Antique Houses: Please, if you want to restore a dollhouse yourself, PLEASE wear a respirator. If this is a turn-of-the-century dh, you may want to give this some thought...1. It may have LEAD PAINT. You would not know this for sure, unless you have a paint chip analyzed. 2. It could have some sort of historical significance. In either case, I would wear a respirator when handling. I have several items I suspect have had lead paint. If this were my house, I would (respirator on) use a soft animal hair paint brush to 'clean house', over a disposable drop cloth. Then seal the heck out of the dh. I would NOT allow a child to play with it because of unknown paint products. Just a display. I don't mean to scare anyone out of purchasing an antique anything. The paint could very well be Milk paint. So please, be very careful.

Rita

Burning Fimo: You ladies worry me with your stories of burnt fimo. Polymer clay is not a clay .. it's a plastic. Essentially what we are making, is stuff out of plastic, unlike Crayola Modeling Magic or bread dough or other such stuff as paper clay. If you were to burn bread dough, it would smell like burnt bread. If you burn Polymers.. they let off a toxic fume, and I am sure you know that "icky burnt fimo" smell. If you overcook it for a short time, it lets off the fumes, I cannot fathom a long time. Just be careful. Those fumes are toxic, and I don't' want to read about anyone getting sick.

Beth in NH

Polyclay fumes - a possible solution for bird owners: I don't have any birds, but I would ask at your local exotic pet shop or vet's office about the dangers of baking polyclay in the same environment.
In case there is a risk to your avian kid(s), there is a solution. Get a toaster oven for polyclay use only and use it on your patio. I live in a house now, and I have outlets all over the place outside (for yard equipment and Xmas lights, I presume), but when I lived in a flat, we had an outlet or two on our patio as well (probably for Xmas lights). Just go outside and bake your polyclay with your doors an windows shut, and your birds should be fine :)

Maura Bass

Fimo Fumes & Birds: "Better safe than sorry" is the rule that I would use in regards to birds and fumes. The respiratory system of a bird is so delicate that ANY fumes can be dangerous. I would never bake Fimo or Sculpey in the same house as my birds. The toaster oven on the patio is a great idea. I worked part-time in an excellent pet store for several years; our advice and the advice of my avian vet is never take a chance.

Carol

Polymer clay safety: Many people buy a used toaster oven that they dedicate exclusively for clay baking. This will allow you to take it outside to bake, either with an extension cord or outside outlet. If your bird is that sensitive to fumes, I would say it's too risky. Get a toaster oven at the flea market or thrift store, or even an inexpensive new one.
Also, someone mentioned using an upside-down baking dish for clay baking. I would only use a dish specifically dedicated to clay. Maybe I'm overly cautious, but in general, I like to keep excess chemicals and fumes out of my house.

Lynette in WNC

Polymer clays: Here is a large and very informative web site that explains all you will ever want to know about working with polymer clays. I don't think that you really have to worry about the fumes... unless you fill your oven up with clay things, crank the heat up, close all the windows, and breathe deeply for a long time! There are several people on this very list that have been working with polymer clays for years and years...and, they are still kicking. (Come to think of it... I'm one of them.)
http://www.glassattic.com/

I am assuming that you want to do a few things and bake them. As someone just said in this group, and I second it...don't go by the mfg. instructions on the package. We are doing quite small things, and they don't require as hot a oven, or as long a time as the directions say that they should.
If I am doing really tiny things, like, gingerbread boys, for example, I put them in the oven at say 325 degrees and bake for maybe 10 minutes. Even larger, thicker things will continue to bake if you take them out of the oven, but leave them on the hot-whatever-you-are-using.

Kaye in L.A.

Handling Dead Animals: Is your health and that of your family worth authentic bat teeth or road kill feathers or fur? Perhaps our school systems are not teaching enough biology? the bacteria found on the wonderful finds could very well put you on an i.v. in the local hospital. here is a list of some of the communicable diseases that can be found in this kind of material:

1 - Protozoa and helminths pass stages in this material

2 - Anthrax

3 - Coccidioidomycosis

4 - Tick fever

5 - Leptospirosis

6 - Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis

7 - Plague (sylvatic plague)

8 - Psittacosis

9 - Q fever

10 - Rabies

In other words, making minis is for the fun of it .not to endanger you health. You all sound like such nice people I would hate to hear you were ill from touching dead animals.

Jane Rezza, retired R.N.

Health hazards to the creative person: Since we are all talking about the hazards in doing our miniatures and believe me ALL artistic bents have hazards - it may be of interest to you that there are books put out by national organizations. You may have to search a little or go to a good art supply store and ask if they have something, but keep searching. This is one item that should be in every miniaturists 'workshop' too. And always read the label.

This is the paperback that I have and it was published in 1985. I know I have a more current copy of a book around here - but be darned if I can find that one right now. McCann, Michael "Health Hazards Manual for Artists"

Mary Lou in Middleburg Hts., OH

Dead birds / Mice Nests : Dead birds generally are not disease risks. The real problem is watching out for mites and lice! I did shudder when I saw the recommendation for using mice nests though. Mice nests are not the cute little fluffy abodes you might think they are. Mites, deer ticks, Lymes disease and Hante virus comes to mind!

Kristine

.......a small bit of balloon, blown up to the size required, tied off...like we used to do with bits of a popped balloon, by putting the piece in our mouth and kind of blowing a reverse bubble by inhaling......

That's a good way to almost kill yourself, too. Trust me, I know firsthand. Be extremely careful if you attempt to inhale with a piece of rubber or plastic over your lips. All it takes is one slip, and into the throat it goes, sticking tightly to the airway opening. You, too, could find yourself turning blue and not able to breathe....

Tere Perry

Light Bulbs: Way back on small stuff people were talking about the uses for the thing in light bulbs, and how good it looked in a mini scene. So when a light bulb failed, I thought, 'oooh goody, now I can try!' I wore safety glasses, I was SO careful. The good news is it did come out of the light bulb. The bad news is that it's startling to see how much blood one has inside one, this interesting fact only noted when it's coming outside of one. Thank goodness for skin normally keeping it hidden, is what I say. More bad news is that the light bulb thing fell on the floor when I grabbed the bleeding bit to make it stop, and the thing then broke. So my feeling about this make-it is - give yourself a break, and go and buy a shaped thing from a dollhouse shop. It'll make you leak less.

Helen from York, England

Resins: Be very careful in casting in Resin that you have very good ventilation, resins and their dryers are highly toxic and can cause liver and kidney damage. My mother did a lot of resin casting in the 70's and wound up with kidney failure, well, not alone on the resin casting as she was diabetic and was an oil painter, I stay away from all that stuff and am an Acrylic painter instead, (and miniaturist now too)

Rhoda on Whidbey Island, Clinton, WA.

Dremels: Having used a Dremel since the early forties I want to stress absolute safety in using them. *****NOTE*** The little saw blades are extremely dangerous if used while hand holding the work and the tool. The blade can grab a finger and cut completely around it before you can stop. Please use caution. It is best to anchor the tool and feed the work into the saw blade while holding the work in a clamp or vice jig of some sort. I find the jewelers plastic or wood ring clamps work well for this process. If you really need to saw get an attachment for such operations or better yet a table saw.

Bill Hudson

Cutting Plastic: Cutting plastic of any sort with your drills, saws etc. can be dangerous! Please, be sure to wear eye protection. Aside from your eyes, it is a good idea to wear long sleeves, as any shards which kick out will be very hot! Also be aware that the "sawdust" from this must be cleaned up right away!

Alice Zinn

Nail Polish Remover: It can be used to de-stick fingers if you have a small accident with the glue. Don't, however, use it if you stick that finger to another body part. Best to go to the doctor at that point and endure the laughter. Never pull glued body parts apart violently either unless you like not having skin. Also remember with nail polish remover to use it in a ventilated area, and treat it with respect because it isn't the toy that the cosmetics companies would have you believe. My sister spilled the main component of nail polish remover on herself in a chemistry class, and got out of it a melted pair of nylons and a very long lecture from the chemistry teacher to be careful. Don't use scented remover, either -- tends to make you breath more deeply and that can't be a good thing. Pretty smelling doesn't automatically mean safe to breath!

Kim From Canada

Nail polish remover is acetone with some oils thrown in for odor etc. Acetone is highly toxic in a closed environment and is highly flammable. Be very careful in its use.

Dr Bob, Delray Beach, FL.

Lead is POISON: Any amount of lead is POISON. Lead has been outlawed in paint and in all things made for, near used by, etc., children and infants. If melted at 160' as you state; even the fumes if inhaled can result in brain damage in adults and the damage can be permanent.

Dr Bob, Delray Beach, FL

DON'T eat or drink while working with tools, supplies, paints, or ANYTHING. Don't even have food or drink out in the same room, and WASH YOUR HANDS before eating or drinking even if you are sure what you were handling is harmless. There is no substitute for an ounce of prevention turned into a habit. I learned in art school that there is no such thing as completely harmless supplies, and got to hear some horror stories about the damage a little carelessness or ignorance can cause.

Jane

Using power tools to do finger and toe nails: In the hands of an experienced person there is a minimum of danger. In the hands of a DIY it is courting catastrophe. If you must DIY please use a battery driven device. It will stall when to much pressure is applied to the rotating disc. Not so with an electric motor power driven device. It will slice thru your skin like a hot knife thru butter. I speak from seeing the self inflicted incisions, usually to toes. Ugly S.O.B.s. A slipped razor does a neater job.

Dr. Bob

Using power tools to do finger and toe nails: I do hair and nails and NEVER use my electric nail file on the natural nail. The nail plate is made up of several layers and if you don't manage to damage your nail bed, you will at the very least cause your nails to split and/or peel.

Billie (from OK)