Replies

1. 
   InMyOpinion | Mar 22, 2007 06:03pm | #1

   Some woodworkers mockup proposed furniture construction in miniature for the benefit of customers and/or themselves. Among those people (if I recall correctly) is Andy Rae (noteworthy author).

   Although I've done some modeling (from cardboard to CAD), I am intrigued by the wooden models, and have wondered how much of the stock can be purchased--so that the focus can be put on assembly and design (vs. material "creation").

1. 
   miniwood | Mar 23, 2007 04:41am | #7

   when I say "miniature" it's 1/12 scale and I wouldn't call it "mock-up" because it's made with mini-nails or pegs (which I prefer), brass hardware using mini-tools some of which is just scaled down. Mitre saws, nails, etc.

   thanks for the reply..........I am new at "blogs"

   Jan

2. 
   miniwood | Mar 23, 2007 06:20pm | #10

   Sorry that I missunder the term (mockup) !

   What does CAD stand for?

   I sometimes do not understand the terminology?

   Jan

3. 
   woodrae | Apr 03, 2007 04:13pm | #14

   InMyOpinion—As you correctly surmised, I do use minatures in my work, mostly for myself to work out details in a piece and to get an overall look at the proportions of the design. Rather than buying pre-milled stock at the hobby store, I prefer to use the same wood that the piece will be built from, which gives me a more accurate sense of color, texture and grain. I use an architect's scale ruler to calculate the dimensions of my stock, and typically have an auxiliary MDF sled placed over the bed of my thickness planer so I can mill stock down to thicknesses as thin as 1/16 in. or so. The size I work with depends on the finished size of the acutal piece of furniture, but a scale of 3/32 in. to 1 in. is pretty common for me.One concern is how to cut such small stuff accurately. I find tiny, 1/16-in. chisels and very fine Japanese dozuki (backsaw) saws a boon. A well-fitted, zero-clearance tablesaw throat plate keeps small parts from whizzing out of sight. Also, a tablesaw cutoff sled is paramount; trying to crosscut small, thin stuff on the chopsaw is usually asking for trouble. When the work is really small or extra fragile, I make up a little jig from plywood with wooden guide strips that house the work, then crosscut with the dozuki. Oh... and head-mounted magnifying gear (one brand is Optivisor) comes in handy on occasion, particularly when cutting diminutive joints.Most of the wood gets a few swipes with a hand plane followed by smoothing by hand with fine sandpaper wrapped around a felt or wood block, just as I would do when building a full-scale piece. A coat or two of shellac, or a quick spray with rattle-can lacquer, provides the finished look.Having said this, the other route I often use is to simply build a scale model from whatever scraps are laying around, such as cardboard, posterboard, or thin plywood. Hot-melt glue, cyanoacrylate adhesive ("super glue"), pins from a pneumatic pin nailer, or even tape, holds parts together. This a rough-and-ready approach that let's you see the overall form very quickly without fussing with material preparation.Now, if you want to see one of the coolest miniatures I've ever come across, check out the attached photo, below. It's a miniature chest made by my buddy Yeung Chan, a furnituremaker and designer in Northern California. Yeung says he made the piece to challenge himself, and not as a miniature in preparation for building the 'real' thing. Warning: Get out your magnifying glasses. This guys puts us all to shame!—Andy Rae

   
2. 
   bill5335 | Mar 22, 2007 07:19pm | #2

   When you say miniature, what scale are you referring to? 

   I've done a few chairs at 1/3 scale, but I doubt if that is considered miniature. On the other hand, it works well for doll furniture.

   What do you do for hardware? Make your own?

1. 
   citrouille | Mar 22, 2007 07:59pm | #3

   For a long time now I submit scale models to my customers.
   I take digital pictures of them and cover these pictures with a removable sheet of vellum with the dimensions.
   It's amazing how most customers have a hard time relating to drawings, even well executed renderings.
   In addition the model allows you to clearly see the joints you are going to execute.
   In my opinion, at the end it saves time.C.

3. 
   9619 | Mar 22, 2007 09:03pm | #4

   Jan,
   I have made a five story dollhouse, and have filled it with furniture. All is at the scale one inch to the foot. I was impressed by some photos in one of Flora Gill Jacobs' books of dollhouses which, from the front, look like a mansion sitting on a chest, but from the back, look like really tall dollhouses. The chest is really one or two more floors of rooms, such as those that might be found on the rest of the grounds of the mansion -- for the horses, for the blacksmith, for the carriages, etc etc etc. So I did the same thing. The top is a three floor Victorian. It sits on a walnut, paneled chest. But from the back, the chest is really two more floors of the dollhouse. Given that the dollhouse is only "one room thick", one needs more "floors" to get in all of the necessary rooms. The house, "Rosebud Manor", is my daughter's. I started making it the day she was born. She is 27 but the house and the furniture are never really finished. It is a lifetime project. She will take it when she has a house of her own with sufficient space.

   My work would not be considered "dollhouse" and it would not be considered "miniatures". It is between the two, but being closer to miniatures.

   There is not much discussion of such work on Knots. However, if you would like, we could both put up some photos of our work in the Gallery? Is this the type of work that you do? If so, are you willing to put up some photos? Tell me the date, and we'll both put them up on the same day -- which will go down forever in history as "Knots Miniatures Day".

   Have fun.
   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   mbholden | Mar 22, 2007 09:08pm | #5

   Mel,

   It sounds terrific.

   How about some photos?

   Mike

2. 
   miniwood | Mar 23, 2007 07:38pm | #13

   Mel

   Loved your long reply, thanks.

   I have always worked in 1'12 scale. When my,(now 28 yr old) neice was born I staryed building a colonial(by Greenleaf) dollhouse. Period was early 18th century. I did modify the planes quite a bit by discarding blk. paper roofing and replacing it with shake shingles that I made myself by splitting 1" dried branches; tha yellow plastic siding was replaced with wood siding bought at a hobbyshop; there were no fireplaces so I built 1 for each of rooms incld. the attic bedroom occupied by the 7yr old girl; i used a couple of kits, Chysbaum (sic) and another kit manufactured by ?; wallpapered placed wood flooring and re: fireplaces a couple were made from mini looking field stones and others from "stucco"; a family was moved in.None of the dolls found in stores were acceptable because of their bulkiness , soooo I sculpted them from Sculpey or Fimo clay. They were to scale but not flexible.

   As to the furniture in the house, some I made from Balsa wood, Basswood, hardwoods such as maple/mahogony. I used some kits for period peices, but for the attic bedroom kitchen and "summer' kitchen (built by me) furniture I drew plans and made myself.(tresel-table, ladder to attic, colonial 'hutch-table' (it converts from table to lg. seat and has storage under the seat); it is authentic to that period.

   I made one room into a music-room complete with kit and handmade furniture. I built a Clavicord, Cello with bow and storage case. Pipe organ eas from Chysenbaum kit.

   I built a 2-seater 'outhouse', wood shed and mulch pile. There is a white picket fence seperating house from the curb.

   Knots 'mini day sounds great but would be a while. When I retired from nursing and moved to STL,  MO from RI some things were left there. Plan is to bring them out here thing spring.

    

   Jan

4. 
   joinerswork | Mar 23, 2007 12:51am | #6

   mini,

   Have you seen the book, Miniature Antique Furniture, by Herbert F. and Peter B. Schiffer? (1972, Livingston Publishing Co.) ? The Schiffers for many years had an antique business in PA, with long running ads on the back page of the Magazine Antiques.  Nutting's Furniture Treasury also has a few miniatures scattered throuout the book.

   In addition to Mel's comments on dollhouses, if that is where your interest lies, you may want to contact the Museum of the Shenandoah (formerly Glen Burnie) in Winchester Va.  Before it became a museum, it was a private residence, whose owner had quite a collection of antique dollhouses.  I believe they are on display now, in an area of the museum all their own.

   I've built a few miniatures over the years.  For a while I had a customer who collected miniature furniture, and built some pieces for her, and repaired a couple antiques.  My wife has a miniature 3 shell block-front chest that I built as a jewelry box for her back when we were courting.  It started out as a chest on chest, but I got tired...dang miniatures are almost as much work as full size stuff.

   Regards,

   Ray Pine

5. 
   Samson | Mar 23, 2007 05:08am | #8

   I made a few mini furniture pieces once using bass wood and making it up as I went along.  I was trying to make it look like fairly beat up laboratory furniture for this 1/6th scale Jeckyl & Hyde Diorama:

   http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/476155662YMiDni?track_pagetag=/page/photo/homegarden/hobbiesinterests&track_action=/Owner/ViewActions/FullAlbum

   Working mini is fun, but difficult to scale things like thicknesses correctly as its very easy to look a 1/2 inch thin or thick at small scales.

1. 
   miniwood | Mar 23, 2007 06:32pm | #11

   use veners or buy scale wood, such as 1/16-3/32. It comes in maple-mahogony-cherry. When peices are finished they really are quite nice (and do not look bulky or out of scale.

   thanks for the reply.

   Jan

6. 
   cmiller231 | Mar 23, 2007 07:37am | #9

   Check out this guys work ,Wish i could do anything close to this.     Chris

   http://www.practicalmachinist.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/30/3604.html

   
   

   ---

   Edited 3/23/2007 12:47 am ET by cmiller231

7. 
   9619 | Mar 23, 2007 07:03pm | #12

   Jan,
   As a result of your message, I got up the nerve to post some photos of the miniature mansion that I made for my daughter. You will find my message and the photos in the Gallery. I had a lot of fun with that project (and I put a lot of time into it). It was strictly a labor of love, and one in which I learned a lot.

   I hope you will post a few photos of your work in the Gallery. I am very glad to see someone else on Knots who is interested in miniatures.

   Enjoy,
   Mel

   Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

8. 
   vp-crop | Jan 10, 2015 12:07pm | #15

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