Small Holes: Before I had enough small drill bits to do the job I needed, I "invented" my own. At the time, I was using the small "E" string from a guitar to mount my dolphins. The nickel coated wire didn't rust, and was sturdy and very thin. I cut a piece of the wire about 1/2 inch long, using normal wire cutters. That left a flat, sharp end on the wire. I glued it into the center of a 1" long, 3/16" piece of dowel, and when twisted between my fingers while putting pressure on the wood, it drilled a perfectly sized hole. Nuttin' to it! Cheap, too. Just has to be good sturdy wire.

Dave

Tiny dowels:It is fairly easy to make and use a "draw plate" to make tiny sized dowels. Secure a piece of 1/16 to 1/8" tool steel from your local machine supply. There are a couple in OKC (not too sure about Norman but you could also try a farm machine repair shop or the metallurgy department at OU) Drill a series of holes from the smallest size you may want to the diameter of your stock (tooth picks) From one side, countersink each hole until it would almost but not quite enlarge the hole if you countersink any deeper. The series of holes should be incrementally larger in very small steps.

A trip to the blacksmith, machine shop, welder, or farm equipment repair shop should get you the prepared tool hardened for a few dollars.

Once it is hardened, draw your toothpicks through each hole from the flat side to the countersunk side. Each step will shave a little more wood until you pull through the hole which represents the size you want for that particular spar.

One unfortunate matter about draw plates (for your application) is that the dowels will not be tapered as you would want for ship spars. I suggest that you make an extra draw plate with the holes near one edge. Now grind and file away half of the holes to give yourself a series of "shavers" that you can use to draw over the spars against a flat work surface. Practice will teach you how to add a nice linear taper.

Mel Koplin, Las Vegas

Glues: A flower-making friend of mine introduced me to Ultimate glue. It's great. It flows well, but has a fast tacky bond and dries clear. I have added it to the glues I sell in the shop.

I also carry Gloop which I find better than most glues to attach plastic to wood like brick on dollhouses sides or roofs. However, one of my customers who uses a lot of plastic siding and rocks insists on using Quick Grab. The trick is not to have globs of it in pockets like the formed plastics tend to have on the back. When it doesn't have air, it eats through the plastic. I have also used it successfully before I used Gloop.

Deanna from sunny Thiensville

Moss: When you use model railroad moss to your roof, take a few preliminary steps. Give your dollhouse a sense of direction. Where is the window where there must be a lot of sunlight for table plants and such? Is this your south wall? There should be very little moss on that side of the roof and the heaviest amount on the north roof. Where will there be a lot of shade? Under dormers? Along the chimney?

Sketch a plan for your moss patterns.

Moss on shingles will tend to be toward the top of each shake where it goes under the one from above. If you dust dark green ground foam (Woodland Scenics RR stuff) from above, it probably will NOT get into those desired spots. If possible, turn your dollhouse on its side or back and work on the roof sections which are now UP. Sift a bit of moss into the general area then brush into the desired tops. A bit will also get into the cracks between shakes or shingles which is appropriate. When you like the effect, over spray with an aerosol fixative.

Keep in mind, that the moss will grow best where the roof is most commonly wetand therefor those shingles will show additional effects of weathering. They will be darker with more sign of rot than on the South face. There will be more rust in the flashing and nails. The dry south face, on the other hand will probably have more splitting from dryness.

While you are planting moss, consider leaf compost and perhaps even weed growth in the gutters. Over the course of 50 years, there may be signs of repair on the roof. Three different shades of tar built up around the chimney or a vent pipe may be appropriate. Through all of this, however, be subtle. A dollhouse is actually a glorified showcase for miniature collectibles within. Suggest age to enhance realism but not so as to make most visitors actually aware of what has been effectively suggested.

Mel Koplin

Dolls in the ER: Sorry to hear about your dolls falling apart! There are several things you can try. The people who "bash Barbies" (I think they prefer to call themselves "fashion doll customizers") use Bondo sometimes (mixed with acrylic paint to match the skin color), and I have also read where they use equal parts Liquitex Modeling Paste and Liquitex Acrylic Gel Medium, mixed with acrylic paint to repair or re-work a body part. And Renee Coughlan, who makes these gorgeous Barbie centaurs (believe it!) attaches the doll torso to the horse body with PaperClay.

There is also a group of people out there who make and/or paint models mostly of monsters, and of scantily-clad women on steroids, who use Milliput or Magic Sculp to smooth over repairs or seams. As for where you get this stuff - I believe Bondo is used in auto body repair (guys, am I right, or wrong) so I guess you would be going to the auto parts store. Liquitex products are available at any arts & crafts store; the same with the PaperClay. I saw Milliput at Michaels just the other day. Magic Sculp has a web-site (magicsculp.com) but I have not seen it anywhere else. I hope this helps, and the dolls get well soon.

Deena in Miami

Ceilings: I have found an easy way to do ceilings. I buy the large sheets of water color paper. At Hobby Lobby they are next to the bins of large colored heavy poster board. There are different thicknesses and textures, and they can be painted. I measure, cut to size, and then apply regular wallpaper paste to the paper, and then apply to the ceiling. I then use a rubber roller to make sure I have all the air bubbles out and to make sure the paste will adhere. Since my house has ceiling fixtures in each room, and I wanted to dress the ceilings up a bit, I bought some ceiling paper from my a dollhouse shop(the kind that has different designs throughout), cut the designs out I wanted around my lights, placed them where the ceilings fixtures would be, and used wallpaper paste again to put these on with. You do want to be careful about using a roller on these since it might mess up some of the design. I then inserted the lights. I have found it is MUCH easier to install these fixtures by running the electrical tape on the floor above, drill a hole where the fixture is to be attached, run the wires up through the hole, and connect to the tape. The only problem with doing it this way is if you are going to have a "wood" floor instead of carpeting, and you glue the floor down. If you have to get to the tape run or if you have a short somewhere, this can be very difficult. If you have carpet, you can just lift the carpet up. Hope this helps.

Shara in Colorado Springs

Painting Plastic: anyone who wants to paint on plastic - spray the item with a very light coat of Testors Dull Cote first, and then you can brush on acrylics or spray paint! Use a very light hand with your spraying - it will puddle and drip if you are not careful. This stuff will also take the "shine" off of plastic, which is very helpful if you want to use something plastic (or ceramic) look more realistic. Most arts & crafts stores sell it; you can get it at Michael's.

Deena

Aging wood: Just a reminder for those of you trying to make something look old..... yard sale or thrift stores often sell bags of used blush makeup (the powder kind) cheap.... get it! Brushed on wood it makes wonderful smudged aged wood... rub it in and it's as if a hundred years have gone by, dirty finger prints on woodwork and doors, stains in sinks and worn areas on floors also come alive with this stuff. . The only odd thing is a broken down haunted house that smells like Avon etc. . delightful fragrance sometimes, completely at odds with the appearance. .

Judie

Tea: for a cup of tea you can use a real tea bag. try for a pyramid bag, the latest craze over here! You can use varnish, PVA or anything which dries solid and clear and then use the tea itself (a strong infusion) to color it. It should be a bit lighter than coffee. BTW, most tea is made in a pot. 2-3 tea bags per pot, but if we're in a hurry we'll put it in a cup. It never tastes the same, though. The tea leaves from tea bags also make great soil to put round your plants! And it smells nice!

Lynne Connolly

Stainless Appliances: I once used a piece from the inside of a tube of toothpaste to simulate stainless steel on a section of a kitchen appliance. It had the right "look" and weight and was very flexible. I don't know whether you could get a large enough piece for the whole appliance without having a seam.

Harriett- Framingham, MA