Hole saws will work but it is hard to find the exact size you need and they are hard to get the cut piece out of without damaging the piece. Unless you set your saw up in a drill press it is nearly impossible not to cut the hole square to the piece so you still have to square up the edge of the blank. If you do use a hole saw I would recommend you buy only the very best. Saws available at home improvement stores usually wobble and cut egg shape holes. On top of all that they are expensive. A complete set can set you back enough to afford a decent scroll saw or drill press.

When I first built wheels at 15 I didn't have the luxury of power tools. We had just moved into our log cabin and at that time did not even have electricity. I had to make every thing with hand tools. I had only a hand cranked hand drill, a coping saw, some files and sand paper. Here is how id did it.

MAKING WAGON WHEEL FORMER BLANK BY HAND: I drilled a 1/16" hole in the center of a piece of plywood about six inches square. I set a pencil compass at the radius of my wheel blank and using the hole for the point, traced the circumference of the blank onto the plywood. Then I drew a second circumference 1/16" outside the first one. I cut the wheel blank out carefully with a coping saw. The better you saw this the less you have to work to finish it out.

I put a #6 1 1/4" flat head sheet metal screw through a washer then screwed it through the hole in the middle of the blank. Then I screwed the blank down to the flat side of a piece of 2X4 about a foot long. I then held a course file against the edge of the wheel i was going to finish off. I marked a spot on the base just out side the file and drove a long screw into that spot. I used this as a leverage and then turned the wheel blank by hand against the file until it was nearly filed down to the finish lines. Then I followed by a finer file. Use sand paper only to take the rough splinters of the edges. You can check the edge of the wheel with a square as you are working it.

Bill Hudson ... Eugene, Oregon

Wheel rims: RE: Cutting circular rims. - - - - Mount your Dremel router on a piece of plywood with pin holes set various distances from the inner/outer tangent of a 1/8" spiral cutter. This creates an electrical cutting compass. Set pin into board and into pilot hole on middle of piece to be cut out (or fixture) Route the outer circle first with the inner tangent of router bit. Stabilize the work piece then cut the inside diameter with the outer tangent of the bit. You can do this with hobby plywood or with wheel rim segments in an assembly-/-cutting jig.

Nice thing with segments, you can pre drill for spokes if you plan to use round pegs to align and secure. Two spokes per segment, and the drilling depth is the same for both..

Mel K.

Wheels: To my logic of having a round form to build wagon wheels around, wouldn't it be easiest to go on a jar lid search and use one of them for a form? Might have to go to the grocery store and find something you like to get one...

B Hudson's info was very interesting. I made a bunch of wheels about 25 years ago. I used macramé beads sawed in half for the hubs and dowels for spokes. At that time, I used plastic ice cream containers and cut 1/8 "wide strips. These were cut on the circular shape of the container already so the rounding shape was already there. Needless to say, hard to make exact. Later I found a good source for various sizes of plastic wagon wheels and purchased about a lifetime supply. I don't have any fancy tools so have to go by my own finesse. I have made a number of traditional size brier horse vehicles.

Margie Smith, in Mont

Suggestion for making round "wheel forms": Take some scrap wood and make your circle to the size you need using a compass. Make sure to press the point of the compass into the wood so the center of the circle is marked. Hand saw as close to the circle mark as you dare. Saw on the waste side. Now drill a hole where the compass point was indented and pass a bolt thru this hole and tighten it in place with a nut.

Insert the free end of the bolt in a drill chuck and turn on the drill so the wood starts to revolve. While it is revolving use a file etc. to make the round form for the wheels. When finished; unchuck and remove the bolt and nut. There you should have a perfectly round form for making your wheels.

Drbob...Delray Beach, FL

Cheap UK miniatures: My local DH shop is The Dollshouse Emporium. They do an excellent catalogue packed full of goodies. Since I have become more adventurous I tend to regard them as "bread & butter pieces" but this is a bit unfair - I think they have so much that the reader gets overloaded. I have been known to buy a piece elsewhere or at a fair only to find that I had overlooked it in the Emporium Catalogue!! The catalogue is free http://www.dollshouse.com

Sue C. Belper Derbyshire

Cheap UK miniatures: Maplestreet http://www.maplestreet.co.uk/

Helen of York

Mission Furniture: To the person inquiring about making Mission Furniture: Dover publications has a book titled "Mission Furniture, How to Make It." I haven't read it, but it is supposed to have directions for almost 100 pieces of mission furniture. Try this URL: http://store.yahoo.com/doverpublications/0486239667.html

Jean Snyder

Furniture styles how-to's: I'm sure I'm telling you something u already know.........but just in case: Tom Berkner has lots and lots of different directions for everything, including Mission and Art Deco type furniture in his "Books" section at http://www.Dollhouse-miniatures.com

Mary Lee in TX

Lee Valley Tools: (my favorite "toy" store) has several books with diagrams of furniture-- Victorian, Shaker and Mission to name a few. I highly recommend surfing their site: http://www.leevalleytools.comThey have all sorts of good stuff for miniers including the iron-on veneer I used in my castle tower and "watchcases" which are small metal tins with glass lids. In their "new products" section you can find "Microbrush applicators."

Melly

Working grandfather's clocks: As someone pointed out Orvin Fjare does make some beautiful grandfather's clocks which are quite pricey. I have one (not for sale) in my dollhouse which you can see at http://www.spminiatures.com/house/livingroom.html. There are working grandfather's clocks that sell for about $70 which I think are in Dee's catalog (too lazy to look it up).

Carol

working grandfather clock: I found a web site for a craft store called Crafts, Etc. that has a working grandfather clock. They are temporarily out of stock, but maybe they will get some in soon. It sells for $24.99. The web page address is: http://catalog.craftsetc.com/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=378278.I just placed an order with them today on the telephone, and they were very nice to deal with. They have quite a few miniatures listed under the crafts section of their catalog. I hope this helps the person who was looking for the grandfather clock.

Terry T. in WV

Working Clocks: Someone was asking about working grandfather clocks. Try Small Time: http://www.small-time.com/

Colin Bird

working clocks: Both Dee's and Aztec have working grandfather clocks. They are usually in the $40 to $70 range and look very good. The working part is a quartz watch. I think one of them even has a working mantel clock. Contact your local mini store to get them. I keep them in stock all the time and think most other retailers probably do, too.

Dottie in Tucson

Snow: Snow is easy to do - you can build up drifts or snowmen or whatever with PaperClay, foam core, etc. When you have it shaped the way you want, apply a layer of Snow-Tex or Outdoor Snow decorative snow (comes in a 4 oz tub and can be found at craft stores or places like Wal-mart) The most effective touch is to buy the most ultra fine iridescent glitter - so fine it almost looks like powder - in a tiny glass vial - and sprinkle it on the wet snow. It looks very realistic. You can also create patches of ice for your mini people to fall on with Envirotex - just pour it on areas to simulate ice. I used this technique for a pheasant woodcarving and it turned out very effective - except no one believes it is real snow when it is 90 degrees outside...

Bonnie Gibson - Tucson, Arizona

I have gussied up a scratch & dent Petite Princess Treasure View cabinet and buffet chest to look better than new – found architectural clipart the same dimensions as the drawer fronts, cut to fit, and decoupaged them to replace the original stained, ripped red velvet paper.   Looks fabulous if I do say so; always thought that red velvet was PP's one design flaw anyway.  

Fine artist and miniaturist Natasha Beshenkovsky has even designed a line of decoupage patterns sized to fit kit furniture, so those of us who are impoverished paint klutzes can still own a Natasha "original" miniature with a little effort!

Loretta.Sniarowski

Turned Toothpicks:   I have cut off the turned part, painted it gold, and used it for a faux hinge and oriental drawer pull. I have similarly used that portion for a turned detail on the front of a handcrafted washstand. I use them for 1/4 scale chairs and four poster and canopy beds. Have also used them as spindles.

Linda in Leroy, OH

American Woodworker Clothes pin clamps: I went to the American Woodworker site, decided to build the clamps. Dh offered to cut. When he was through, he handed me the cut-off ends, "Do these pieces look like furniture feet to you?" Yes indeed they do! They also have an appearance of Claw Feet, after a little Dremel-Time! Then I started a closer inspection of the rest of the clothes pin. Hmmmm, could be legs after dividing lengthwise?

Rita in Montana

Wicker Chair Workshop: I have updated my website, with a wicker workshop in English. http:/ /members.tripod.lycos.nl/klarameyer/index.html.htmKlara the Netherlands

Play room furniture: , I've been noticing children's furniture in recent newspaper ads. They use "pencils" for the legs of tables and chairs. They look easy to make in mini, using real pencils. They would be great for a play room or nursery in a modern house.

MAP in Puyallup

Edging furniture: A twisted cord can be made using embroidery thread, just alter the number of strands until you get a size that you think looks right. Would feel that the tassel thread, which is often bunka, would be rather fine.

Robyn in Australia