Painting spindles: I too have been having problems painting or staining spindles. I have started putting straight pins in the base of the spindle, cutting off the head of the pin to form a small metal post in the spindle, then sticking the metal post in foam-core. I then have a spindle that is standing up and stable. Once it is stained or painted I cut the metal post down smaller and use it as an anchor while gluing the spindles in place. My next experiment is to try spray painting the spindles several at a time as opposed to brush and paint.

Rose in CA

Painting spindles: The instructions that came with my dollhouse kit (which has over 100 spindles), it says to use 2 sponges, put some paint on one side of each, put spindle between the 2 sponges and roll it a bit. Adjust the amount of paint and pressure as you go along. I think combine that technique with the stick pin under the spindles for drying, it should be an easier job.

iwantjunkmail

Painting spindles: I push the unpainted spindles into the open ends of corrugated cardboard and either spray paint or brush paint. I've found that if you first cut the cardboard into a curved shape, there is more space between the spindles. When the spindles are dry just turn them upside down and do the part that was held in the cardboard. I've had success with my stair railing by doing this and many can be done at the same time.

Lee from Melville, NY

Crackle finish: "As you could probably tell, crackle finish is one of my favorites to do. Unless I want the color of the raw wood to show through in the cracks I first prime the piece with Zinsar primer. I then paint the bottom coat (the color that will show through the cracks) with plain old acrylic paint. (My favorite brands of acrylic paint are "Plaid" or "Aleen's")

Once that coat is dry (I'm impatient so usually I just wait until it's barely dry to the touch) I apply the crackle medium. The brand I use is "Plaid - Folk Art Crackle Medium". I apply only a thin quick coat (the thicker the coat the larger and more crackle you will see in the end).

Again, once this is dry (in my case barely dry to the touch) I apply the top coat of color - plain old acrylic paint. This is the tricky coat. It works best for me if I apply not a thin coat but not a really thick coat either - kind of a medium coat. The important thing is that you brush that coat on with only one stroke. If you use more than one stroke you will wipe the crackle medium away and it gets gummy and just looks like mushy paint. You won't see the crackle come through until the top coat starts to dry but usually in such small pieces that's just a matter of a minute or so.

After this top coat is dry (and this time I really wait for it to dry) I apply a protective coat of varnish. I use "Aleen's Enhancers" and choose either satin or gloss finish according to the piece.

After this coat is dry I begin applying the antiquing gel (this is the shaded top coat you liked). I use "Home Decor - by Delta" and my favorite color is warm brown. I apply just a dot in the general area of where I want the antiquing to show up and then I rub with a soft cloth or my finger to shade accordingly (this is why the protective coat of varnish is important, if that top coat of acrylic paint isn't completely dry you will rub away the crackle finish). This step takes the most time and it's important to only apply a dot of the gel otherwise your entire piece will end up looking like you painted it brown.

After I'm satisfied with the results of the gel I apply two more coats of the protective varnish and I'm all done! Oh yeah - I use a flat shading paintbrush for the whole process and that seems to lay the paint down best for the crackle finish...nice and flat and spread out."

You can see examples of my crackled and aged furniture pieces on my picture trial site: http://www.PictureTrail.com/sweetpea4

Tammy Fischer

Painting checkerboard borders on mini furniture: No real tricks to this one except a steady hand. OK, paint your light base color. White for instance, then allow to dry completely. Use a hair dryer to make sure it is dry. Take a small piece of masking tape, lay it on your pant leg, press lightly and pull up to remove some of the tackiness. Cut appropriate sized strips and then cut those into equal sized squares. Apply the squares into a checker board configuration. Burnish the edges of the tape so no paint will get under the edges. Apply paint so that the area does not get soaked and paint runs under the edges. Stipple style is appropriate as in stencil work. Remove the squares of tape very carefully and enjoy.

In the worst case scenario where the miniaturist can not handle the media, print out the checks on a computer. Fix them with Krylon or matte ink fixative and decoupage them into place.

Laurie Sisson

Printables: Do you have an inkjet printer? If so, try Presentation Paper by Great White. It's acid-free, a little heavier than regular bond,and has a special coating. The copies are very crisp and clear. Someone on the digest recommended it a while back and I've been using it ever since. It isn't the cheapest paper on the market, but I save up projects and print as many as I can on a page. Then I usually glue each piece to cardstock using a stick-type scrapbooking glue. When dry, I give it a couple of coats of ModPodge. I had trouble with some other finishes smearing the ink.....but that may have been due to my impatience in waiting for the ink to dry. As for fading.....time will tell, but I keep copies of everything I print and if they fade during my lifetime, I can re-do them :o}}} Watch the glue you use. Regular stick glue may yellow or cause other problems over time. I believe serious scrapbookers have developed glues that are also archival.

Jude in ND

Stain for Plastic Potty: I recently used Minwax Gel Stain with fairly good results. The package says it is good for painting on fiberglass. You just use 2 brushes to get the right finish. I tried it on a scrap of plastic, and seems to be OK...just a little tough to get a nice texture. It doesn't smell very strongly, but you will need to put a stinky sealer on top after the stain dries

Whui in SF

Cutting toothpicks: Made a new discovery. I cut some toothpicks out in the shop by rolling them under a razor blade, but the project I was working on was in the house. I grabbed up my cut toothpicks, and went to the kitchen with them. Found out they were a little too long. Of course I didn't want to run back out again. As luck would have it, my sister-in-law gave me a pair of toenail clippers for puppies, and of course they were on that jam packed kitchen table. So......I used them to cut one of the toothpicks. Works wonderful! They're super sharp, don't mash the toothpicks and much quicker than the old way.

Bonnie Lavish

Attaching sheets of plastic ceiling(looks like a tin ceiling) to mahogany: In reply to Mary Kay's question, just don't use hot glue. I used it on the tin ceiling in my kitchen, thinking it was the only solution, and of course sections of the tin melted.

Cece

Glue for tin ceiling: I used the plastic sheets of tin ceiling and used clear silicone glue. You can also use white glue.

Fannye

Glue for tin ceiling: I use "Extra Thick 484 Tacky Multipurpose Decorator Glue by BOND. I think any extra Thick tacky will work. Mine is in a pink 4 oz container with auqa color lid. I found it at our miniature shop. I use this glue for all plastic flooring and ceiling sheets. Also for the plastic stone/brick sheets. These panels take acrylic paint very well too, so they can be embellished.

Diane in SFBA

Glue for tin ceiling: Contact cement can be used. There are a few rules that must be obeyed: -The cement should be added to both sides if you want a permanent fix. - You must protect the two sides until you get everything right (I mean RIGHT!) This can be done by allowing the recipient side to dry and then lay a barrier such as newspapers on that side. The second side, that has also been painted with the glue and allowed to dry, can then be placed into position. When satisfied with the position of the second side, gently remove the paper and smooth the two sides together. * Remember, that once smoothed together, the twain is very hard to split asunder. I would not try this unless I had the ceiling upside down.

Dave

The Nuremburg kitchen: The Nuremburg kitchen is finished, and by George, it is utterly wonderful. I have wanted one of these all my life, and it's so nice to have one.  Let me take you on a tour.

The floor is checker board mid blue, cream and fox red, in big (2" x 2") squares,   The walls are fox red, the ceiling cream.

On the left are two shelves with a fancy shelf end, painted turmeric yellow - the top shelf holds various jars and pots and bowls, the lower moulds and pots, bowls, glassware.   Below is a long unit, which holds the chicken coop with 2 fine fat resin hens eating from their food tray, and a cupboard.   This is painted off white and green; the top of these cabinets is faux grained wood.  On top of these cabinets are various kitchen utensils, a fine raw salmon and a bunch of beet root, a big plain cake and a big fruit plate.

To the right is a cupboard which holds a myriad of small jars and boxes, some real, but some are old shirt studs etc, which look just the thing. Facing one is the oven, painted barn red, with a hollow underneath to hold

firewood,   The oven holds a big kettle, saucepans etc   Above is a copper hood, with a shelf attached which holds mini antique floral pitchers bought at an antique fair.  To the right is a unit holding copper ladles etc.

On the right wall is an enormous dresser, painted rust red, which holds 2 white dinner services, a ham , a roast chicken, a mincer, a pair of scales etc

In the foreground is a chopping block, with cleaver and meat on it.   A slender black cat reaches up for the meat, ignoring both the full food bowl behind him and the mouse on the mouse trap by the chickens. .tsk tsk.

From the ceiling hang onions, dead pheasants, a waffle iron. In all the kitchen holds over 150 items (wow!)  I love it with a profound love.  I must have seen one as a small child and wanted one ever since, and how serene the heart when it wins its desires, and finds the desire worth the wait.

Helen from York, England

Aliphatic  glue and staining: Aliphatic Resin is just regular old yellow carpenters glue. It's great stuff, but don't try staining over it. The stain won't take and you'll end up with a blotchy mess. Pre-finishing small parts for a project might be the simplest way to obtain a clean finish, but either way- neatness counts!  Glue squeeze-out will have to be cleaned up in any event. One last note, do not stain over any surface that is to be glued (mortises, tenons, any pegs, etc).

Brian Poor, Roundwood Studio

Brass yardstick:      First may I suggest that you use stainless steel instead of brass. A  good metal shop will cut you one to size and burnish the edges for you for about the same price as just buying a good metal yardstick (See Dick Blick stock numbers below).   It will hold it's edge better than brass and not be so likely to get the kinds of oxidants on it that cause black or green marks on your work. If you still prefer brass, the following will work even better on Brass than stainless.

Whichever metal you choose, I would start an inch from one end and mark the first mark as "zero". From there I would increase every one inch to about 35 or so. Over that first inch, I would divide the space into twelfths, sixteenths or whatever. All you need to mark in fractions of an inch is the first segment. When measuring, put the nearest full inch mark at one end and then determine the fractional portions at the other end. This is how you use a standard architect's or engineer's scale.

To do your marking, paint the surface with a good enamel primer and let it cure real good. Next, scratch your marks through the paint and into the metal. Apply a strong acid solution (electronics or jewelry making shop) to deeply etch the metal. Neutralize the acid then strip the paint off. Spray paint the metal a nice black and let it dry then polish away the surface paint that is not IN the etched depths.

Now: Dick Blick along with most drafting and art supply shops sells quality metal rulers up to 36", 48" or even longer.   Dick Blick is on the web at  www.dickblick.com   The Alvin non-skid stainless steel ruler   (36") is catalog number A55632-1036 a $8.49 each. Their 36" aluminum ruler is A55430-1036 @$2.99 each. A Fairgate center finding ruler (zero in the middle and goes up on each side) 36" long is also aluminum at $10.49 (A55405-1036).

For a classy piece of shop art, you may also consider a quality varnished wood yard stick and add a brass edge. I had one for a long time that got "lost" to uninvited visitors but it had a reproduction advertisement for a very ancient hardware store where the original manufacturer's name had been sanded away. Great conversation piece.

Petitfacades

Candle smoke: I have used the following method using candle smoke in decoupage classes:

(Have everything ready before starting) Brush a layer of podge (clear, non-yellowing, waterbased varnish) on to your item to be smoked. Before it dries, hold the object over a burning candle and "cut" the flame with an old knife. This produces a lovely column of smoke. Move your object to direct the smoke to where required. If you do not like the effect, quickly wipe off the podge before it dries. Once dry, it is not necessary to use fixative. If you move the object fairly quickly, you can produce a lovely "marble" effect.

***BRAINWAVE OCCURRING***!! Black & white marble floors, columns etc.... Use white cardboard, paint with podge, smoke and move item fairly rapidly (the slower the movement- the denser the smoke) cut into tiles, lay down whole or roll into tube for column!!!

Note: this method does take some practice.

Sharon in S. Africa

Aging solution: I mix up a solution of half water, half rubbing alcohol, black India ink and burnt sienna acrylic paint. You don't need much India ink or paint. I am no expert on this, don't have a formula, I'm afraid. I just play with amount until I get the depth and shade I'm happy with. (*note - it tends to dry a tad darker). After the first coat is on, I add a bit of a pine tree green colour to the mixture and paint that on mostly around the base of building, concentrated at corners where the wood would soak up moisture in real life and also farther up on wall that would "get more shade" than sunlight.

I think I'm going to play with that vinegar and rusty nail idea along with the other stuff.......

Debi in Quesnel

Tarnishing metal: I have unintentionally tarnished copper brass items with accidental exposure to acetic acid (lemon juice, vinegar, etc), if the mini utensils are truly copper it ought to work, also the brass screws.

Olegator

Painting beads on Porch Posts: Susan asked about how to paint a thin highlight on a Porch post. One thing you might try is to take a large paper cup and cut a pair of small notches in the rim opposite each other. use that as a "rest" for the Porch Post. Set the Post onto the notches and slowly turn the post with the fingertips of one hand, while the other hand guides an appropriately loaded thin brush on the bead as it turns.

If you like that general technique, I'm sure that a more permanent "rest" can be fabricated.

Brian

Note from Anne: Brian has given you great advice here, Susan. I would add two more suggestions:
Hold your wrist rigidly. Move from your elbow. You will avoid wiggles and wobbles and have much more control.

Don't go all the way into the crease between turned shapes on the post. Stop just short of it, or else you will get paint up on the neighboring shape in places. (I hope this makes sense)

Note from Anne: