Not bad, just rusty




MEGA ANNOUNCEMENT

I’ve been quiet, but for a good reason — I’ve been working on something exciting. And we’ve been packing the house to move back to the UK.

So, what’s exciting? Well, I’ve been buying… investing, I should say… drum roll please…

I’m officially making craftsman kits!

Starting this summer (all being well), I will be producing two HO scale craftsman kits a year. They will be large, they will be fun and they will almost always be limited to runs of 100. I’ve already designed the first one — featuring a large, a medium and two small structures. An entire industry!

Now, I know I’m still a fresh face round these parts — heck, you might have even stumbled across this and be thinking “Keep It WHO?, what is this blabbering buffoon waffling about?”… well, here’s what I can promise you: I will be making sure these limited kits are worth every penny! That means top quality lumber, metal and 3D printed castings, exhaustive instruction manuals. You name it.

Speaking of pennies, though, there’s a particular reason I’m going into production and I’d like to share it. The only time I get at the workbench is in my free time – after work, in the evening. Which, coincidentally, is also the free time for the rest of the family (my wife, my toddler). As a result, I often I feel guilty for shutting the workshop door and having some fun. Those that know me know I’m a big family guy. I’ve always wanted MY hobby to give THEM the gratification it gives to me — a time free of stress, anxiety and worry. So I came up with this two birds, one stone scenario:

100% of the profit from selling these kits is going towards my daughter’s education fund & my wife’s astronomical PhD bills.

They may never understand why I (and millions of others) take time from the real world to squirrel away into the wee hours working on a miniature one… but at least they can benefit from it.

So that’s what I’m going to do, starting with two kits a year.

Now, things will go a little quiet again over the next number of weeks because a) I’m still working everything out and b) we’re moving back to the UK. Don’t worry though, I’m figuring out all the logistics to make sure shipping charges remain sensible for US/Canadian customers. Right now I’m projecting $30 USD, all in. Covering customs, taxes etc… That’s UPS, tracked and within 4 business days delivery time (from pickup). Air freight, baby! Not a bad deal, right?

I’ll be making regular updates in the meantime, including the set up process over the next number of weeks. There will be no hiding from the moment the first kit hits, too. And when it does you’ll be able to purchase it right here on the site via a secure Shopify checkout you can use any debit or credit card with.

Until then… send me any questions or queries. Even if it’s for a kit you’d like to see.

And remember, keep it quality… Keep it Rusty!

by Craig on January 6, 2022