Hide-a-bed in cabinet: After a friend asked me how to do the frame for a hide-a-bed I tried to write out in picture and words instructions on how to make the frame. I used one of Michaels unpainted cabinets.
I don't know if there are others that have instructions but thought I would share this page with you.
Hide-a-bed instructions
http://fp3.antelecom.net/frog/mini_hide_bed.html
Ignore the paint on the cabinet I am trying the Crackle effect....LOL

Sclarise

Two tips: I'm fairly new to this digest, and two indispensable tools have come into my collection. The first is a photocopy of my 1/12 scale. It folds easily in my wallet and is there to measure unexpected finds when I am out shopping for other things. I've even taken the step to cover the photocopy strip with clear contact paper to prolong its usability. The second is using a room planning kit designed to plot out furniture placement in real size rooms. There are a lot of versions out there in the marketplace, but the one I have is magnetic. I like to move pieces around as if I were shifting real furniture. And believe me, moving around magnetic symbols on a metal board is a lot easier on my back than moving around real furniture in a real room

Gina in No Va

MAGNETIZED TWEEZERS: -- - Demagnetizing is also called degaussing. Heating, hitting, and a few other techniques are sometimes used but the easiest is to put your tweezers inside an "alternating current field" for a brief time. Take an unwanted or unattractive lamp with cord that looks kind of like it could be split in half lengthwise. UNPLUG the lamp. Use your X-Acto to carefully split about 20 to 30 inches somewhere near the lamp but not up against it. Inspect your wire to make absolutely sure that you have not exposed the bare wire anywhere. If you have, insulate it well with electrician's tape. Take one side of your split and coil it tightly (winding in one direction only) around a hollow poster board tube about 4 inches long and a half to three-quarter of an inch in diameter. Take the other side of your split cord and wind it in the opposite direction. Tape well to hold in place. Plug your lamp into a standard AC outlet and turn it on with a 75 to 100 watt bulb installed. Pass your tweezers, screw drivers, drill bits, sewing needles, and any other unintentionally magnetized tools through the tube. Most of the magnetism should be eliminated. If you really need ZERO residual, drop by an automotive machine shop and ask them to do it for you on their "magnetic chuck degausser". Preventive medicine. As you replace tweezers, try to find ones that are a stainless steel alloy not attracted by a magnet. Always store vertically, do not hit or strike, keep well away from magnetized tools, batteries, and electric motors.

Mel K.

Files, Rasps and Rifflers: Rifflers are the long thin files that have a fine cut just on their curved ends. They also have delicate cross sections. Rifflers are used mostly by die and mold makers for detailing. I have a few of these, acquired in a former life, and only use them to clean up very detailed carving.

Needle files come in various cross sections like round, rectangular, oval and triangular. They also come in various sizes and cuts. We carry a variety of needle files. I use them all the time for wood, metal and plastic. They are also indispensable for lathe turning work, especially for cleaning up after turning on a duplicator.

Rasps have individual teeth and are course. I never use them for miniatures because they cut too rough.

Larger files are also very useful in miniature work. I have found my favorites in flea markets and second hand tool stores. Many files have no teeth on one or more edges. This is called a safe edge and allows you to file up to a perpendicular without damaging it.

Handles make filing safer, less tiring and easier. We carry graver handles which work well for needle files. To get the sawdust out of files use a file card which is a special kind of wire brush

Pete Boorum

Files, Rasps and Rifflers: Mel in Ma asks about the difference among needle files, rasps and riffler files. Needle files (sometimes called Swiss files) are small files usually sold in sets with several shapes, flat with cutting on sides too, flat with smooth sides, triangular, wedge with cutting on wide side or smooth on wide side, round and so on. They cut only on the "push" so there is not use in both pushing and pulling with force. The ones with smooth edges are used when filing a flat surface that is against another surface that does not need filing. Rasps are coarse and may look like files but are for removing very hard wood quickly, then finish with files or sandpaper. Riffler files have curved ends and are very useful for filing grooves in carving on curved wood such as a cabriole leg.

June

New Glues: Just got back from the Tom Bishop show in San Francisco. I really enjoyed myself and did well with the Scenic Water. I'm beginning to feel like Johnny Appleseed. John, the inventor, introduced me to his glues. They're all good, but the one I particularly like is called Rocket Hot. It has a 1 second bond. However, he has something called Rocket Powder and this is where it gets interesting. If you need to fill holes or gaps, you build up or fill the area with this powder and then put a little of the Rocket Hot over it. It bonds in a second and you then have a filled area or joint that you can sand and paint. The possibilities are endless. Another wood glue he has is made so you can stain over it and it has a better bond than most glues. He also has a glue that won't cloud glass beads. Being a glue nut, I'm in seventh heaven. http://www.scenicwater.com

Deanna from beautiful downtown Thiensville

Mini Levels: I found mini levels as keychains at my local "woodworkers store". Thanks for letting me get all that out and I hope nobody is mad or offended by my reason for joining. No matter how, I'm just glad to be here.

Linda Master

Scale Rulers: I hesitate to post this, but I'll apologize in advance if Istep on anyone's toes. Regarding using an architects ruler/scale, if you use one and are happy,for goodness sakes, keep using it. But for beginners, may I offer this observation. Several years ago at a NAME luncheon, someone at the microphone gave instructions how to use it. After five minutes, and many questions, there were 3 or 4 people out of 75 that understood how to use it. The rest still had absolutely no idea how to read it. Even if you are familiar with how to use it, you must constantly search which of the six scales to use, three of which are read backward. So I repeat, if you are using one, don't let me deter you, but for beginners, there are enough problems to solve instead of re-inventing the wheel--Buy a very simple to read scale ruler!!!!

Dean Jenson

Building Furniture: I read your comments regarding a beginner's problems with using tools for making miniature furniture. I have been designing miniatures for many years and these have been regularly published in the British magazine "Dolls House and Miniature Scene". I have recently set up my web site, http://www.smallfurniture.co.uk , and this shows some of the end products. Of possible interest to you may be a few pages on which I have detailed some jigs, techniques and simple hand tools. These pages should be updated over the coming months. Have a look and let me know what you think and suggest specific things that I could include to help you. One of the problems with having been keen on miniatures for a number of years and general woodwork for even longer is that the use of equipment has become normal and it takes a little thought to realize that beginners need a helping hand. Keep trying - practice makes perfect - and you should soon be able to tackle even greater projects.

Neil Helsby

Cutting Cylinders: When I was building the model of the Mote Aquaculture Center (see the photos in the architecture section of my webpage: http://homestead.com/davesminiplace ), I was faced with making over 100 open top tanks that full-size were 4 feet high. That was 5/32" high at the model's 1/24" = 1' scale. They ranged from 3 feet (1/8") diameter to 60 feet (2-1/2") diameter. Materials included cylinders of paper such as soda straws and mailing tubes. Other tanks were made from plastic, brass or aluminum tubing. Since in the model, they would be grouped closely together, height repeatability during the cutting was essential. I tried many tools such as xacto knife, razor saw, razor blades, pipe cutters and, even, my table saw with a fine tooth blade. The razor saw with a miter box was marginally successful for the small diameter tanks but this would involve cutting many more specimens than I wanted just to get the required amount at nearly the same size. Also this didn't work for anything larger than about 3/8". I made all kinds of jigs to hold the larger ones and guide the height of the cut and used many different cutting tools to no avail. I messed up a lot of material trying.

As I was sitting in my shop fuming in frustration, my eyes fell on the Dremel shaper table screwed to the workbench. Although meant primarily for use with router bits, it occurred to me that it allowed a precise height adjustment above the table. I chucked a cut-off wheel into the Dremel rotary tool and adjusted the height to exactly 5/32" high. Using the table's fence and clamping an scrap wood piece on as a secondary fence, I was able to make a triangle opening that allowed about 1/4" exposure of the cut-off wheel. Holding the cylinder of material vertically on the table and rotating it against the cut-off wheel, I was able to cut all but the 6 smallest diameter tanks exactly alike. The small ones worked best in the miter box.

It took me over three days to figure it out, but only 45 minutes to do them all.

Dave Brazelton

Wallpaper Adhesive: One mistake that I made on my dollhouse was to put wallpaper up with spray adhesive. It was so easy and went on so well. Imagine my disappointment when, after a few days, all the wallpaper started falling off the walls. One good thing did come out of it, though. I realized that the wallpaper I was using in some of the rooms was way too dark to achieve the look I wanted. I got a second chance without having to scrape off the stuff I didn't like. I used bookbinder's glue the second time and it is still holding. Thanks to all the Small Stuffers for that advice. I should have listened to them the first time.

Terry T. in WV

Antique wood glues: I have never heard of fish glue but I was aware that in antiques animal hide glue was used, such as rabbit hide. I don't think they had the glue variety that we are lucky to use before the 1950s. Anyway to answer your question I went to one of my FIL's old books and found just the ticket, called Furniture Joinery. In the section on glue it mentioned there are four types of glue that were commonly used in wood working, namely, hide, fish , casein and synthetic-resin glue. Fish glue is called a "cold glue" and is made from the heads, skins, bones and fins of certain fish and the best are cod and cusk. It is not waterproof.

Gary in NH

Microbrushes: "Microbrush. Very, very fine plastic applicators with a minute bit of fuzz on the ends. "

I love mine to pieces. Got them from Sandra Wall (I think) at a mini show. They come in "fine" with a red handle and "even finer" with a gray handle. They can be easily cleaned and used over and over, and when they are finally totally worn out, the handle itself can be used for any number of purposes. Did the original posting mention that they can be bent so that the brush head is at right angles to the handle? This is sometimes very useful. They provide so much more control than a fine paint brush, and they hold onto the paint so that it doesn't drip.

Janet in Baltimore

Microbrush: Someone mentioned the Microbrush applicator the other day. I emailed Betty from Designs by Dann and she carries the product. If anyone is interested you can email her at desgnbyDan@aol.com

Josie in PR

Glass/Plexiglas Adhesive: I have done a fair amount of glass and acrylic assembly in my fish hobby and want to STRONGLY recommend aquarium-grade silicone sealer. It is the least toxic, by far, of any silicone sealer, dries clear, and outgasses completely in a couple of days. This is the stuff they use to build those all-glass fish tanks, so you can go to a pet store and check out the corners of the tanks to see if the look will suit your project.

Pet Warehouse at http://www.petwarehouse.com carries it in three sizes, 1 oz. and 3 oz tubes, plus a 10 oz. tube that fits a standard caulking gun. All the sizes have graduated plastic tips you can cut to establish the diameter of the output. I recommend the 10 oz. It's a LOT cheaper per ounce and once you have this stuff, you'll find a lot of uses for it. (E.g., quick and easy bathroom tile repair!)

The main thing I've found is that you CAN'T muck around with this material while its wet. It is really, really easy to peel or scrape this stuff off AFTER it sets up in a glob, but if you mess with it while its wet, you get these places where there's a very thin film in the wrong place and THAT is very hard to remove, especially from acrylic, which scratches. (Ask me how I know all this!) The stuff is also TERRIBLE to get off your hands and the fresh fumes are like very strong vinegar ... eye stinging and headachy if you stay there and keep on breathing it.

So, have your pieces clean, dry and ready to be stabilized in some kind of jig before you even open the tube. Carefully and evenly apply the silicone line, press the sides of your project together correctly the FIRST time! and stabilize it in your jig set up. To make the inside of the seam smooth and concave, the way the fish tanks are, have a tongue depressor ready and CAREFULLY run it up the wet seam right before you LEAVE the piece to set up. For the stuff that gloops out the other side, wait 24 hours. It cuts off very cleanly with a sharp blade after it's dry, but if you try to wipe it off when it's wet, it ends up EVERYWHERE.

Chrissy

Rusty tools: Here is what I do for rust and its' prevention. To remove the rust I use fine steel wool and follow it with any liquid metal cleaner of car compounding goop. Then I coat the tool with a fine film of oil. Any oil will do. I.E. 3 in 1 or what is left in the oil can when you put oil in he car. Problem is I tend to wipe the oil film off when I use the tool so I reapply when finished. Suggestion for humid areas that produce a musty odor in the tool chest. I place a few pieces of Bounce in the tool box and also a few charcoal briquettes to absorb odors.

Dr Bob

Cleaning off rust: your hardware store will have a product for this. Something wipe on wipe off which will not add to the trauma of rust damage. Keeping off the rust: your hardware store will have a product for this. Probably something with a bit of oil to seal the metal from the air.

Also to help keep tools clean: Clean them as soon as you notice rust developing. Keep tools you aren't using sealed in Ziplock bags with a small packet of desiccant in each bag.

Desiccant is the stuff labeled "don't eat this" in pill bottles and sometimes in shoe boxes. If you don't have this, in my former life as an Army Wife, we would put dried coffee grounds in nylon stockings, tied tightly and packed several into our refrigerators as giant desiccants to remove moisture and keep mold from forming during shipment from one post to another. (Things you never thought anyone would need to know.) So small packets of dried coffee grounds wrapped in old scraps of pantyhose will work wonders.

Laurie Sisson

Rusty Tools: About all you can do is live with it if your tools are relegated to the garage or porch. Frequent rust removal is your best approach.

For light rust, I give the tools a rubdown with WD-40 and leave a small coating of it on the tool. For longer lasting protection, remove the WD-40 residue with mineral spirits and apply a coat of one of the long term auto treatments such Blue Coral's "One-step Touchless" coating. I use this primarily on the power saw tables, vice jaws, and handsaw blades.

Heavier rust will require a more brutal approach. I have used Naval Jelly to remove the heavy rust and after properly rinsing used alcohol to remove the water that might have collected in any pits that are present. Then, apply a light coating of WD-40 or the Blue Coral. If the rust is really grim, I get out my trusty Dremel and polishing bits and go to work.

Prevention is not positive, but you are able to slow the onset of rust for those items in your tool case. Many hardware stores and tool supply places sell silica gel canisters or packets which will absorb the moisture. It would require one in each drawer/closed compartment.

How about enclosing and air-conditioning the porch? (LOL)

Dave

Damp & Rust: I have used the containers of Damp Rid, purchased at our local hardware store, with great success. I was deeply concerned about my collection of tools and equipment. I have these in every closet, and room of the house. In my studio, I have 3. To date, nothing, even in the garage has shown any rust. We've been in Florida for 3 1/2 years now.

Becky Holliday

Rusty Tools: A great rust remover (providing it's not so far gone as to have pitted the metal) is "Bar Keepers Friend". This is found in the cleanser (as in Ajax) section of your market.

It is great for cleaning most anything, including brass. It is not abrasive. Try it on your "big" kitchen sink, etc.

After rust is gone - and item dry - use a silica product to keep moisture out.

Lexie Johnson