144 scale: I   have a full line of 144 scale items finished and in kit form. including a complete line of wooden furniture. All are kits or finished. If you go to my photopoint albums on 144 you can find almost all the 144 scale companies inc my originals represented as well as my furniture...and... if you want to try it...there is a "white Christmas" album with full instructions for doing Brooke Tuckers Christmas room in 144 scale. She was kind enough to let me do it. Be aware the reduction is all done by me and if there are errors it is not Brookes fault. Do go and enjoy. The metal "almost 144" furniture is on my web site at http://www.Anitamoriginals.com  

Anita McNary-Haynes

144th houses: If you are a retailer and need a quantity of the houses, Dee's has   Northeastern houses. I carry a few of the models if you are looking for one or two.

http://www.JBsDollhousesMiniatures.com

Jackie

McDonald’s cardboard: I have used the corrugated cardboard from McDonald's sandwiches for ruffling around a quarter scale bed.   Just perfect, and can be tinted or painted.

Betty in Ky.

Miter cutting:   Others will have suggestions for a saw to do fine miter cuts. May I offer my personal alternative? For very fine miter cutting such as mini picture frames, gingerbread on 1/144th scale houses, and such - - - -I prefer to chop off square and a little bit long. Then, I trim to size and angle with a small disc sander.

I have wood pieces that fit snugly on the work table, snugly close to the sanding disc, and with guide pieces at a variety of angles to orient work pieces along. Photo copy a fine scale (ruler) onto sticky back paper and apply it along the guides as a gauge for length. Make many so they can be occasionally replaced when unreadable from many pencil marks. My own sander has the advantage of a moveable disc so I can put stops in place and run the abrasive into the work piece but a fixed disc and moving the work piece into it works almost as well for limited production.      

I cut out my own sanding discs with concentric rings of 320, 440, and 800 grit and get months of light usage by occasionally cleaning out any accumulated sawdust with a gum eraser.  

Mel K. Las Vegas Nevada

Small table saws: The Preac is NOT any more accurate than the Jarmac, Microlux, or probably various others!   The no longer built Dremel saw did have a problem with the blade movement, but it was easily fixed as shown in The Scale Cabinetmaker.   The accuracy of any of these saws is basically in the hands of the user.   The Jarmac and Microlux are both tilting arbor saws, which means you can do compound angles, and bevels which the Preac can't do.   The Preac also uses an unusual size blade and has a depth of cut of only 1/4" versus 3/4" for Jarmac.   The Preac runs slower, and is therefore considerably less noisy than others.

Any of these saws should do a satisfactory job.

Tom Berkner

Small table saws: I have to add to this...We own 3 Dremel table saws, a Microlux and a   Jarmac. The Dremels have had a real problem with belts slipping and as they no longer make them...even finding a belt is tough.

For my use with the precision fence you can buy(about $45 for the fence providing you can keep hubby from stealing it and adapting it to one of HIS saws...grrrrrrrrrrr) the Microlux works quite well but for Larry it isn't   to his   standards. He really prefers the Jarmac though wants to add a Preac to the herd. You do need a new plate where the blade comes through. They are all too widely spaced...mainly to allow the blade to tilt but if you work in really tiny things you loose them through the slot otherwise. The plate we bought from MicroMark for the Dremel saw broke the first day so Larry had to make some himself. I am no judge but Larry who makes models professionally and uses saws for 6-10 hours a day...every day...(.he is a workaholic in his shop between 4 and 5 every AM til about 6 PM or later.)... says the Jarmac is the best for his $$. He has to do absolute precision for the things he is making and it is his favorite. The problem with the Microlux is that unless you have the precision fence you just can't get really accurate. The guides that slide in the metal tracks fit too loosely and can move 1/32 from side to side   which may not seem like much but depending on what you are doing it can make a LOT of difference.

The wooden tray thing they offer is worse and can be 1/16 off. These are gripes I have had about it. The key is the way you will be using it. If you are like me and don't use it but every so often I'd go for the Microlux with the precision fence. Spendy little devil but I like it.

Now I think before I commented that you should keep a watch in the local paper and call local pawn shops regularly if looking for these items. We have picked up the Jermac and several of our mini lathes and a mini milling machine 2nd hand through these sources. All were in excellent condition and my daughter got hers at a yard sale still in the original box with all accessories! Keep your eyes open and they are out there from time to time.   OK, I'm off my soapbox now!

Anita McNary-Haynes

Preac Table Saws: I cant resist adding my two shekels' worth to the mini table saw thread...

Before buying my Preac, I had spoken to several SSers about the table saws that they had, and most everyone agreed that the Jarmac and Preac were excellent.   It was a bit hard to make up my mind, but the praises sung for the Preac were just a bit louder.   The Jarmac has a tilting blade, while the Preac doesn't. Each is an advantage and disadvantage.   Because the Preac's blade doesn’t tilt, tiny pieces of wood don’t fall through the opening near the blade.   However, the Preac has jigs available that allow you to push the stock through the saw at various angles – therefore solving that "problem".

I took a workshop with Pete and Pam Boorum at Molly Cromwell's Sturbridge (MA) show this past June, and in the workshop, we used the Preac saw to make a cherry lingerie chest.   Pete and Pam taught us more than a few tricks of the trade.   I was hooked - I had to have one to take back to Israel!   Well, it certainly wasn't cheap, after buying a few accessories, but... you get what you pay for.   I am THRILLED with that saw.   It is quiet, accurate and does everything I need it to do.   I rarely have to sand a piece that I cut with the Preac - it's that precise.  

If anyone has ambitions of making his/her own miniature furniture, I cant recommend the Preac table saw highly enough.   It's difficult to get the desired results without the proper tools... Come to think of it, I would highly recommend one of Pete and Pam Boorum's workshops   - not just to see for yourself - but also to go home with a great piece of furniture you built completely yourself.

Jonathan in Israel

Preac saw:   We are a distributor of the Preac table saw and thickness sander.  Our students almost always are comfortable using this saw. We think that is because it's not at all scary like the 4" machines can be .   It is easy to set up and maintains tolerances well. It is not powerful enough to cause serious damage but cuts well enough to make any furniture. We have sold nearly one hundred machines over the last few years and everyone seems to be satisfied with the performance.   It is always a pleasure when we hear that our students have gone on to create other projects on their own.

Pete Boorum

Ungluing: I tried the tip that was posted on the SSD about ungluing furniture in the microwave. It works and it takes only 1 minute in the microwave to soften the glue. What I found out though, is that it melts the varnish also, so be prepare to sand. I didn't mind since I needed to sand   the piece anyway.

Gisele Nadeau

Eraser to clean sanding discs:   With the dry woods we use, power sanding belts and discs frequently "load up" long before the abrasive becomes significantly dull or lost. A product sold at woodworkers supplies looks like an old fashioned sandpaper pencil pointer but has a moderately dense, rubbery, white block on it.

Held against the belts, etc., while running at maximum speed, it very quickly cleans out most of that clogging "saw dust" leaving the abrasive almost as good as new. It is far quicker than changing the disc or belt and far - far - far more economical. Sorry but mine is years old and the name no longer readable (will check my next trip to the Wood Workers' Emporium). The rubber is a bit more dense and less crumbly than a standard white/yellow gum eraser. In the past, however, I have had reasonable success with an actual gum eraser when the real tool was temporarily lost under my usual workshop clutter. The soft eraser disappeared almost as fast as the problem but (in the pinch) it worked.

Mel K.