New Glue: I just discovered a New Glue!! New to me anyway... Made by Loctite (there's a clue) Wood Worx. Comes in a tube like toothpaste. The caption says it's a new thicker formula... I think it's kind of thin, but they like it I guess. I've used it on books, fabric, wood/metal so far and I really like it. Claims to bond in 7 minutes and dry in 24. I find it grabs in a few seconds and sticks great while still making it possible to move the surfaces around slightly for a few seconds. Price at Lowes $2.95 tube. It's a bit opaque tan color when wet, Dries nearly clear. Water clean up for wet glue (as on paintbrush) Nail polish remover for dried glue. I rather like it. . I use a toothpick dabber and for really tiny glued spots this rather thin formula is neat, it holds good and seems a nice well behaved glue.Judie - Daytona Beach, FL

METAL CUTTING TOOL: There is a tool called a "Nibbler" which does a very nice job of cutting light metal without distorting the metal, guiding your hands to laceration, or requiring all work to be near an edge. Nibblers come in power and hand models. The hand model may be difficult to find but is worth the search. Mine came from a LARGE (Not Radio Shack) electronics supplier who sells them for prototypes to make cutouts in chassis boxes and such. You need to drill a 3/8" starter hole after marking the perimeter of your cutout. Insert the cutting head through the hole and line the cutting mouth to your line. Squeeze to remove a tiny rectangle of metal, move, squeeze again, and so forth. It is spring loaded to open when you release. The process can be slow but is neat and easy. Work over a newspaper (or a Florida ballot box) to collect the chad for disposal somewhere other than into your bare feet in the middle of the night. Unless you are far more precise than I, You will have to dress your edges with a file or emery cloth when finished. The raw edge can be sharp but a bit of rubber wire insulation split lengthwise and peeled from the wire can be set over the edge for protection.

Mel K. in Las Vegas

Metal Cutting Tool: A great tool for cutting tin is in Micro-Mark catalog. #60662 Metal shear. It works on a nibbling idea and cuts out a path for itself as it goes. It doesn't distort the tin as much as a regular shear would. You first need to drill, cut or punch a starting hole in the side of the can or tin to get started. This starting hole is based one the idea of the inside of the section to be removed. Such as a window or similar opening. I prefer to cut the opening a little smaller to start with then trim and file it to final opening size. CAUTION. Tin is sharp and sneaky. It can grab, stab or cut you when You least expect it. But tin is my favorite media to work in. I usually teach it in some form at the Guild School each year. I know this may sound like bragging but I think I turn out some of the very best tin miniatures out there. That is my goal at least.

Bill Hudson

Glue Micro-Scale Pieces: Building micro scale (1:144) minis, I frequently don't use "glue" at all. I bond most of the tiniest parts where strength is not crucial with clear lacquer. It penetrates wood deeply, allows a little bit of shifting into place, and doesn't "fatten" the joint. Some sort of light clamping is suggested but only to maintain alignment. I good trick is to press the parts into a pad of soft clay. When you have an impression that will hold the parts in alignment, glue with lacquer and set in place. Lacquer IS NOT STRONG! For tiny, single-point connections such as a Kachina head dress to a head, drill a pair of #80 holes and insert a piece of fine wire (with lacquer) to connect the parts. If the parts are too small to drill, see if you can razor cut very shallow grooves that will be out of sight (In the back?). Lay a fine piece of wire or thread into these grooves to reinforce the joint. For very fine wire, cut the insulation off of a bit of "lamp cord". Very fine stuff. If you still can't fix the Kachina, put the pieces on a piece of miniature newspaper with a bottle of miniature glue and some miniature toothpicks and set the whole display on the kitchen table.

Mel Koplin

Glues: A real quick note on glues, try www.Marthastewart.com. You may have to sign in, but then Select 'Crafts', then 'Crafts 101', next 'All About Glues'. Hope this might help someone with glue questions.

Rita-Montana

DREMEL MULTI-PRO: You can get attachments from http://www.dremel.com and other information too. Try their "Owners Club message board" for tips & questions. Also, two very good places for accessories & attachments are: http://www.micromark.com & http://www.widgetsupply.com They have saws, and all kinds of things to make furniture, etc...

Nancy in Ohio's husband, Joel

Dremel Video: Bob Scott, of Lilac House, put out a video (it was done by Mindstorm) in which he shows very clearly some of the many things you can do with a Dremel in building miniatures. His address is Lilac House, 2122 So. Thor, Spokane, WA 99223, 509-535-2917. I don't know if the tape is available any more,but he might be willing to copy his copy for you for a fee. It is very clear with a lot of tips about why you do things the way you do. And he makes for sale a saw that uses the Dremel as a power source. It works very well and is just the ticket for anyone wanting to build furniture. He also recommends S.H. Goode & Sons for wood. I have seen the wood that Goode does, and it is beautifully done. They are at: PO Box 5161, Torrence, CA 90510. Hope this helps and hope he still has some tapes available. Mindstorm might have some of his tapes still left and, if so, they would be available through Mindstorm Productions, http://www.mindstorm-inc.com.

Jeanne, San Anselmo, CA

Free Glue Guide: I found something in AC Moore's which I would like to share with all of you. They have a display of free brochures from Aleene's and the brochure is really quite helpful. It gives a brief note of use and properties of each of the 30 Aleene's adhesives. One panel of the 3-fold brochure has a chart which lists their adhesives, broken into categories, down the left side and across the top are different crafts. Under each craft, there is a dot across from the adhesive that could be used for it. Neat. Go get one before they are gone. After posting about the free Aleene's Glue Guide, I noticed a web site listed in small print (of course) on the back and I checked it. I think it is a site many of you would find helpful. It has sections for sharing (posting with Q&A), Fabric Crafting, Craft Painting, General Crafting, Paper Crafting, Kids Crafting, and Product Location. Did you know that a new paint called Tulip Ultra Soft Fabric Paint is available? It is produced in 3 finishes: Matte, Metallic (pearlized look), and Velveteen (gives look of velveteen fabric). There are a lot of possibilities in that paint for the creative dh enthusiast (like your average ss member). The site address: www.duncancrafts.com

Mel in Ma

Dremel uses: I'm FAR from a Dremel pro, but I do get a reasonable amount of use out of mine. Here are some of the ways I use it and attachments/accessories necessary to do so: a.. With the drill press accessory, you can drill teensy things without worrying if you're going to drill your fingers, instead. b.. With the router accessory and appropriate router bits, you can make moldings and give furniture and other wooden items a nicely shaped edge (e.g., rounder, s-curve, ogee). c.. With carving bits, you can carve a whole lot faster,easier and, in my opinion, safer than you can using chisels on teensy pieces. d.. With the grinding wheels, you can smooth and remove burrs (sharp edges) from metal, and can trim down a piece of metal to size. The saw feature isn't very versatile. You use a cutting wheel to do it, so it will saw through tubes, for instance, but I wouldn't use it to cut anything of a length beyond that. Maybe t here is an accessory to use the Dremel as a table saw, but I don't know of it.

Rosemary in Cleveland

Dremel Uses: I use the router bits to groove the ceilings and walls for round wiring, before I paper and paint. I used the brown grinding stones to smooth the rough edges of newly cut slate for a conservatory floor. I use the shaper table attachment and a router bit to make moldings (cove and bead) for building furniture. I use the little drum sanders to sand window and door openings. My set of drill bits helps me drill wire sized holes in which to run electric wire. The drill press enables me to drill perpendicular holes for dowels and also becomes a small stationary disc sander. There is also a 90 degree drill attachment that allows me to drill in small places. The two other tools that I find invaluable in the shop are a scroll saw and a small belt/disc sander. I have used the sander, for example, to sand bricks (the real kind that come on a sheet) after cutting to create smoother edges. The scroll saw cuts plastic and wood for furniture and accessories. Hmmm...that's all I could come up with quickly.. Have fun and practice, practice and practice. And remember all that safety stuff. The Dremel engraving bit (that was not securely tightened in place) is still embedded in the ceiling of my workshop (12 foot ceilings too). I was engraving a design into slate for a tiny shop sign when it spun off. I left it there to remember where to point that thing :)

Sharon Blake

Probably the major difference (besides composition) between tacky glue and Elmer's is that Elmers' will cure hard while Tacky remains flexible. Pour out a gob (that is a very precise measurement) of each on scrap board. Let them both cure for a week or so. Then hit them with a hammer. The Elmers' will shatter, while the tacky doesn't do much of anything. In order to obtain much strength with Elmers', it is necessary to clamp the two pieces while the initial curing takes place - 20 minutes or more, depending on temperature and humidity.

Tom

Moveable glue for use instead of Mini-hold or Blu-Tak: I use Moveable glue for small items I sell at shows like hats and small leather items. These are usually displayed in a Plexiglas case. I apply a few coats of Moveable glue to the items and let dry, then I adhere the items to the shelves. This allows the shopper to handle the items and put it back and once it's back in place, I can pack the case and ship it back home with all the small items intact. I don't know if it leaves a mark on fine furniture. I have used it on the soles of my lil folks shoes and placed them on my desk which has a glossy finish and it doesn't leave a mark. You may want to try this product.

Pearl Jordan

Gluing plastic bricks: I have used plastic bricks and glued them with Elmer's carpenter glue.

Carol

Sharpening Chisels: Joy had a question on sharpening a set of new chisels. Since there are whole volumes on the subject, I will only touch on the basics here.

The side of the chisel blade that is flat from the tip up to the shaft does not get sharpened. The opposite side, which has a relatively short bevel is the face that gets all the sharpening attention. This bevel usually gets "ground" on a machine grinding wheel. This produces a concave bevel which is far easier to hone or sharpen, because there is far less steel being removed by the honing process.

The bevel has two components; the "toe" and the "heel". The "toe" is the very tip of the working end, the "heel" is the rearmost end of the bevel. Even if the bevel has not been previously ground, the same sharpening principals apply.

Ideally, the stones used would range from moderately coarse to very fine in texture. The idea is to obtain finer and finer "scratch-lines" as the sharpening proceeds.

Use a light lubricant on the stone, I've seen everything from spit to specialized honing fluids used- so you can be creative. ( I personally recommend just a little soapy water) The idea is to "float" the particles of steel from the stone, preventing it from getting clogged.

With the face of the bevel flat on the stone (toe and heel always touching) and both hands on the chisel and out of the way of the business end, attempt to "slice" the stone in a slow steady stroke the full length of the stone. This may take a few minutes of stroking the blade to get it sharp and usable. We take our chisels to 6000 grit and they are shaving sharp.

Use a light lubricant on the stone, I've seen everything from spit to specialized honing fluids used- so you can be creative. ( I personally recommend just a little soapy water) The idea is to "float" the particles of steel from the stone, preventing it from getting clogged.

With the face of the bevel flat on the stone (toe and heel always touching) and both hands on the chisel and out of the way of the business end, attempt to "slice" the stone in a slow steady stroke the full length of the stone. This may take a few minutes of stroking the blade to get it sharp and usable. We take our chisels to 6000 grit and they are shaving sharp.

Brian, Roundwood Studio

mini router: Dremel makes 2 styles of routers. One is a router shaper table used in conjunction with the Dremel rotary tool. This is the one I use and I’m very happy with it. You can get a set of router bits also from Dremel. I’ve made several items of furniture using that set up and it works beautifully. They also make a hand held attachment that I also have but don’t use as much as the router/shaper set up.

Joni

Miniature level: Island Crafts makes one. We carry it.

Tom Berkner

YES paste is a bookbinders glue. It has the wonderful trait of not causing the paper to stretch, curl or wrinkle. Use it for the above reason. It also does not contain a fungicide, and does not cause your wiring to corrode. It is available in 55 gal drums from Gane Brothers or, we sell it in 6 oz jars for the same price as Grandma Stover's and MiniGraphics sells it in 4 oz. jars.

When applying cloth with YES paste, apply the glue to the wall, not the fabric. The glue is stiff and should be spread with something like an old credit card, or the spreaders used for auto body filler. You want just enough glue on the wall to make it look wet, scrape off all the excess. One 6 oz. jar should be able to glue about 15 sheets of mini wall paper (11" x 20") . Then apply the fabric to the wall. No glue/powder should come through the fabric.

Do NOT, repeat Do NOT add water to thin the YES paste; if you do, you defeat the non-stretch, non-curl characteristics of the glue. On my web site, under Tom's Tips is list of what glue to use for what material.

Tom

Levels: To people are looking for a real level, small, but definitely not a miniature one. Have you tried an RV store. I have one (someplace) that is less then 2 inches and round that I got when traveling.

Dawn Weaver, Belleview, Florida

Levels: There is a small level, the base is a little less than 1 inch in diameter, the bubble is perhaps 1/4 inch in diameter. We used to sell these in a camera store, would assume they are still available. Probably would have to be a large store catering to professional photographers, doubt if small shops would have them, though perhaps they could order them. I have no idea if they are still in business, but you could ask your camera shop to look at the Kalt or Dot Line catalog. As I remember, they were only a couple of dollars.

Dean Jenson

Levels: There is a round/disc bubble level that is perfect for leveling things like tables. About 1-1/2" in diameter.

Then there is a line level, which is used to level cement blocks, etc. , and is about 2 or 3 inches long.

There is a pocket torpedo level, about 4" long, used for leveling pictures on the wall, etc

There are a couple more in the same price ranges - depends on what you want to use them for. . All are available in any decent hardware/tool store. Sears has them, OSH has them, and I would imagine most lumber yards that sell tools have them.

Jeanne, San Anselmo, CA