New Glues: Just got back from the Tom Bishop show in San Francisco. I really enjoyed myself and did well with the Scenic Water. I'm beginning to feel like Johnny Appleseed. John, the inventor, introduced me to his glues. They're all good, but the one I particularly like is called Rocket Hot. It has a 1 second bond. However, he has something called Rocket Powder and this is where it gets interesting. If you need to fill holes or gaps, you build up or fill the area with this powder and then put a little of the Rocket Hot over it. It bonds in a second and you then have a filled area or joint that you can sand and paint. The possibilities are endless. Another wood glue he has is made so you can stain over it and it has a better bond than most glues. He also has a glue that won't cloud glass beads. Being a glue nut, I'm in seventh heaven. http://www.scenicwater.com

Deanna from beautiful downtown Thiensville

Mini Levels: I found mini levels as keychains at my local "woodworkers store". Thanks for letting me get all that out and I hope nobody is mad or offended by my reason for joining. No matter how, I'm just glad to be here.

Linda Master

Scale Rulers: I hesitate to post this, but I'll apologize in advance if Istep on anyone's toes. Regarding using an architects ruler/scale, if you use one and are happy,for goodness sakes, keep using it. But for beginners, may I offer this observation. Several years ago at a NAME luncheon, someone at the microphone gave instructions how to use it. After five minutes, and many questions, there were 3 or 4 people out of 75 that understood how to use it. The rest still had absolutely no idea how to read it. Even if you are familiar with how to use it, you must constantly search which of the six scales to use, three of which are read backward. So I repeat, if you are using one, don't let me deter you, but for beginners, there are enough problems to solve instead of re-inventing the wheel--Buy a very simple to read scale ruler!!!!

Dean Jenson

Free woodworking plans: For free woodworking plans, go to http://www.about.com/ , then hobbies, then woodworking. They have a wide variety of plans, from bookcases to breadboxes. I've scaled down a bookcase for my dh. Enough to keep any new mini woodworkers (like myself) busy for ages!

Betsie, South Africa

Building Furniture: I read your comments regarding a beginner's problems with using tools for making miniature furniture. I have been designing miniatures for many years and these have been regularly published in the British magazine "Dolls House and Miniature Scene". I have recently set up my web site, http://www.smallfurniture.co.uk , and this shows some of the end products. Of possible interest to you may be a few pages on which I have detailed some jigs, techniques and simple hand tools. These pages should be updated over the coming months. Have a look and let me know what you think and suggest specific things that I could include to help you. One of the problems with having been keen on miniatures for a number of years and general woodwork for even longer is that the use of equipment has become normal and it takes a little thought to realize that beginners need a helping hand. Keep trying - practice makes perfect - and you should soon be able to tackle even greater projects.

Neil Helsby

Cutting Cylinders: When I was building the model of the Mote Aquaculture Center (see the photos in the architecture section of my webpage: http://homestead.com/davesminiplace ), I was faced with making over 100 open top tanks that full-size were 4 feet high. That was 5/32" high at the model's 1/24" = 1' scale. They ranged from 3 feet (1/8") diameter to 60 feet (2-1/2") diameter. Materials included cylinders of paper such as soda straws and mailing tubes. Other tanks were made from plastic, brass or aluminum tubing. Since in the model, they would be grouped closely together, height repeatability during the cutting was essential. I tried many tools such as xacto knife, razor saw, razor blades, pipe cutters and, even, my table saw with a fine tooth blade. The razor saw with a miter box was marginally successful for the small diameter tanks but this would involve cutting many more specimens than I wanted just to get the required amount at nearly the same size. Also this didn't work for anything larger than about 3/8". I made all kinds of jigs to hold the larger ones and guide the height of the cut and used many different cutting tools to no avail. I messed up a lot of material trying.

As I was sitting in my shop fuming in frustration, my eyes fell on the Dremel shaper table screwed to the workbench. Although meant primarily for use with router bits, it occurred to me that it allowed a precise height adjustment above the table. I chucked a cut-off wheel into the Dremel rotary tool and adjusted the height to exactly 5/32" high. Using the table's fence and clamping an scrap wood piece on as a secondary fence, I was able to make a triangle opening that allowed about 1/4" exposure of the cut-off wheel. Holding the cylinder of material vertically on the table and rotating it against the cut-off wheel, I was able to cut all but the 6 smallest diameter tanks exactly alike. The small ones worked best in the miter box.

It took me over three days to figure it out, but only 45 minutes to do them all.

Dave Brazelton

Wallpaper Adhesive: One mistake that I made on my dollhouse was to put wallpaper up with spray adhesive. It was so easy and went on so well. Imagine my disappointment when, after a few days, all the wallpaper started falling off the walls. One good thing did come out of it, though. I realized that the wallpaper I was using in some of the rooms was way too dark to achieve the look I wanted. I got a second chance without having to scrape off the stuff I didn't like. I used bookbinder's glue the second time and it is still holding. Thanks to all the Small Stuffers for that advice. I should have listened to them the first time.

Terry T. in WV

Antique wood glues: I have never heard of fish glue but I was aware that in antiques animal hide glue was used, such as rabbit hide. I don't think they had the glue variety that we are lucky to use before the 1950s. Anyway to answer your question I went to one of my FIL's old books and found just the ticket, called Furniture Joinery. In the section on glue it mentioned there are four types of glue that were commonly used in wood working, namely, hide, fish , casein and synthetic-resin glue. Fish glue is called a "cold glue" and is made from the heads, skins, bones and fins of certain fish and the best are cod and cusk. It is not waterproof.

Gary in NH

Filling in window openings: Cut wood to fit into the window opening. Wallpaper on the interior and siding, brick, or stucco on the exterior will hide it.

Carol, S P Miniatures

Lace on Picture Frames: I make a basic frame out of mitered balsa wood, to fit the picture, I might add. I've applied fine lace with white glue, (also mitered the corners), painted the frame first with red, then dry-brushed gold paint on top. I've used heavier lace, the embroidered looking type, and painted or stained the whole thing brown, black, red or whatever, then used Rub-n-Buff. The results look like carved frames. The problem is finding the 1/8" lace for the smaller frames, for larger frames 1/4" is fine. I have also cut out designs from the lace, i.e. two petals in a "V" shape, and used this just on the corners. They really go quite quickly and are fun to make. I've used "V" shaped angled wood for frames, 1/2 round wood, and even layered a small frame on a larger one, to add depth. I then paste the picture onto card stock, glue clear vinyl sheeting cut to size for glass, and then glue the whole works together. I try to put the name & artist on the back of the card, if possible.

S. Begley