WeekendMiniaturist Posted March 11, 2017 Share Posted March 11, 2017 The forum is so quiet, and at least I think we do have people checking in - although I can't see statistics for the website... Welcome to all the new people who have recently joined the Fine Miniatures Forum. I love the new year from a perspective of my modeling adventures - it is always a time to examine my progress or lack of progress. So what is everyone working on? What is the one project that you would really like to start or finish this year? I have a really, really long list that I keep as a memo on my cell phone... 2017 is my year to clear some of these projects off my list, so the first two things that I am working on finishing for 2017 are: - applying a finish to wood in the cold winter weather is very challenging here; I don't have the facilities or warmth that I perceive I need to spray finish on wood in the winter, so I am experimenting with hand rubbed finishing processes... I have hat stands that I turned in 2015 and 2016, and some boxes that I made in a Boorum class that I am using as test subjects. I am doing the trial run before I apply the finish to my 2017 Williamsburg Spice chest. - I started a Grandmother's hexagon quilt a long, long time ago, that I am on the last outer row of quilting and then the quilt will be finished and I just have to decide about the pillows! So these are the items I have been working on first quarter 2017... I am hoping to have a couple of photos for the forum by the end of March! I have to get the quilt finished so I have something to share with my petitpoint friends for show & tell at the Chicago International... What are you working on? What do you want to finish? What do you want to start? (My humble attempt to get you to post?!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustyclockwork Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 Hey there! Been busy with the new website (still). Latest customer project related to this forum is a tiny music box hidden in a 1/12 scale cabinet. I'm not building it, just repairing the mechanism. Latest personal project is research into a little known aircraft from the first World War, planing on making a 1/3 scale version (with functional engine). Needless to say this is probably one of those 5 to 10 year projects... I have about fifty of those, but this one I've got a good feeling about. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Gadois Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 In response to your request for more postings, here are some pics of a 1:8 scale roll-top desk. Constructed of Mahogany and Poplar because I already had these materials, but a tighter grain wood should have been used. Most difficult part to make was the tambour top. The drawers have dovetails but since they were made using an inverse cone cutter, they don't have the correct angle. I haven't started on the chair yet. Cheers, Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted April 18, 2018 Author Share Posted April 18, 2018 Jason, thank you for answering the call for posts! I have always wondered about music box mechanisms; I think I have a few that need repair but are not in 1/12th scale miniatures. I have a Fisher Price record player that I have always wanted to repair, that was a toy for our sons, but I have no idea how the mechanism works. I think it works like a music box, the records are grooved and it plays music, but someone overwound and it doesn't play the records anymore.... If I remember, Edelweiss on one of those records and I remember the ahah moment as an adult when I realize that the song was from The Sound of Music. I wonder if I have the same music box in my collection; it is in a little stand - like a night stand... I have wandered if that was a houseparty gift from one of the NAME events. I am amazed by the modelers who build working engines in any scale. In my participation in the Yahoo Groups Unimat Forum, I discovered that unimat / edelstaal had a steam model engine kit to retrofit a Tonka truck, and that project has landed on my to do list... crazy? I don't know if I will ever get round to the project, but it sounds like a fun gift to give the youngest son that still appreciates Tonka. I can relate to 50 projects on the lifetime list! I hope you have some time in between customers to ponder your long term projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted April 18, 2018 Author Share Posted April 18, 2018 Guy, Did you make your tambour with a cloth back and a series of half round dowels? I understand how to cut a dowel in half, but I wouldn't cut them in half on a table saw, (because I am chicken). So how did you do the tambour? Is there any way to alter the angle of the inverse cone with files? I know I could alter it, I'm just not sure how that alteration will affect my pins when you are machining. I love dovetails! Dovetails continue to be in my beautiful mysteries in miniature, and am just thrilled when they go together without huge gaps. I think if I set out to do a bunch of them I may relieve myself from a lot of anticipated anxiety on the subject; but I haven't tried to solve this one yet. It is a beautiful desk. Are you using the plans from James Dorsett in Fine Woodworking or The Scale Cabinetmaker? Or did you scale from life size plans? It looks perfectly scaled. I look forward to the chair. I also like your poplar better then mine; my standard poplar stash that is free to me from husband's scrap pile always seems to have a green cast; I was just at Menards looking at the wood that is shrunk wrapped in plastic; I will have to see if they have something nicer there for my miniatures. Your cubbies, just reminded me of another unfinished project. I could work the entire summer on finishing... Just one week away from my departure to the Bishop Show next week! I will have a long, long list to work on finishing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted April 18, 2018 Author Share Posted April 18, 2018 To follow-up on my post from a year ago... I did finish the quilt and I think I posted it in the forum.... I bought down for my 1/12th scale pillows from Amazon and tweezered the down into a couple of pillows. I also did apply the finish to my little spice chest and it finished nicely; but the key... hmmm... where am I on the key; and I need to do-over a couple of drawers that I sanded too much off the depth...So it is close, but not finished! My hat stands and the boxes from the Boroom's NAME class finished nicely. I have to make decisions about where I want my photos to reside and then I can update the FMF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Gadois Posted April 18, 2018 Share Posted April 18, 2018 The tambours were backed with a very sticky, thin tape. Seems to be holding well. I tried cloth backing but it allowed too much movement. Yes, I used the plans from The Scale Cabinetmaker. Attached is a pic of a narrow-strip jig which I used to cut the tambours. By adjusting the end piece, different widths of strips can be attained. The strips were then rounded by using a tiny belt sander from Foredom. Cheers, Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hudson Posted April 19, 2018 Share Posted April 19, 2018 1910 Cretors popcorn wagon. Test fitting various parts for alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted April 19, 2018 Author Share Posted April 19, 2018 It is so much fun to see the progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Bill H, it amazes me that Two more months have flown by... How is the Popcorn wagon project? I hope all is well in Oregon. I would love to see an updated post to your forum thread when you have time. The metal work is awe inspiring, I can't imagine completing something so detailed from past without an actual model. I don't think I would be able to get away with, "Honey, I bought an antique popcorn wagon, so-I-can-make-it-in-miniature..." and while you understand why people purchase the life size object to miniaturize it; I now really understand why you buy the life size piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hudson Posted June 19, 2018 Share Posted June 19, 2018 Not a whole lot of progress. With the coming of good weather, my attention is on getting caught up with yard and garden work and sprinkler system repairs and other out side maintenance. I stopped on the model because I do needed to do some heavy silver soldering before progressing farther but it had been too cold in the garage to work there, now it is too hot. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Yes, I have the same weather issues in the shop, that it seems like it went from cold to hot & humid in a week. I have been trying to turn on my Taig lathe, though and I moved it to a table in my office that has Central Air. I am trying to test my skills now from the GS 2015 Needlework Stand, and see if I can complete the turnings in 36 hours. After this one gets finished I think I can move on to my next mini adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyBoling Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Just home from guild school and took Bill’s balance scales class. I finished enough to assemble them and hang them up for graduation night on a file stuck through a paper cylinder. I decided my next project after refining the scales should be a stand to hang them from and found this inspiration on ebay. I’ll adapt it a bit to match the scales. I’m having workshop issues too. It went from freezing cold in April to blistering hot in May. Bringing power tools into the house is not the best option because the cat chews the cords and eats the workpieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted June 23, 2018 Author Share Posted June 23, 2018 Missy, congrats on your balance scales class. Your results look great, thank you for sharing the photo with the Forum. It looks like you used a lathe, and probably a jewelers saw and files for the parts holding the two scales, and some tiny, tiny S hooks connecting the chains to the pans. I have never cold formed steel, I have only made a chisel in middle school, but it was heated to allow us to shape it, in the same process (I am guessing many, many years later) that a blacksmith would use. This would have been a fun class to participate in. Wouldn't the cat get shocked if it chewed on a cord that was plugged into a wall? Ouch... I can imagine that you have a very tidy workspace if the cat eats your work; petitpointers frequently talk about cat hair embedded in projects but I've never heard of a cat that eats miniatures before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mesouth Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 My workbench still has several unfinished projects on it: one unfinished window for Aragon, the beginning of a new room box, the roof of my Greene & Greene bungalow, et al. But, I have finished both of my Guild School projects: a peacock done in Johannes Landman’s class and turned birdhouses done in Iulia Chin Lee’s class. It was a great week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted June 25, 2018 Author Share Posted June 25, 2018 Mesouth, your Painting from Johannes class at Guild School is exquisite! And of course, I like the little birdhouses! I know that we all create wonderful miniatures, but deep in my soul, I think of paintings as one of the top of the artistic endeavors of our artistic community! I did spend some hours yesterday and today at the lathe. I am now able to turn the needlework stand uprights segments in about in the range of 75 to 90 minutes after I have turned one end to a length of .600 and diameter of .3125 so it fits into the collet. I think at the beginning of my 3rd summer of practice I am finally to the place where I want to be, to turn with some measured, confidence. They are not perfect; but my skills have definitely improved. Now I am working on using my incredible tapered indexing jig, that Mr. Robertson created for the class (and students could purchase), and then the fun part of turning the beautiful details will be the final stage for the turnings.... after that is assembly and finish. I have no idea where I stored my gravers though... they were not under my table with all the rest of my turning tools. <uh oh...> Do we have any other Guild Students who can share some photos of your projects on the Forum? There is so much to miss when you are not able to go to Guild School, and as another year passes, I know I miss seeing everyone and sharing the joy of the best week of the year, but I miss seeing the results of everyone on Friday evening... so I am waiting to see the official photos! If I ever get my Guild School & Guild Study classes finished, I will post pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyBoling Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Martha, that painting is stunning, and I love the birdhouse. I happen to be partial to acorns. The projects on your bench sound wonderful, especially the Greene and Greene house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyBoling Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Tamra, that sewing stand class must have been such fun. It feels so good when you start to become comfortable and confident in a new skill. I was lucky enough to get the last of those indexing jigs, but haven’t needed it for a project yet. I need to pick a project specifically so I can make use of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyBoling Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 12 hours ago, WeekendMiniaturist said: Do we have any other Guild Students who can share some photos of your projects on the Forum? There is so much to miss when you are not able to go to Guild School, and as another year passes, I know I miss seeing everyone and sharing the joy of the best week of the year, but I miss seeing the results of everyone on Friday evening... so I am waiting to see the official photos! Tamra, I’ll start a new topic for guild school 2018. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeekendMiniaturist Posted June 26, 2018 Author Share Posted June 26, 2018 I spent less then 30 minutes on the lathe last night working on milling the indexed flat taper of a spindle (we have extended daylight right now past 9 pm) and I found my gravers, while not in "plain" sight, what was I thinking when I put them in a metal knife tin? They were on top of my antique tool chest purchased last year, easily accessible. <Relief!> I must make myself a real tool chest or wall cabinet, this misplacing tools is not a pleasant experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissyBoling Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 On 6/23/2018 at 2:06 PM, WeekendMiniaturist said: Missy, congrats on your balance scales class. Your results look great, thank you for sharing the photo with the Forum. It looks like you used a lathe, and probably a jewelers saw and files for the parts holding the two scales, and some tiny, tiny S hooks connecting the chains to the pans. I have never cold formed steel, I have only made a chisel in middle school, but it was heated to allow us to shape it, in the same process (I am guessing many, many years later) that a blacksmith would use.... Thanks for the nice words, Tamra. Yes, lots of jewelers saw and file work, and a little lathe work. Bill ended up doing some of the lathe work for us because we ran out of time. It was only a 24 hr class. We made jump rings to connect the chains. The metal was annealed before shaping. I forgot to say that I still need to add the brown patina too. I keep expecting him to get shocked. Any cord within his reach in the house has many tooth marks. He chewed up a 72ct petitpoint piece that I had just finished and photographed for someone who had commissioned it. I set it down on a high table where he never jumps up to, turned my back long enough to set down the camera, turned around, and he was running across the floor with it in his mouth. He obviously saw me set the piece down. He’s lucky to be alive. I cried for two days. My workshop is in the garage, far from neat, and either broiling hot or freezing cold, it seems. I occasionally work on things in the house, but I have to take it with me when I go the bathroom or get a drink. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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