1/2" scale resources/Tools: re: topic of mini tools I stumbled across Mrs Art's Minis and noted some tweezers, scissors, and wire cutters for sale on the supplies page http://www.mrsart.homestead.com/ re: looking for 1/2" scale food, glassware, tableware; here are a few links: http://www.halfscaleminis.com/ http://miniatureconcepts.hypermart.net/index.html Nursemini |
144 scale Furniture: the 144th scale houses can be furnished by buying unpainted pewter and painting them. There is a lot of this pewter around and I have furnished almost a complete house with it. You can also get tiny "H" wood from a miniature railroad shop and get creative. Cut off one "leg" of it and slice in thickness desired and you have a set of chairs. Make it longer and you'll have a couch. You just have to not only think small but smaller. You can't get too much detail, illusion is the thing. Irene |
Siding: If at all possible, the best way to glue siding to your walls is before the house is put together, using lots of books to weight it down. (An encyclopedia on CD is handy, but not worth much in the weight department!) Putting up the siding after the house is constructed calls for LOTS of masking tape and clamps. Still very difficult to keep the bottom edge of each piece from popping up. Dani in Bradshaw MD |
Shingles: When I put on shingles, I mark the roof 3/4 inch from the bottom and then every full inch beyond that. I line up shingles along a straight edge and put a strip of masking tape over the row. This is a great job for the grandchildren, when they want to "help". In truth, having a second person to keep feeding you strips of shingles is a real blessing. Anyway, run a line of hot glue about a quarter inch below the pencil mark, and lay the entire row of shingles in one "swell foop", as my eldest called it. The secret to a permanent roofing job is not to use low-melt glue; it will harden before you get to the end of the row, and will soften in the sunshine. I used regular hot-melt on all my buildings and haven't lost more than one or two shingles. Dani in Bradshaw MD |
Shingles: When I put on shingles, I mark the roof 3/4 inch from the bottom and then every full inch beyond that. I line up shingles along a straight edge and put a strip of masking tape over the row. This is a great job for the grandchildren, when they want to "help". In truth, having a second person to keep feeding you strips of shingles is a real blessing. Anyway, run a line of hot glue about a quarter inch below the pencil mark, and lay the entire row of shingles in one "swell foop", as my eldest called it. The secret to a permanent roofing job is not to use low-melt glue; it will harden before you get to the end of the row, and will soften in the sunshine. I used regular hot-melt on all my buildings and haven't lost more than one or two shingles. Dani in Bradshaw MD |
Wallpaper: I also had problems finding wallpaper that I liked here in the UK, on a visit to my local DIY shop (focus) I found a solution. The DIY shop had a sale on full size wallpaper, so I bought some rolls with a very small pattern on and some with a stripe and some with a self coloured pattern, I also bought some borders that were also reduced in price. With the borders I did not use the whole thing but at the edges of the rolls was a mini sized design so I cut the edges off and used these as my 'mini' borders, the middle of the border I threw away, so for around £1 per roll I managed to decorate my house with lots to spare, I also was able to buy some paper with a small embossed pattern on which I used for papering my ceilings they look great. I used two different types of wallpaper for each room one at the top and one at the bottom with some of the 'mini' border in the middle. So have a look around the DIY places in your local stores, its worth a visit. Ann Littler, Oxford UK |
Scales: Once again I will mention that there is a lot of similarity between some of the model railroad scales and miniature scales, so drop by some of those "other" hobby shops and see what they have: N scale is 1:160, close enough to 1:144 for some things to be useful O scale is 1:48, exactly the same as the 1/4" mini scale G scale is 1:22.5, again close enough to 1:24 for some things to be used David |
Barn Plans: A great place for plans for farm buildings is from U.F.A. (United Farmers Association in Canada) where they sell plans for full size barns ect. The person was nice enough to shrink a copy for me maybe you have an association in the states similar? Also Lee Valley Tools sells some great books full of old plans for buildings, equipment etc. They have a site online http://www.leevalley.com Joanne in Calgary |
I just finished a garden scene inside a flower pot. The flower pot is tipped on it's side and corks glued to the sides keep it from rolling. I used cardboard to build up a flat floor and covered it with 1/2 inch tiles. I made a tiny potting bench from scrap wood and put garden tools, a fertilizer bag, a birdhouse and empty flower pots on it. Then I placed pots of flowers, a garden hose, a watering can and tiny rubber boots around the potting bench. I completed it by gluing brown ballast on the boots and around the edges of the tiles. I'm so in love with it, it makes me feel spring is around the corner. Ame Fay, Covington, Kentucky |
Bellingham Farmhouse: I'm in the process of building a Bellingham now. If you'd like to take a look at what I've done, this link should take you there. http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=miniatureoma Marcia |
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