Fretwork designs: You asked about designs for doors. You did not say if it is a frame and the fretwork becomes the filler inside the frame or if the fretwork lies on the solid face of the door. What I have done is two things. For fancy screen work (grill work). I take normal window screening and rotate it 90 degrees. This results in the squares in the screen becoming diamonds. Second. I have taken paper doilies and cut out the paper fretwork and used that to fill in the frame of the door. Usually on a cabinet type doors.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

No brush strokes:  I only use foam brushes because I always had that problem.   You have to apply more coats but it gives a very smooth finish.  The brushes are reasonably priced and you can get them at a craft store.   Also, the paint might be a little too thick and you could try watering it down a bit.

Carol

No brush strokes: Acrylic paints dry quickly, which is one of their attractive traits. Another of their attractive qualities is that they can be thinned with water. Something to remember is that the warmer it is, the faster they dry. Also that in the winter, they thicken with the cold.

What I would suggest is thin the paint a little at a time until you can paint a coat without brush strokes showing. Two or more thin coats is much better than one heavy coat. Sand lightly between coats, a brown paper grocery sack is really good for the sanding.

Rusty in Ky

Painting your doors:  Just some thoughts here.  I usually paint everything with a sponge brush which does not leave brush strokes or I sometimes use a tiny-tiny artist brush.  I like the sponge brush better because I don't have to clean it, just throw it away when I am finished.   I sand after each coat of anything. I use either 150 or 240 sandpaper, I think you can probably get it even smaller.  I use a trick I learned in a furniture making class regarding sanding.  Basically we made tiny, tiny implements to fit in small corners and edges. We tacky glued some sandpaper to these and could just about sand anywhere. Of course you had to put a piece of wood on these to use as a handle so you could use them.   Sometimes the handle was bigger than the sander!  Oh also I wait for 48 hours between coats and sanding.

Kathryn from Virginia

Paper bag finish: I saw the question about using a paper bag to get a finish. Yes, it works. After using the final and finest grit of sandpaper; if you wish to get a glass smooth finish, use some paper bag material (Kraft paper; that brown stuff) as your sanding paper and do the same as with sand paper. It will impart a glass like finish for smoothness to your project.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Sanding or smoothing very fine details: If you are doing miniature carving work, and have areas that are rough and really do need additional smoothing, about the best thing you can use is some 400-600 sandpaper glued to a toothpick.   (Wrap it so it is as small as possible so it just covers the toothpick).  Even this fine a 'grit' will do immense harm to really small carving work - so you had better proceed cautiously!  Sometimes, the best thing to do in these really tiny areas is just to 'polish' the top as I have talked about doing in my 'basics'.  You can also get very small micro needle files from X-Acto   hobby/plane/train shops) or order from MicroMark  http://www.micromark.com    The tips of these files are about the size of a large needle -- but, once again, they will remove TOO MUCH if you are not careful with them!

Linda Gale, Artisan, I.G.M.A.

Getting rid of brush strokes: If you are plagued with brush strokes, you need to thin the paint you're using -- but don't use water to thin the paint, even if it is acrylic.

Using water will raise the grain of the wood you're working on and cause a "whole 'nother problem"!  You can get special mediums for thinning acrylics - - check labels and ask questions.  These are not the 'gel' mediums that will thin the color and make it more transparent.   You may need to experiment with different types/brands of medium/extender that will give you the effect you want.  You must also use a relatively expensive flat brush with very soft bristles.  (Clean it immediately after each use and it will last for years with proper treatment.)You can also use your fingertips to 'brush' - but don't pat -- or you will have.......  fingerprints!     ;D

For a really fine 'brush stroke free' finish, you'll need to build up coat after coat of color - using a thinned paint color - allowing each coat to dry very thoroughly (overnight), gently sanding or 'polishing', applying another very thin coat of paint, etc.  You can plan on putting on at least 3 coats of thinned paint, in this manner.  

Although time consuming, a LOT of thin coats work much better than a few thick coats - not only because they don't show brush strokes, but because, as you apply each coat, sand or polish, and apply another coat, you are slowly filling in the grain of the wood and making it less noticeable.....one of the primary 'give aways' in close up  photography of miniatures that are, otherwise, almost 'the real thing'.  (If using stain, instead of paint, the multiple 'finish coats' do the 'filling of the grain', while still showing it.  You just don't get the microscopic 'dented' effect that grain has when very closely examined.) This is the same technique as the Japanese/Chinese methods of applying lacquer finishes - though they use high gloss lacquers instead of the satin-finish paints miniaturists use.  A lacquer finish requires 30-40 coats of very thin lacquer, drying, sanding, lacquering, etc---to get a really mirror finish that is as smooth as glass.

Remember that each sanding/polishing step MUST be followed by use of a tack cloth to remove all the dust, before applying another coat of paint or stain.   If you don't remove every tiny micro particle of dust, it will be magnified with each additional coat you apply over it!

Finally -- if you want to get really 'obsessive' about what your finish looks like:  Shine a bright light on it so the light flows over the surface, from the side.   It will show up even the tiniest ripple in your finish coat. (Remedy:  Sand with 400-600, and apply another finish coat - or two.) Remember that a final thin coat of CLEAR paste-type floor wax (the type that won't yellow), carefully applied with a Q-tip and then buffed well, gives a wonderful 'mellow' look to your piece....but even this won't cure problems that started with a bad first coat of paint or stain!

Now that you know how very time-consuming achieving a really good finish can be.  Is it no wonder that artisans charge so much for their work? Probably 75% of the labor involved is not in the actual construction of a piece of miniature furniture - but in the finish applied.   It might take only a day to cut out the pieces of a small table and assemble it, but weeks to apply a proper finish!   

I hope this answers all the questions that I left out of my basic 'how to' that Mel mentioned.   If you are interested in these 'basics' that I always include with my bed or furniture classes, please let me know and I'll be glad to post it. 

Linda Gale, Artisan, I.G.M.A.

Citrus texture:  You probably already know this one but.....To create the right  texture on the orange skin, roll the fimo ball over a used toothbrush.   Leaves an indented look just like an orange. Ditto for lemons."  A bird perch scraper works very well also. 

Sue in CT.

Queen Victoria Pictures: my favourite place to look at pictures is at http://www.easyart.com/index.php

Pauline Amour

Mission Furniture: To the person inquiring about making Mission Furniture: Dover publications has a book titled "Mission Furniture, How to Make It." I haven't read it, but it is supposed to have directions for almost 100 pieces of mission furniture. Try this URL: http://store.yahoo.com/doverpublications/0486239667.html

Jean Snyder