I do all of my work on three pieces of equipment: a table saw, drill press, and spindle sander (at least now that I've killed both of my 4x36s). Everything else is done by hand. Soon I'll be getting a 2x72 belt sander, and while it will help for scale making, I'm not getting it specifically to make handles.

It's just very quick to lap something as small as a scale down on some flat sandpaper. The 4x36 only saved me a few minutes at the expense of accuracy (unless I went back to the sandpaper). I love the spindle sander for shaping scales though. It lets me get away without having a bandsaw, and the work is very easy to control.