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Beyond Kits- Miniature Furniture from Scratch

by: diamondvp( 333Feedback score is 100 to 499)
15 out of 15 people found this guide helpful.
Guide viewed: 2468 times Tags: miniature | furniture | dollhouse | Scale Cabinetmaker | scale furniture


You've assembled the kits from House of Miniatures, Realife, Chrysnbon, and Shenandoah. There aren't many other ones available, so what do you do now? Well, how about creating your own miniatures from scratch. It can be done and there's a lot of books and magazines out there to help you. These are a few of my favorites:

Scale Cabinetmaker is a magazine that ceased publication in 1996, but you can frequently find back issues on eBay. This is my absolute favorite crutch and inspiration and it's a darn good read to boot. Jim Dorsett, the editor, is the writer and historian. He'll tell you why the HOM lowboy isn't authentic and how to correct the problem. He also gets to do things such as figure out how to make an operating ceiling fan for the general store that his wife Helen designed. I was never a subscriber because I couldn't squeeze the $3.75 an issue out of my budget at the time. I could have saved a fortune if I had subscribed to it then. Just to let you know how much I think of these magazines- if we ever have a fire, I'm grabbing my dog and my Scale Cabinetmakers and telling my husband to save himself.

A Cabinetmaker's Guide to Dollhouse Furniture is a series of 10 pattern books for different furniture styles and periods. These are also by the Dorsetts. There's no history to these guides, just some very detailed patterns- several of them 20th century and there's even one that is strictly in 1/2 inch scale. If you need a lot of hand-holding while you're trying something new, these aren't for you. The isn't any "Put tab A into slot B." Actually there are few, if any, words, but the detailed drawings make up for the lack of instructions.

The Art of Making Furniture in Miniature by Harry W. Smith may be the best book to start out with, since it starts with chapters on which tools you'll need (or really, really want); choosing and working with wood and metal; and  finishing. There are only eighteen projects, but the instructions are complete, and the finished project will be one that you'll be proud to say "I made it myself- from scratch!"


Guide ID: 10000000001183220Guide created: 06/18/06 (updated 07/10/08)

 
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