Tea Shop Furniture: We made a half-scale tea shoppe in a teapot once for a state day. I, too, thought there would be plenty of room for everything I wanted to put in it. I only planned on two tables, each with two chairs but ran out of space. I ultimately cut the front legs off the chairs and glued them real close to the tables (had used table cloths that came to the floor) so it took much less space and once you glued them in place, you were all set. Now, I'm not going to claim that I thought of this, since I didn't, but it sure did work well for me.

Dottie in Tucson

Paper thin wood: I just posted this site to the quarter scale group I belong to, but thought I should also post it here. Someone on that group had mentioned finding this extremely thin wood in a scrap-booking store, and, since I haven't seen this, I started searching the net for the manufacturer. Here it is, and I think this would have many uses for miniaturists!
http://www.lenderink.com/paperwood.htmThis is supposed to be very flat and stable real wood, and, paper thin.

Kaye in L.A.

1/2 scale People.... on the Cheap!!
I've been fiddling around with those $.25 cent yard sale people that are about 4 inches tall..... trying to make them 3 inches for ½ scale scenes.... Here's what I've found - for what it's worth:

Cut them on the band saw just below breast bone (use your imagination). Cut again just above hips... (leave the movable joint) [WARNING!! Some figures have a steel screw type of thing running down inside, plays havoc with your saw blade. Test this area with a cutting blade or pointed probe before sawing. ]

Then: Cut legs above the knee and take out another 1/2 inch below the knee. Drill or melt a hole and attach them closer with pipe cleaner (plastic cement). Try to preserve all moving joints.

When this is done and dry, attach body back together 1/2 inch shorter with plastic Cement and let dry overnight.

Now you have a 3 inch figure. It looks pretty odd until you do something with the hair and dress it. But the arms and hands are ok, feet and legs below the knee look ok, and the body will stand or sit whichever you prefer. . . I like sitting figures so those that have solid legs, can be cut and reattached after shortening with pipe cleaners or wire. Face can be carved, or melted with soldering iron to age and make wrinkles. Arms can be adjusted using same method if desired. Clothing can cover the cut and mended joints. A bit of very close work can cut fingers apart and a bit of boiling water can soften the hands to curve around objects.

Redo the hair, cutting existing hair and curling it around a straw, boil it then let it dry. Slip the curls off and reattach - you might be able to curl it in place then boil the whole head. (Sounds gross huh?) My husband watched me from the corner of his eye as I dismembered and reattached various body parts from a dozen of these small characters for three hours last weekend during the race. .His comment was (yuk!) This week I started to dress them and the result is very satisfactory. . . (surprised me too). I'm sure there are others out there that are quietly doing this rather strange butchery (in polite circles it's called 'bashing') It works pretty well for the larger figures too. 6 inches for men, 5 for women. I turned Wonder Woman, into Washer Woman in about two hours. cutting and reattaching with wire for bendable limbs. You can cut off armor, guns, sunglasses, belts, and other various bumpy items from the plastic bodies. Then dress over them.

Be Careful!! Strong hands and sharp heavy blades, coupled with tough plastic make a dangerous situation. Always use a cutting board and aim your blade away from tender human flesh. A lot of this plastic slices like cheese. Some is hard. Test away, and have a wonderful time Bashing!!!

Judie - Daytona Beach, FL

1/2" scale: In reply to the request for 1/2" scale (we call it 1/24th scale) we make rocking horses and slab sided rockers in that scale, also other nursery toys in case anyone is interested.
http://www.woodencraft.co.uk/

Peter Cook

Halfscale: I want all the 1/2" scale friends to know, that my website is updated for 2002 and you can see the new 1/2" workshop. it is a attic room with the moonlight and milky way shining through the windows, plus three way lighting and all the goodies please check it out also check out the catalog with 1/2" items, someone was looking for 1/2" furniture.
http://www.Margaretville.com/torre

Rosemarie Torre

50s Living Room in quarter scale: Thanks to the rain today, I stayed put and made my quarter scale living room furniture, plants and wall hangings. I can see why folks like working in this scale. I added pics to the page...just scroll down to the living room pics.
http://www.wishbooktoys.com/dollhouse/50s/

John Medeiros

Micro Chocolaterie: I have recently finished a micro, 1/144 scale, Chocolaterie after being inspired by the movie Chocolat. I loved the movie and the stage sets so much and the music is so inspiring. To get in the mood I bought the sound track and played it while working on the project. If you would like to see my micro it is under My Personal Projects on my site.

http://members.home.net/jday1/jean_day.htm

I have added some of my other room boxes done through the years and I am hoping to have my houses up soon too.

Chocolates are very small in this scale so I used brown silica sand. I did turnings with Light Brite pegs for the candy jars and I am forever grateful to Joann Swanson for coming up with the use of the pegs years ago that inspired me. I have had so much fun with them. I found watch parts that resembled chocolate molds and the bases for pedestal cake plates. The stool is the winder from an old watch. I had so much fun improvising.

Jean Day

1/4 scale people: I needed same and found that in the local $1.00 store, they had bags of 50 plastic soldiers in 1/4 scale size. I splurged and came home with 50 solders in all sorts of military poses and with fighting gear. With my exacto blade and a file I removed all the battle gear and by immersing the plastic figure in VERY hot water I was able to reposition the body parts to my needs. It took a few "dippings" to get the finally positioning. One of the "liberated" solders can be seen in my 1/4 scale amethyst mine shadow box at: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/albumIndex?u=67503&a=13032772

I repainted with acrylic paint to my liking.

DrBob

Quarter scale people: If you do not have a model railroad hobby shop nearby, you will certainly have to go mail order or on the net. Be advised, however, that HO is not 1/4" scale. If you want to use rail model people for your miniature, "O" (the letter) scale is supposedly quarter inch to the foot. Even there, however, poor scale is common. Lionel claims to be "O" and it is as far as "gauge" goes (space between rails) BUT, much of the detail and accessories are out of scale or proportion. As you scan the venders, look for "O" scale supplies which purport to be "1/4 inch fine scale" or "proto 48".

For what it is worth, the following are all synonyms for the same proportion/scale in different vernaculars: 1/4 inch scale, 1/4 inch per foot, 1/48th, 1:48, quarter scale, Q scale, O scale, and proto 48.

While on the subject, different folk switch among the following for my favorite miniature scale: 1/2 inch scale, 1/2 inch per foot, 1/24th, 1:24, half scale, H scale, Garden scale, and G scale (with some very loose interpretation and dispute on the last two)

On the smaller side, we have heard the smallest common dollhouse scale, One usually applied for miniatures-of-miniatures, described as: 1/144th, 1:144, twelfth of a twelfth, micro scale, and masochism.

Finally: of no standard dollhouse function whatsoever, HO scale is 3.5 millimeters per foot (How's that for an inopportune collision of metric and English?), considerably smaller than 1/4, 1/48, Q, O ,or whatever name you may choose.

Mel K. Las Vegas

Small scale people: I started in miniatures painting HO scale model train people. You can buy them in the model train stores (painted or unpainted). Painting those little things is fun. Put a piece of mounting tape on top of a small paint bottle and stand the piece on the top. I used Floquil paints from the model train store. This paint has tiny particles so you don't loose detail like you would if you used acrylic paint.

Mary Kinloch

1/4" people: To the person looking for 1/4" people.....try this website: http://patboldtdolls.com/

Shani Nelson

Scale: Since I work quite a bit at scales approaching O, HO, and N model railroad gages, I am confused when someone asks for "quarter scale or HO" sized people.

When building objects for each gauge, I use these closest fractional scales: 1/4"=1' for O, 1/8"=1' for HO, and 1/16" = 1' for N. They are not exact (i.e. HO is 1/87 and 1/8"=1' is 1/96) but close enough that the difference is not noted when put into a layout.

The advice given was accurate, however. People of each of these scales/gages are available at any railroad model oriented hobby shop. I have purchased many at each scale and used them in my architectural models. I will guarantee that if you put "quarter scale" people in an HO layout, they will never fit thru the doors. ( A common problem with those neat village setups sold in Hallmark shops)

Dave

¼" Furniture: I carry the inexpensive sets of 1:48 scale furniture on my web site. Look under "SMALLER SCALES" then Plastic Furniture. I don't think there's a nursery available. I've never seen one, anyway. http://www.minikitz.com

Debbie Jones

1/2 & 1/4 Southwest Kits: Check JB's Doll Houses & Miniatures (in Arizona) for smaller scale
Southwestern kits. http://jbsdollhousesminiatures.com

Anne Gerdes

Half Scale: if you or anybody else looking for 1/2" go to my web site catalog and price list Http://www.margaretville.com/torre.

Rosemarie Torre

Half Scale: Fantasy Craft has SW room boxes and 1/2" dollhouses. Check out my site http://JBsDollhousesMiniatures.com for 1/2" SW furniture kits. Click on miniatures.

Jackie

1/2" glasses: Char Lee - Linden-Swiss Miniatures carries 1/2" scale glasses, among many other neat things. Their products are turned acrylic, but when painted with clear nail polish, look just like glass. Here is their web site: http://hometown.aol.com/LinSwisMin/LSM.HTML

Ruth, Grass Valley, CA

Quarter scale 50s printies: If anybody would like some of the 1/4" printies of the wallpaper and drapes I made. I have added a printie link to the page: http://www.wishbooktoys.com/dollhouse/50s/

John Medeiros

¼ Scale: Jan Be Nimble is still doing wonderful 1/4" work, and does a number of shows in addition to her catalog. I did not realize she ever had a web site, although she does have email: jmccandliss@computer.org

Amy in Kansas

½ Scale Miniature Cars: Just got a catalog in the mail called "Catalog Favorites". For those of you that are doing 1/2 scale there is a 1923 Ford Model B in either black or red. There are also some miniature pedal cars for 1" scale, but they seem to be on back order. Anyway, this is the address if you want to check it out: http://www.catalogfavorites.com or their toll free # is 1-800-221-1133.

Sharon in Watsonville CA