Rolling X-acto Knives: Simply wrap a rubber band around your knives a couple of times and they won't roll around. Rolling/twisting them can also help you "get a grip"

Connie Baird, Arizona

Rolling X-acto Knives: Just a quick thought for the problem of rolling Xacto knives and tools: a friend sent me some tools with thin strips of suede leather glued around the handles. It wasn't thick enough to be bulky, and did not roll any more.

Paulette in Indiana

Rolling Xacto knife: For those of us who have a problem with their exacto knives rolling off the table - I bought one at Michaels that has a "soft foam like" covering that is soft on the grip AND has ridges so it doesn't roll!!! They are a few dollars more, but worth every penny!

Patty Johnson

Runaway Xacto's: For those of you having problems with your Xacto's rolling away...I had some wedge-shaped make-up sponges from the local beauty supply. They are about two inches long, so I cut one in half, sliced into it with the blade of the knife, and slid the square down to the other end of the knife. It is soft, so it doesn't bother me should my hand touch it (but it usually doesn't), it doesn't come off, keeps the darn thing on the table, and I have a bunch of sponges to use for other mini and/or crafting projects.

Deena

Xacto Knives: Cover your x-acto blade handles and other tools with Polymer clay. Make them slightly oval. They won't roll off the table and they are pretty as well. Also never any doubt who they belong to at meetings, classes etc.

Flo

X-acto storage: I keep one of those triangular plastic things on my x-acto's -- and no accidents so far. My DH's insulin pens come in plastic trays, divided into 5 shallow compartments. I keep a 6" ruler in one compartment, an x-acto in a second, a stylus in a third, a small pair of tweezers in a fourth, and whatever else I happen to think of in the fifth.

Janet in Baltimore

Xacto Knives: To prevent rolling X-Acto knives just tape a round tooth pick along the upper part of the handle with masking tape. Go for the ones which you turn the back of the knife handle to tighten in the blade. Much safer to install and remove blades. The regular alum. knife handle with the front collet can lock the blade in so that you need pliers to remove the blade. To sharpen X-Acto blades, glue a piece of 600 wet or dry sand paper to a piece of 1/4' plywood about two inches wide by three inches long. On the other side of the plywood glue a piece of leather (smooth side to the wood). Apply 3 in 1 oil to the sandpaper and sharpen the blade, Strop it on the leather. Once the blade is new, you can keep the edge on it by stropping it on the leather. If too dull, sharpen on paper with oil then strop on leather. CAUTION; If you wear bifocals or are wearing head band magnifier be really careful when reaching for the knife on the table. It appears where it really isn't and you can misgrab it.

Bill Hudson, Eugene, Oregon

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

Glue for plastic sheets: There is a product called GLOOP available for gluing patterned plastic sheets. It is available at your local shop if they order from Model Builders Supply. I have it in stock if you can't get it locally. http://www.jbsdollhousesminiatures.com

Jackie

Quick Grab -- an excellent choice for gluing plastics. I use Quick Grab extensively and it is absolutely excellent on all kinds of plastic flooring and ceilings when glued to ANY other material(except styrofoam). My experience is that if you use the Quick Grab the correct way you will not heat up and bubble the plastic. It is very easy to use....just do the following: 1) Spread it out when applying it to one surface -- a big blob of Quick Grab will definitely melt the plastic. 2) Press the pieces together. Then pull them apart for a second to open them up to let the solvent evaporate. Then re-press the pieces together. 3) Squeeze the tube from the centre so as not to have a *run on* of glue once you are finished using the tube, and stand the tube upright in a container when covered and not in use.

Roz Weitzman in Toronto, CANADA

Bow Maker: Noticed in a post that someone inquired about bow makers? I know this response is late, but GJ's sells a wonderful bowmaker. We made it out of the helping hands tool the Micro Mark sells so it is sturdy and you can pull against it to make even the tiniest bows. The helping hands tool comes with it as an added bonus (because we didn't want to throw them all away. :-) ) Check out our web site for details. http://www.minitrees.com

Jean Lierman

Speed control for the Dremel: A couple of years ago there was discussion on one of the lists regarding Dremel   discontinuing their variable speed control.  I was looking at a Woodcraft Supply catalog tonight and saw a router variable speed control that works on any motor that has brushes. That includes the Mototool, the Cameron drill press, the Unimat 3 and most other small equipment.  Check out http://woodcraft.com   and look for part number 142770.

Pete Boorum

Super Glues fog Acrylics: I'm a newbie myself, just found out (NOT the hard way, thank goodness) that cyanoacrylic glues (Krazy, Super, etc.) cause a permanent, white fog on   acrylic.  I was about to install "glass" in my greenhouse when Anita volunteered this tidbit on the Micro digest and I am one big "WHEW" about it.  My dh is spending many hours cutting the framing.  It would've all been wasted if we'd had to rip it all off to replace the acrylic.   Someone else on the Micro digest suggested MicroMark for a safe glue, it arrived today and my test piece is just fine!  

Chrissy

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

Acrylic Windows: Chrissy wrote: "just found out (NOT the hard way, thank goodness) that cyanoacrylic glues (Krazy, Super, etc.) cause a permanent, white fog on acrylic."I put this chemical reaction to good use on my log cabin windows. I took the sheet of acrylic I was going to use for windows, laid it over a drawing of my widow pane grid, marked the grid lines lightly with a marker and then pressed my fingers onto the center of each "window pane" front and back...rather like lightly pinching each pane. I then placed my windows into a large plastic throw away container ( lean them up against the sides so the air can circulate ) and squirted some superglue into the middle of the container, covered it and let my windows "fog". The glue didn't have as much effect on the areas where the oil from my fingers were so my windows now look like the corners are really old and dirty and someone just semi-swabbed the grime away from the centers in a circular motion. I then glued the window grids on and completed the windows using a different type glue.

Obviously you don't want to wash your hands before you begin pinching your windows and if you have a lot of windows, you can always ask family members and friends to pinch a pane or two.

Reva in Loveland, Ohio

Cutting mat board: Cut matboard with very sharp exacto - using three strokes. The first cuts, the top surface, the second the middle, and the third the bottom. (Thank you)

Lexie Johnson

Gel Pens: I use these for all kinds of stuff, including calligraphy and doll's faces. I prefer the Pentel, Zebra and Pilot brands, and I've had very good luck with them. I am not so fond of the Sanford (Gelly'z) or the Bic gel pens, and I've never tried the Marvy or any of the various other brands, though the technology and properties of the ink and pens seem to be essentially the same. Here are some tips for getting sticky pens to work. Hopefully you can save yours!
These always work best if they are warm before using, and should /always/ be stored point down. It's actually /more/ important for these to be stored point down, than regular ball-point pens, since they use a pigment-based ink, which can separate. It'll leave you with up to an inch of clear ink-base between the ballpoint and the pigment ink, if you leave them point up for too long, or a strange inconsistency of ink/base mixture if you leave them stored flat for too long in a warm place (this can make it separate along the length of the pen). This may be what's wrong with the pens you have now, since these are often sold in displays point-up, or in sets that are laid flat for a long time in the shops.
I'd try storing them near the stove, point down, in a pencup, so they are warm, and then trying them out on writing paper to get the ink flowing smoothly around the ball point before trying them on any projects.

Maura Bass