Magnetic paint: There is such a product put out by Kling. I bought mine at Michaels, but have not tried it yet. It says it is a light gray 100% acrylic latex primer, may be topped coated with any color latex or enamel paint. Kling Magnetic Paint is a 100% magnetic receptive coating. (Magnets stick like magic). Soooo, looks like it would not magnetize the "dollhouse" but make the walls accept the magnets. I haven't tried it yet but it looked like a product that might come in handy. Maybe someone else can help further. Diane in SFBA |
Bricks from Vinyl Tiles- I've used them to 'pave' a floor and make fireplaces, hearths, etc - I got 12 x 12 floor tiles that were a good brick pattern. They have to be the 'old fashioned' kind of tile that will bend and snap - not the newer vinyl tiles that are quite bendable. (I assume these 'cheapies' are still made -check Color Tile or somewhere similar.) The 'brick red' ones are probably the most quickly identified as 'brick' in a mini room, but you can use one of the other colors. The texture of the tile, when seen 'up close', is the important thing. The tiles with a lot of 'grit' in them - that almost crumble along the lines of breakage, when bent, are what you need - but may be hard to find, now that there is so much 'vinyl' tile on the market. Make mini bricks like this: Mark appropriate widths of 'brick' with ruler and pencil. (An average brick is about 3-1/2" wide, through they vary a lot.) With an X-acto knife and ruler, score the tiles - then score the 'stripes' vertically the 'length' of the brick....about 8" (in 1:12). Snap the little bricks apart. This gives an irregular edge that makes the bricks looks more 'authentic' when laid. I made a template of the floor area to be covered, then cut a piece of posterboard exactly that size and shape. I laid the 'brick' on the floor posterboard by first drawing in the rows, using pencil and ruler, then glued the bricks using a regular white craft glue. (Apply only the minimum amount of glue - since the moisture in the glue may make it curl. I like the Delta Quick n Tacky and Aleene's new Quick Dry Tacky since they hold well. The 'Grab' glues would probably work well, too. Allow a tiny 'joint' between each brick, and keep the rows of brick straight. Since you do such beautiful floors, I don't have to tell you to be sure that your bricks show at least a half brick - preferably a full brick, in those areas which will be seen.... and 'fudge' in areas which will be covered by furniture or other architectural features.... but other readers may need a reminder about this. Let the new bricked floor dry 24 hours. Then get a latex based caulking material (which cleans up with water), that is the color of 'grout' desired. If you can't find the right color, you can color it with regular acrylic paints. Following the instructions - for basic use - but apply to the brick as you would grout tile - working with only a small section at a time, since it will dry quickly. Use a spatula or something similar, as a flexible putty knife, and spread the 'grout' over the brick - working in about 4" x 4" sections. Work it into the cracks between the brick, then remove the excess. Quickly wipe with a damp paper towel to remove all the 'grout' from the surface of the 'brick'. Grout the entire floor in this manner, and then let dry 24 hours. Although the use of latex-based caulk does minimize the tendency of the posterboard to curl, you may wish to weight it down with books, while the caulk dries. (An alternative to this might be to spray paint - with acrylic paint which would dry almost instantly - BOTH sides of the posterboard floor before proceeding, to 'seal' the posterboard and keep it from absorbing any moisture in the glue or caulk. You can then glue in your finished floor with YES glue, or whatever you prefer. You could also try an application of regular floor wax on a test piece, to see if it gives a softer, 'worn' patina of old brick you might like. You can also make a 'stone' floor, using irregular 'stone' shapes, if you get a limestone, granite or marble type 'stone' finished tile. The nicest thing about this technique is that you don't have to be nearly as precise as one of the beautiful inlaid floors that you have! Linda Gale, Artisan, I.G.M.A. |
TO MAKE BRICKS - I mixed a tad bit of blue with red (but plain terra cotta looked great too), rolled it out at thin as I could get it right on the (Airbake) flat cookie sheet. I then used a metal ruler to score the horizontal lines and the back of an exacto blade to score the alternating vertical lines. Then I sprinkled the bricks lightly with colored sands... beige & black... slightly rolled again to embed the sand but not hard enough to roll out the shape or scored lines and baked. After baking, I gray-washed (watered down gray paint) and wiped. A little bit of the sand comes off when you wipe and it leaves a blotted color on the bricks while filling in the scored lines like mortar. Looks very realistic. The bricks can be easily scored with a sharp knife but I try to make the size to fit my project so I don't have to cut. I also used this technique to make brick planters. Lauriel Of Nags Head North Caro |
Crayola model Magic: http://community.webshots.com/user/katt8003 I just read about suggestions for Rusty's Wizard of OZ poppy field and thought I would type my suggestion and a great hint for anyone who has never used it before. Crayola model magic........wonderful stuff. I use it for Landscaping all the time--it is light weight, it air dries over night, and you can add things to it, paint it, glue it, and plant your wire plant stems in it after it is dry because it is like styrofoam after drying. I also used it as the base of my pond, which can be found on my site in the Pond Album.........I used a large Tomato Juice can cut down and molded the model Magic around it and even on the bottom of the pond part where the water went, I painted the bottom of the pond and then I glued the entire area with green flocks, added the accessories, and then added the water and the boat before the water firmed up. Kathy in Cedar Springs, Ontario, Canada |
| p>Water problems: I have used clear caulking by Dap or GE, from Home Depot as my water. To color it, I colored the material on to which I put the caulking. The caulking can be manipulated by simply wetting your finger and moving/smoothing the caulking to however you want it. To place fish, etc., in the "water"; at some point in putting the caulking down put the item into the caulking and continue to apply caulking so that the item (fish) is encased in the caulking. With the wet finger you can create ripples etc. Does not shrink or turn color. My "sea shore" is sitting in the garage for about one year, here in So. Florida, HOT and very HUMID with no change at all. DrBob...Delray Beach, FL. |
Re: Smoothing Caulk with fingers: I have to question the safety of sticking a wet finger into this stuff. THE safest clear silicone caulk is the kind made for aquarium use (which is not available at building supply stores) and even that has cautions about fumes and skin contact. Some tropical fish suppliers will carry the small tubes; we get the 10 oz. size that fits into a caulk gun at http://www.petwarehouse.com Chrissy the Hyphenated |
Transformer...I do know that the Cir-Kit transformer has a circuit breaker housed within it. That's so that if your lights become over heated or you are running too many, the transformer will disconnect and after cool down will automatically reset. I don't know that the Houseworks transformer does the same. Roberta in Wisconsin |
Heat Build-up.... Showcase bulbs and fluorescents throw the most heat. If you leave enough space between inside and outside box, or drill air holes, you shouldn't have a problem. Most roomboxes are not airtight and usually the lights aren't on for an extended time period. Roberta in Wisconsin |
Thatch roof: There are illustrated instructions on my web site, under Tom's Tips. Tom Berkner, Earth & Tree Miniatures |
Thatch roof: please look at my webshots albums to see examples of the real thing...... also if you look in "Mini house build" album you will see the start of my mini thatch roof. Hope this helps. Noni |
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