The Transformation of a Dollhouse: A Photo Journal

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   Tools

Here is some really cool stuff that my friend Julie told me about. I never knew this stuff existed! It's for sticking mini things to walls, furniture, etc, and to hold mini things in place. I'd been using rubber cement for this because I didn't want anything to be permanent until I'm finished with the house and decide how I want to decorate it. This stuff is MUCH better and doesn't stain anything, either.

This new tool has quickly become my hands-down favorite! Where was this wonder when I started my dollhouse? It would have made cutting all my siding and all my trim, as well as door and window frames, SOOOOO much easier. It cuts stripwood up to 1/2" thick. All angles are marked on the base, and for 90 and 45 degree angles, there are guides to lay your wood up against and it cuts them perfectly! Once they are cut out, they assemble perfectly! I made a picture frame this afternoon in about 30 seconds using this new little wonder. After I bought this, I went back and redid all my window and door frames so they would look perfect! No more gaps and crooked cuts for me!

You can see how the angles are all clearly marked. The blade fits down into a groove so that when you cut the wood, it is a sharp, clean cut. No splinters, and no more ragged edges. There is even a bottle opener machined underneath the base. What this is for, I have yet to figure out....I can't figure out why a bottle opener would be handy when cutting stripwood.....but nonetheless, it's there if I should ever need it!

This is one of my favorite tools....the triangular ruler I mentioned on the tips page. Thanks to a visitor to this site I have learned that this is called a "Speed Square". They are available at hardware stores (like Ace Hardware) and home building supply stores (such as Lowe's or Home Depot). If you don't have one, you NEED one! I don't know what I ever did without it! I got it a little over a year ago and I reach for it constantly when working on the house.

The coping saw is handy to use to cut through dowels and small pieces of wood. It is also handy to cut inside a piece of wood. Drill a hole wherever you want to start cutting, then put the blade through and attach it to the handle. It's kind of like a manual scroll saw.

I got the best anniversary present ever! Hubby bought me this 12 volt cordless drill for our two-year anniversary this year, and I LOVE it! It is so handy for all kinds of things. Best thing about it is, it can be used for full sized tasks as well as for minis, and we can both use it.

I was glad to finally resurrect my scrollsaw from behind furniture, where it's been hidden for almost a year because we didn't have a table to mount it on. Now, thanks to Hubby, it is sitting happily in the living room on the new worktable, and I have used it for something almost every day since he built the table. The scroll saw is a wonderful tool for making intricate cuts in wood, and for cutting curved pieces like headboards. I have only just begun with this tool!

Here is the router attachment we got for the Dremel tool. It is very nice, but once we got it we realized that the "router table attachment" would have been more useful for mini work. My boss went on a trip to Sears one day and found a "router table attachment" made by Black and Decker, which fit this Dremel tool just fine.

   The Kitchen

I got this drill press last year for hubby...but it is an invaluable tool for mini stuff as well! So, since it needs to be bolted down to be effective, it is also going on the new table. There, we can both use all the tools whenever we like, and not have to drag them from behind furniture (where they've been hidden all this time).

Here is my Proxxon Micro-Lathe. This was made in Germany and is sold by "Model Expo Inc". I bought it from them on an Ebay auction, and got it for half price what it sells for in the catalog, mint in the box. It works well!!! It was expensive but half price is not too bad, I don't think! Now I can turn all kinds of railing and chair and table legs, bed posts, etc....I can even make plates, bowls, cups, and other things with it. I am very pleased!