a quick dip in hot (not boiling) water and the plank was lightly pinned and clipped in position before being blasted with a hot air gun and left a few minutes to cool down:

Before removing the plank I marked it for cutting on one of the middle bulkheads:

 

Although it would be possible to complete each strake with a single plank I find it more convenient use two. That way I can worry about bow and stern tapering and bending separately. I stagger the join between the two planks so it doesn’t fall on the same bulkhead in successive strakes. Again, not strictly necessary but it just looks better to my eye. I will use a planking pattern more akin to full size practice for the second planking.

 

The final step before gluing is to bevel the top edge of the plank. Not a full bevel across the width of the plank, just taking off the back edge with a light sanding is sufficient to get the plank to sit tight against the preceding strake (except at some points in the stern, where the angle between successive planks is extreme and where a fuller bevel is required. Of course, this is only the first layer and any gaps can be filled before the final planks are laid. However I just find it’s good to practice the techniques at this stage where mistakes are less critical.

 

I applied glue to the top edge of each plank as I fitted it. This avoids any tendency for the planks to move up and down in relation to each other during sanding, which can make it difficult to get an even finish. Here's the third plank down on the port bow glued, and pinned where necessary. When I start a session I like to remove the pins from the previous day to re-use - and to avoid catching my knuckles on!

The third strake down required a severe bend to fit round the stern. I practiced on an offcut and found the best method to avoid splitting the plank was to use an Amati plank nipper. I also used the offcut to determine the angle to cut the end of the plank.

Once cut and bevelled it was just a case of applying glue and plenty of pins, and hoping for the best!

 

Here’s the main tools I used:

Starting from the left, the Fineline applicator is great for applying glue just where you need it. It's especially useful for laying down a long run of glue, eg on a plank edge.

The homemade plank clamps  are easy to make by cannibalising small paper clips.

I didn't get on with pin pushers until I got this extra fine one from Vanguard Models - it works a treat.

The Amati plank nipper works really well on the first planking. I'm not sure it'll be as useful on the second planking where it might mark the surface. We'll see.

The hot air gun is one of my most used tools wherever heat is required. Not just planking but also, for example, with heat-shrink tube used to simulate iron bands on masts etc.

 

For the rest of the planking, where tapering is required, I’ll use my proportional dividers and the technique I described in my Duchess log.

 

Derek

[DelF]

First planking finished

 

It's taken a while to finish the first planking, partly because I've been busy with other things, but also because I like to take my time with this stage of the build. I probably won't paint the hull so the second planking layer will need to be as neat as I can make it. Whilst the first layer won't show, I feel it's good practice to take as much care with it as possible, in particular rehearsing the measuring, tapering and edge bending methods I'll use in the final layer.

The first job was to construct a support that would enable me to work on the hull upside down. I had some spare pipe insulation foam lying around – a short length cut in half and stuck to a baseboard did the trick:

Next, I used pencil marks on the frames to divide the hull into four bands to make measurement simpler. At this stage I went for simplicity, dividing each frame into four equal parts. For second planking I’ll use thread or battens to ensure the planking flows in pleasing curves around the hull.

 

At the midships frame, there is space for exactly 20 full width 5mm planks, so I didn’t bother marking all the frames where no tapering will be required (like the one on the right in the picture above). In this picture I’ve fitted the garboard strake and one adjacent. As always with the garboard, care must be taken to make sure it does extend too far up the stem, otherwise there won’t be enough space for the remaining planks without excessive tapering and drop planks etc. I tried to get the garboard at the bow to look dead flat along the top edge when viewed from the side.

I’ve also temporarily fitted the keel – possibly not really necessary but I felt it helped me get the garboard strake right. I’d previously drilled through the keel and the false keel to provide possible future mounting points, and I’ve used small wood dowels as temporary fixings.

 

The actual planking process went smoothly albeit slowly. In the end I just needed a small amount of wood filler in a couple of low spots. Rather than clog the log with a blow-by-blow account, I’ll just include a few photos of work in progress and save a more detailed account of the process for the second planking.

Shutter Plank

Most strakes consisted of just two planks. However, in a few cases – usually where the bow and/or stern sections required a lot of tapering and bending, I chose to produce shorter planks for these areas, with a so-called shutter plank joining them.

The last strake was an interesting shape, but relatively straightforward:

 

 

Here’s the planking finished, with an initial sanding and a wipe down with white spirit:

 

There’s now some more construction work before I get on with the second planking.

 

Derek

[Blue Ensign]

Nicely planked Derek,  that'll do very nicely. 👍

 

ps I like your idea of using pipe insulation for inverted hull support, an effective and lightweight solution.

 

Regards,

 

B.E.

[glbarlow]

Excellent planking Derek. I’m a big fan of the Proxxon mini-sander and the various end tips that come with it, comes in handy a lot. The curves at the stern are such joy. My only disappointment is I didn’t see any new tools I just had to have. 
 

I was a bit behind on your log, I’m really impressed, as I often am with your work, with how you scratch built your ladders. Very clever. 
 

[DelF]

7 hours ago, glbarlow said:

I’m a big fan of the Proxxon mini-sander

Thanks Glenn. I’ve used the pen sander quite a lot since I got it. I find the supplied sandpaper too fine for some jobs but it’s easy to ca a piece of coarser stuff to the tip.