Mini Hold: I've posted before how much I dislike MiniHold or any other wax product. This stuff does absorb into wallpaper and stain the wallpaper. We've seen the damage it can do in some items we've received at the museum. The wax will actually absorb color from the wood it is on. It seems that people who have donated stuff to us that created in the 70s and 80s were really hooked on this stuff and used it to attach their shelves to the wall, doors, windows, curtains, and even dressed an elaborate bed using wax to hold the fabric to the bed and canopy. The wax turned red and I assume it was from the wood or perhaps aging (although other wax has retained its clear properties). It has been a real hassle to make these rooms/houses wax-free. I have worked with this wax removal so much that I HATE it with a passion.

We have used the Fun Tack to adhere some things housed in a lit cabinet. It has melted and pictures have slid down the wall and if a chair is adhered to the floor, there is a puddle of Fun Tack under the chair leg. I don't like this stuff either.

In my own house, I've glued things some things (glassware on shelves, etc), and used the earthquake glue to position furniture and some knick-knacks. It will remove wallpaper if you attempt to move a picture or wallhanging, though. My house is on a turntable and things must be anchored securely or they fall off shelves, etc.

My own opinion, of course -- but speaking from our experience at the museum, I wouldn't use a wax product. I've tried the clear Museum Gel and I haven't found that it works very good with the minis.

Fay in St. Louis

Rubber cement: I saw a comment about using rubber cement to hold things and I wanted to say something about it. I use it to at shows to hold down tea sets in an acrylic box. It does work very nicely and the person just picks up the box and takes the whole thing home. I also use it on lids for teapots and ginger jars. I tell people to soak it in hot water to release the cement. The glue hardens with time and if you try to pry it off, you can crack the piece. I would not use it to hold things in my dollhouse as it can damage furniture. If you get something by mail or at a show that has rubber cement, soak it in very hot water and pry it off gently. If it's stuck, keep soaking it in hot water.

Carol, S P Miniatures

Rubber cement: Please don't use rubber cement as a permanent bond on anything. Close to 40 years ago for a high school biology project we collected, identified, and pressed wildflowers in binders. I kept my collection. The specimens are still in good shape since I white-glued them to individual matboard cards and put them in the binder like postcards. But the album sheets they're fastened to look like murder scene evidence. (One of these days, I'll replace them...when I find time between mini projects!) I used rubber cement. After about 10 years, it left horrible spreading rusty, dark-brown stains. My guess is that rubber cement accelerates the oxidation of wood pulp paper. The matboard must have had rag content since it's okay so far. Rubber cement may be fine as a temporary solution to transport items, but long-term it creates an unbelievably ugly mess. I don't think anybody who puts heart and soul into their miniatures should risk finding their work ruined in a relatively short time!

Loretta.Sniarowski

Photoglue: I use what we call photoglue to hang things in my houses. According to the people who make it , it is the same thing as rubber cement. But I never found it hardens after a while and it is very easy to remove from photo's and everything else even after years. You can just rub it off with a finger and no damage at all. So I wonder ; are we talking about the same stuff or is there a difference after all??

Marianne

Dremel replacement batteries: You can call Dremel customer service and order them direct. It is an 800 #.; 1-800-437-3635

Drbob...Delray Beach FL.

brad/nail tip: If you need to nail brads or small nails stick them through a business card first and use it to hold them. I like this idea-- keeps my fingers out of harm's way!!

Melly

If you are nailing a very narrow thin piece of wood----soak it in water for a while and that will prevent the wood splitting. Credit for this hint goes to my model ship building DH, who is busy on another ship. Oh, that he would concentrate on mini furniture.

Elise in Va.

Converting to one inch scale: Every few months there are questions about converting full scale things to 1/12 scale. This is because there is no intuitive easy way to accomplish this. I prefer to keep it as simple as possible and this is how I go about the conversion which I do on a daily basis.

You will need to learn a few rules:

1 inch = 1 foot. Most of you already know that one! VBG

1/2 inch = 1/2 foot = 6 inches

1/4 inch = 3 inches

1/8 inch = 1-1/2 inch

Most important in the building and furniture world:

1/16 inch = 3/4 inch in one inch scale.

Most building trim, millwork and furniture designers use 3/4 inch lumber as the standard building block in design. (Mel referred to it as a one by) Early in the 20th century 7/8" was popular. There isn't much difference in miniatures. The variation in thickness between 3/4" and 7/8" in one inch scale is only the thickness of a business card.

I base all my thickness calculations on the fact that 1/16" becomes 3/4" in scale. Therefore 1/32" becomes 3/8" in one inch scale and 1/8" becomes 1-1/2".

Thinking this way I usually use the 1/16" graduations on the ruler. I can easily read them. There is a 1/32" marking on the reverse side of my 6" steel rules. That is useful once in a while, but very hard to read. There is also a 1/64" scale which is only useful as a fingernail file.

We sell these rulers. See the web site. http://www.smallerthanlife.comThis sounds complicated but becomes simple with use. No fancy scaling rulers are needed.

BTW for other thicknesses like 1" and 1/2" that are needed in furniture I go to decimals of an inch and use a micrometer or dial caliper. This is mathematically converted. 1" converts to .083" and 1/2" converts to .042". There are no convenient fractional conversions.

Pete Boorum

Turned Toothpicks:    if you are doing quarter inch, they make perfect table legs and bed posts. I also saw one shortened, sanded flat on the plain end and shaped into a yad. (Used by the readers in synagogues and some churches to follow the words in the text without getting finger oil on the pages.) It even had a tiny ring and chain on the end to attach it to the lectern.

Dani, in Bradshaw, MD

Turned Toothpicks:    I used some of mine to make little beds for the 7 dwarfs in the Snow White Cottage I made last June with Lady Bug Thwaite during the Molly Cromwell Show in Sturbridge.   The first one was a bit large for the house (trial and error working well here!) so it became a doll's bed in my little girl's room in my dollhouse.

I used the toothpicks for the bed posts, cutting the ones for the footboard a bit shorter than those for the headboard.   I used the ends of a craft stick (popsicle stick) for the headboard and footboard, again making the footboard shorter than the headboard.   I trimmed the stick on each side to get it narrow enough for the cottage.  The first one I didn't trim so it made a great toy bed.   I used the center of the stick to make the base of the bed.   I have some thin foam, the shapies type of stuff, that I cut to size for the mattresses.   I haven't put bed clothes on them yet but they are really adorable, IMHO.

Lissa from Rutland, MA