Applying Yes glue on wallpaper: I use Yes glue (also sold as Grandmother Stover's) for wallpapering all the time.   I apply it to the wall, not the paper, using an old credit card to spread it very thinly.  Then I put the paper on and use another credit card to smooth out the paper.   This method seems to work quite well for me.  Tip: try to use the kind of credit card that does not have the raised embossed letters and is a bit more flexible - my favorite is actually an old auto club membership card.

Chris in Minnesota

Getting Organized: I've made up some new rules to follow as I get deeper into this hobby:

1. I vow now to keep the clutter and hoarding under control.
2. I vow not to pick up and keep every little piece of junk and save it as a "I might need this".
3. I vow to keep what I do have neat and organized and not allow it go move out of the one room. If it requires more shelving or another large bookcase/wall unit, to give me more shelf space in the little room, then so be it. BUT IT MUST STAY IN ONE ROOM!
4. To complete projects before I buy more and not have them backed up 5, 6 or 10 deep.

To keep this vow I've started organizing better. Instead of buy plastic storage boxes, which usually look ugly, I've taken some cardboard boxes that have separate tops (like the ones reams of computer paper comes in) or boxes that have tops the open like a chest would open, and have used some of the leftover "hoarded" real life wallpaper, and covered the cardboard boxes with some of these pretty wallpapers. Then the supplies can be put into pretty boxes, with similar quot;stuff" in each box, and the boxes look so pretty on the shelves. In this way, if I no longer need the box it can be tossed, cause it didn't cost me anything to make it and I can always make another one. I've done the plastic storage containers thing before and once emptied and not really needed, I then have to store the empty container because I paid for it. Many of you will say that you will never have an empty container, but that is part of the vow, to get rid of what is not really needed! Give it away. Whether its clothes to a woman's shelter, or old crafts that you know you won't want to do again, perhaps give to kids so they can start to learn about making things, whatever it is, to get rid of it if your not going to use it in the next 2 years. (I use the 2 year time period because I really am a hoarder at heart! and often have a 2 year plan when doing real life projects). I've usually been a reasonably organized person, but in the last ten years, I've lost that skill. Now much of it wasn't my fault (many family deaths, so many of their personally belongings to deal with, and much too much of complicated life stuff to go into). Much of it was my fault for not dealing with the problem asap. But what I do know, is once clutter and hoarding creates a huge clutter problem, using up all your closet space etc, once it gets out of control it takes not just weeks and months, but sometimes years to get through it all.

So my next "de-clutter/de-hoarding" project is my large bedroom that has some how collected every "I don't know where to put this thingie". I've also decided on how to deal with items that have been around for far too long! I said this to a group of friends that was talking about clutter and getting rid of stuff and how hard it is sometimes. My new aim is to look at the item and say, "If my house burned down tomorrow, would I really miss this thing!" Yes it was a shock to the group discussion! As it may be for you reading this. But it works. I've been slowly throwing out, cleaning out more stuff.

But I do separate the items into groups:
1) Throw out, 'cause no one will want it or can use it
2) Give to kids (someone elses., lolololol) to play with it
3) Give to women's shelters (even in shelters there are kids that need to play with something and women need clothes, household items or even material, thread etc, for setting up a new home for themselves and their kids, (many of these women get out of bad family situations with just the clothes on their backs)
4) Give to libraries no longer needed books, etc.
5) Give to church garage sales (if its still too good to throw out then someone may buy it at a sale if you don't want to have one yourself)
6) Put an ad in the newpaper, giving away free crafter's stuff or whatever; it will go fast.
7) There is always the old reliable method of putting it out on the front curb of your house with a big sign that says FREE, it always is taken by someone!

Just my thoughts on hoarding and cleaning out. Sorry it was so long, and didn't mean to get into clutter and hoarding so deeply, but you see I already have the makings of a huge "minis hoarder" and need to get it under control!

Darlene / Somerset / NJ

Applying YES glue....I keep a small bowl of water handy, and use a sponge/foam brush.  I wet the brush, squeeze out the water (leave the brush damp), then just scoop out the YES glue with the brush, and spread it over the back of the wallpaper.  If it's pre=pasted paper, I even cheat a bit....I will wet the pre=paste with some water on the brush a little, letting that paste activate...then apply YES over that.

Laura in OKC

Separating glued Items: [Is there any way to get something apart that has been glued with wood glue without damaging the parts?...]

Depends on which wood glue, and what you are trying to separate.  You can try warm water or vinegar to help loosen the glue.  You can use a sharp knife to cut the glue line.

Tom

Multi-Grip Hardware, Household &   Marine Adhesive: Speaking of praising and glowing about glues... Here is the new glue I just discovered.   Works as well as Quick-Grab without the mess, or losing half the tube to the clogged nozzle; great bottle, somewhat  like theTacky Glue bottle but clear;   bonds Tile, Brick, Concrete, Wood, Glass, Leather, Fabric & Plaster.  Waterproof and dries crystal clear.  With all those credentials, silly me, I find it great for Polymer Clay work - neat and clean.

Anyway, it is Multi-Grip Hardware, Household &  Marine Adhesive (by Beacon)   I bought mine at my local hardware store (another place we miniaturists lurk).  Hope you can find it to try it.

Mary (Eccher)

Beacon Adhesives: Folks have been asking about where to find Beacon Adhesives. I ran a Google search and came up with this URL. http://beaconcreates.com/   Apparently they make a wide variety of specialty adhesives for home and industrial use.

Brian

Reducing the thickness of wood: The Preac thickness sander is made to reduce wood in thickness.   It has the advantage of leaving none of the chip out experienced with planers on very thin lumber.  It is very easy to use and the abrasive sleeves last a long time.  Works on any thickness or type of wood up to 3" width. I just put it up on the you-asked page of http://smallerthanlife.com . http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~smallife/you_asked.htm Planing mini lumber can be done using a full size planer and a backing board. It works pretty well down to 1/8".   Thinner than that, I get lots of tear out and lose too much lumber up the dust collector.  This is especially true with the quarter sawn cherry we prefer to use.

The Carbatec miniature lathe and duplicator are also up on the web site. http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~smallife/carbatec.htm

Pete Boorum

Bending tubing:   for bending metal tubing Micro-Mark sells a little set of benders, the one reasonably priced item in their catalog, as far as I'm concerned. For five bucks you get five densely-coiled steel springs from a sixteenth to three sixteenths outside diameter. You slip the tubing into the appropriate one and bend. The springs keep the kinks out. I've only used them with brass and I anneal it first.

A method that doesn't require benders is packing the tubing with sand before bending to keep the kinks out and using a jig to bend tubing around.

Mary Kelly

Bending Tubing: You did not say if your bent tube had to be or stay hollow. Here are a couple of hints.

14 gauge solid copper wire is about 1/16 inch in diameter. Smaller number gauges are larger diameter. You can buy "Romex" by the foot at builders supply shops such as Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Suppose you wanted to make an old faciendo pipe frame headboard. For such in half scale, I would use 14 gauge (Scale 1.5" diameter) Strip off the insulation with a sharp exacto. Clamp one end of the bare wire into a small bench vise or have a friend hold it firmly with a pair of Vise Grip pliers. Fasten the other end into the chuck of an electric drill. Pull moderately tight and spin the electric drill. The wire will magically become perfectly straight as it twists. Cut pieces to size and bend over radiused corners in a block of wood.

A technique with hollow stock would be to use KS hobby brass tubing. Anneal the brass by heating it to cherry red in a gas flame and then allow to cool slowly on a pot holder. For very easy curves, you maybe able to slowly bend freehand or over a form after it is cooled.   For tighter turns, kinks can be controlled by stuffing the annealed brass with fine salt. Cap the ends with solder and then form your corners. After bending, unsolder the capped ends, dump out most of the salt and dissolve any that may be "packed in" by soaking in a pan of water. Rinse away any residual salt, polish, cut, and enjoy.

Petitfacades

Miniature woodworking tools: I have been interested in miniature woodworking for some time, and have been using a scroll saw, delta 1" belt sander, full-size table saw and chop saw, along with the Dremel drill press and shaper table. My Christmas present from my DH was a Preac table saw and thickness sander. What a wonderful addition to my workshop.

The thickness sander enables me to create all my mini-lumber at the exact thickness I need. No more waiting for an order of "close to but not exact" thickness lumber to build scale furniture and cabinets. I can create any thickness I need from what I have in the shop. Now I can use any of the hardwoods, such as cherry or walnut, and get away from using basswood (with its greater range of available thicknesses). If I need 1/32 inch cherry, I just put a 1/8 inch piece in the sander and make my own. The sander is easy to work and not intimidating ( I still grit my teeth in fear and intimidation when I use my full size table saw).

The new Preac table saw is wonderful for straight cuts for moulding or furniture pieces. I can make dados for shelves and sand the shelf lumber down to the exact thickness to fit in the dado.   I have been busy making store counters, shelving units, and plant tables for my street of shops. Even my husband is impressed with the results.

I bought my tools from Pam and Pete Boorum at http://www.smallerthanlife.com.

Preac also has a website, where you can get more information.

It just proves the old adage " get the right tool for the job". If anyone would like to see pictures, or have questions, please email me.

Sharon Blake, Wasilla, Alaska