Cutting Formica: Saw this on HGTV and have never done it myself, but... they scored & cut it from the back and also taped the beginning & end cut ( just off to the inside of where the blade will be). He said this prevents the chipping on the initial & final cut. Filed the idea away for a future project. Leslie Hampton |
Scales: Thanks to all of you who answered my question about the one inch scale in metric countries! But I have yet to hear from anyone is the non-English speaking countries! What about Italy, France, etc.? I got one email from a SSer who told me that the ratio stays the same...I understood that, just wanted to know what you call it in strictly metric countries! And, can you get rulers with inches on them? Since I'm Swedish I thought I might qualify for answering your question... It's really simple - we call it 1:12th scale! Which makes perfect sense in English too, right? There really is no need to measure things in feet and inches just because the scale is based on that ratio. Just measure your full-size table (or whatever) in centimeters, then divide by 12. Or the other way around. It's a good way to keep up the calculation skills, and not to forget the multiplication table. The unit you use to measure things is not really important, as long as you stick to one system for one whole scale transformation! It is possible to get rulers with both inches and centimeters on them, but I doubt that anyone uses the inch-marked side when they're used to centimeters. The way inches are divided into quarters, eighths, sixteenths etc. is really not helpful when you're used to decimal fractions! Åsa in Fairfax |
Animal-less Pet shop: I don't 'do' animals, so when I built the 1/4 scale pet shop from Debbie Young featured in DM, someone suggested I have a sign on the window saying "Opening Soon" Martha |
| Printable Mini Art: I have just added some printable mini pictures that can be framed or whatever. I printed them out on white linen resume paper and it gave them a nice texture. Also put a matte around them that can be cut off if the size needs to be smaller. Sclarise |
| Preserving Printables: Can I suggest you have your printables photocopied? This is something I've been thinking about for a while (haven't done it yet) - that way the ink is heat sealed and perhaps wouldn't fade over time. Eileen |
| Scroll saw recommendation: It really depends on what you want to do with it. I like to build furniture and so I have a very small scroll saw I got from Micro Mark. It has a foot operated rheostat (think sewing machine) and uses jewelers blades. On hard wood (cherry, walnut etc) there are no feathers--smooth cut. On basswood, very little feathering. The latest incarnation of this machine from Micro Mark has a speed control on the machine that you dial, much like a Dremel tool. However, they do sell the foot rheostats that I feel sure you could attach to the saw. I would ask one of their reps. I understand the new Dremel scroll saw is much improved over the previous model. I have not seen or used one so I can't advise you on this. However, if you want to be cutting out doors, windows, etc. of 3/8 or 1/2 plywood, you will need a heavier duty scroll saw. The Dremel looks like a good alternative to the very pricey but excellent Hegner. Sue in CT |
| Jeweler's Saw : Working with a jewelers saw to make one dozen shoofly rocking horses made me more frustrated than I ever want to be again in my lifetime. How the heck do you use them without breaking blade after blade? - Well, first you must install the blade correctly. The teeth should point toward the handle, so you cut to the pull stroke. When you install the blade, you need to deform the saw so that the blade will have tension on it when released. You use a small bench block (clamped onto your bench) with a 'v' cut into it. Support your workpiece on the block, and do your cutting (with the handle underneath) in the 'v' area. Tom & Kari |
| Jeweler's Saw: I have been teaching jewelry for 15 years and all my new students master the saw after a couple of sessions. I ask them to do the following: Insert saw blade teeth facing down. Tighten so the blade pings when plucked with a finger nail. Grip handle lightly. The cutting is done on the down stroke, do not push, gently nudge. When turning corners do not twist the blade or it will break, gently saw while turning the work rather than the saw. Cutting wood is a lot easier than sheet gold or silver! In my chain making class I use 8/0 blades. 2/0, or 0 are good sizes for most work. Shirl in Nova Scotia |
| Window with Changeable Scenes: Behind the roombox I created a frame at the sides and bottom of the window using some left over wood trim. The frame stuck out just enough to create a slot to slide pictures in. I cut a piece of clear plastic from a bubble pack to the right size for the window pane and slid this down into the slot. I then cut numerous scenes from magazines and postcards to the right size to slide in behind the window pane and mounted them on to card stock cut to the correct size. This way my sister can change the scene outside the window to suit her moods. (she's got lots of them!) She has a choice of a snowy neighborhood, autumn trees in a back yard, a back yard spring garden, a back yard patio with a furniture and barbeque, an in-ground swimming pool, etc. Oh yeah, I also included a picture of a real good looking guy with his shirt off and another with a train that looks like it's heading straight toward the window. (for those moments of impending disaster) The possibilities are endless. Lorri in Manassas, VA |
| Creativity and multiple projects: I found that my creativity is directly linked to the state of order/disorder of my workspace. I had a big cleanup last week, after I knocked over a bottle of acetone on my overcrowded table. After that, I was struck by "the thunderbolt", and produced non stop everything from plants, carpets, food, woodwork and needlework. For all the new SS members: Go to the SS website. There is a lot of useful tips about organizing your workspace. All the things I made during the past week, went into plastic containers, one for each project I'm planning to do in future. Betsie, South Africa |
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