WHY WON'T IT WORK?!?

So I'm trying round wiring for the first time.

Or not.

I'm fairly experienced with tape wire, and have never had any major problems.  However, it's not the most durable system on earth, and it can be hard to hide the tape.  So I thought I'd try round wire instead.  In theory, it doesn't seem that difficult.

However, I cannot get anything to work.

Usually, I have some idea of what I'm doing wrong.  This time, I don't.  I feel utterly defeated.  I'm not sure if it's how I'm wrapping the terminal block (a process for which there are no useful diagrams), how I'm soldering the connections (I don't think it's that), etc etc etc.  I've also realized that, alarmingly, I have no idea how to test the circuit!  Oh, for tape wire, where you just stick it in.

Any suggestions?

The Hobby Lobby Petition

One of the great things about miniatures, as a hobby, is that it's an escape from the real world--and a chance to create your own, better world.  Nobody wants a political rant.  And, while I'm certainly not trying to keep my own views a secret, I also don't think it's appropriate to preach at people.  We're all different, we all have different beliefs, and diversity is a wonderful thing.  The last thing I would ever want is for someone to feel like they can't be my friend, because we disagree.

But, for informational purposes only, sometimes it's good to share.  And some of you might not know about this petition.  I, personally, like to know what stores, distributors, and manufacturers support so that I can make my purchases accordingly.

Thoughts?

What I've Learned From My Mistakes

Don't spray paint in the rain.  Or in the almost-rain.  Or in 99% humidity.  Your metallics will be dull and blotchy, your stoves will fog over.  Although, as we've seen, sometimes mistakes are a blessing in disguise.  In fact, I'm pretty sure this is true in almost every area of life...

The same day I did the blue cook stove, I also sprayed some copper pots.  Which, well, came out looking like something one of my neighbors might dig up out of his root cellar and sell the tourists as an "antique."  So with a little creative craft paint ("Americana" brand craft paint in burnt sienna and lamp black), I went with the "old and gross" theme.

USE MULTIPLE FINE COATS!!!  I thought I already knew this advice.  I mean, duh.  Most of us have been at this for years, and "fine coats" seems like really Mickey Mouse advice.  DO NOT BE FOOLED.  When it comes to spray enamels, flat colors are very forgiving.  Gloss colors are not.  And, I've discovered, the lighter the color, the worse the coverage.  My first few tries with the Testors light ivory were disasters; my paint came out gloppy, or obscured the detail.  I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.  Then, after wasting about 20 bucks worth of paint, talking it over with some of my hobbyist friends, and visiting a hobby forum, I learned the following rules:

1.  Shake the can for at least 5 minutes.  I'm not kidding.  Shake that baby like there's no tomorrow, then shake it some more.  And start with a new can.  If you've got a can that's, like, half gone and you haven't been mixing things up, well, um, it won't ever mix properly.
2. MIST COATS, dude.  This shouldn't take you two coats, it should take you more like ten.  The finer and more frequent the coats, the happier you'll be with the results.
3. DO NOT SPRAY ON HUMID DAYS.

Face it, sometimes you just need to use spray paint.  Like, take the pot belly stove, for example.  The sprayed-on enamel more closely resembles enameled cast iron, so you're going to get a better result.  Comparing these two pot belly stoves, I think the ivory one looks a lot more realistic than the green one.

The hair-thin black edges and slightly pebbly texture add realism.

Even with a spray coat over it (Testors "glosscote"), it just doesn't look quite as good.

Oh, yeah, and it's counter-intuitive, but glossy varnish looks better than matte varnish.  It also contrasts much more nicely with the flat black.  Or, at least, I think so.

If you don't want your finish to look pebbly, well, there's a sanding sponge for that and I'll talk about it (if anyone's interested) when I do the parlor stove.  Also known as The Kit From Hell, but that's another story.  Anyway, moving on...

Speaking of which, some mistakes are liberating but some are just depressing.  If it's become a stone around your neck, don't be demoralized; throw it out.  I've thrown out quite a few kits, but I can't really say my money or time was wasted.  I learned a lot.  If every project you try comes out perfect, then you're not stretching yourself and you'll never get better.  Don't be afraid to waste materials, screw up, and look like an idiot.  Within reason, of course; I don't think this stove would make much of a hat.  Or work well as underpants.

Think outside the box, color-wise.  This is your house, do what you want with it.  Just because the folks at Dee's Delights who now produce Chrysnbon made it out of black polystyrene, doesn't mean it has to be black.  Back in the day, people were, I think, a lot more creative with color.  Some of this had to do with the fact that, sans electric light, duller colors were really just lost.  The reason why all that wallpaper was virulently red, black, etc was so it'd show up in gaslight.  And people weren't afraid to go all out, either.  Why can't your pot belly stove be purple?  I've seen antique examples that were aqua, blue, every color under the rainbow.  And even if nobody ever painted it that color before, who cares?

Sometimes gluing two already-painted pieces together causes an ugly colored blob to ooze out.  You can get rid of it by dipping a small angled brush into thinner, then carefully brushing out the seam.  Quickly brush off any excess thinner, to prevent it from eating the surrounding paint.  Repeat the process until it's all gone--and, if all else fails, remember that you can always sand it out and repaint it if you have to.

Wet sanding is key.

Don't spray paint outside.  Even if you're not near a tree--and I can't tell you how many little tree parts I've found embedded in my projects--you're still not safe.  Dude, a bird pooped on the red cook stove.  Invest in a hood, if you can afford it, otherwise try to spray somewhere that's well-ventilated but at least somewhat covered.

One trick I used, when I had to spray outside, was to, as soon as I finished spraying, immediately put a piece of cardboard over my spray box.  Gloss paints stay tacky a LOT longer than flat paints, so keep this in mind.

Stay organized.  All those little bits and pieces can take over your work area, room, and house really quickly.  My family's really tolerant but, um, still.  In college, one of my roommates painted Warhammer figurines and everyone was always stepping on something.  I got out of the shower, put my foot on the mat and got a spear through the webbing between my toes; he was furious that I'd ruined his guy.  What I wanted to know was, why was it in the bathroom in the first place?

Where's the Flocked Wallpaper?

I guess I just love fuzzy things.

But how come no one makes it anymore?  I had quite a nice selection in my (old) studio, which, like the space itself, has gone the way of the dodo.  I was so sad to find out it was gone, and have been searching for more ever since.  As I've absolutely no idea how one might go about making flocked wallpaper--at least, not without serious supplies--this is really pretty frustrating.

Know of any (reliable) sources?

And what else do you wish you could find?  Also on my own personal wishlist are...

1. Furniture pieces (such as Houseworks manufactures in basswood) in hardwood.  I'd so like the opportunity to order mahogany cabriole legs, splats, etc.  For us inferior woodworkers, who lack the skills to create cabriole legs ourselves, this would truly be delightful.
2. Better tiles.  I loathe plastic tile sheets; they never come out quite right for me.  But my dollhouses would, I'm certain, love a delft tile surround on at least one fireplace.
3. Better kits for kitchen furniture--like ice boxes.  As I lack the funds to purchase one of Ken Byers' lovely ice boxes (complete with period authentic hardware...drool), I find I'm stuck.  Chrysnbon makes a nice ice box kit but, of course, it's plastic.  Although I'm planning on experimenting with said plastic to see if I can make it look like anything, well, to be honest, I'm not optimistic.
4. Better dollhouse bathrooms--in kit form or otherwise.
5. Historically accurate wall-to-wall carpet.  You know, with an actual design on it.  If you don't believe me, check out pictures of Lincoln's (real) Springfield Home, etc.  This stuff was in common usage for quite some time, as the quality of the wood used on the floors themselves was so bad.  But it was, of course, patterned--usually with something of an oriental look.  Like hotel carpet today.
6. Better carpets generally.
7. Windows with actual window panes.

Do YOU Have A Creatin' Contest Horror Story?

Yesterday, commenting about my Creatin' Contest nightmare, one of my readers commented that, unfortunately, I wasn't the first to have an unpleasant experience.  Reading that, I was intrigued--who else has had issues, with this or any other miniatures contest?  What sorts of issues did they experience?  

I think that, maybe, contest-related unhappiness is more widespread than any of us think, but we keep mum about it, because our experiences have been so unhappy-making.  But let's share!  I, for one, would feel much better.

Thanks, Michelle, For Bringing Up Some Good Points

Michelle, one of my readers, has asked several excellent questions, as well as provided some expertise of her own.  As I'm sure her thoughts will be of interest to other readers, as well, I'm addressing them in a separate post as well as in the "comments" sections of the relevant posts.  If anyone else has any questions or suggestions, please let me know!

1. What kind of stucco are you using between your beams?  Inside, I'm using wallpaper.  I purchase mine from Miniatures.com, although you can also purchase it on Amazon.  The correct name is "simulated off white plaster ceiling paper".  It's actually vinyl, so it's quite easy to work with.  I use Grandmother Stover's Glue to apply it, but any high quality paste should work just as well.  I apply the paper over the entire room, then glue the beams down on top.  I've had great success with this method, principally because it provides very clean lines.  It's exasperating, cutting paper exactly to shape after you've installed your woodwork.  Outside, I'm using Greenleaf stucco powder mixed with craft paint.  I like DecoArt in "antique white", but any decent craft paint will do.  I mix to roughly a 50/50 ratio.
2. Are your houses 1:12 scale, or are your cats just huge?  Henry and London are just huge.  Henry is actually larger than London, the gent relaxing in the pictures!  Both cats weigh several stone each.  
3. Do you have any advice for making golfer's tape curve?  Honestly, it is a bit tricky--but the good news is, the learning curve is steep.  What I found worked the best was a) cutting the tape very thinly, and b) using a much longer strip than I needed.  If I had one side firmly anchored, I found it was easier to move the strip itself about a bit.  For the more acute curves, I nudged the tape into shape bit by bit.  A set of polymer clay styli are absolutely critical for this step.  They're inexpensive, easily found in most craft stores (and certainly online--Amazon carries them), and really help with the tricky bits.  When I purchase golfer's tape, I purchase the thinnest tape I can find, because I only use the edges.  Each length of tape, thus, provides me with two edges.  If you examine a roll carefully, you'll see that the edges are slightly crimped; by cutting off those edges, I create a nice curve.  Also, it's much easier to gauge distance by eyeballing, which not only saves time cut also increases accuracy.

Michelle has also suggested a fabulous hardware vendor, Tony Hooper Miniatures.  Thank you for this suggestion, and I look forward to perusing the site at length!  Indeed, as I have the rest of the afternoon off...

Happy mini-making, everyone!

PS: I've updated the "tutorials" page, reorganizing it so tutorials on different subjects are easier to find and identify.  As always, the list is still growing!  Please let me know if there's anything you wish I'd discuss, or discuss more...

For Gayle in Maine

Gayle in Maine asks,

"What material did you use for the pargeting ? I am also curious, what size lumber you are using for the exterior half-timbering ?  I am quite new in miniature construction, and very anxious to learn ! I am absolutely thrilled with the idea of a historically accurate building (as much as feasible), rather than just another kit dollhouse."

Gayle, 

First, welcome!!!  I've been making minis since I was six, and I'm still learning.  It's a really fun hobby, and one that grows with you.  Because you're always expanding your skills, and building on existing skills, it never gets dull.

For building materials, my go-to sources are Miniatures.com and, believe it or not, Michael's.  Yes, the craft store.  All of my half timbering is regular old basswood.  At any given time, I have several hundred different strips, moldings, and sheets lying around waiting to be used.  I also like to keep an eye out for things that could be used in mini making, but that aren't necessarily advertised as such: interesting paint, wallpaper, jewelry findings, etc.

For the pargeting I used...wallpaper!  No, I'm not kidding.  I'm always on the hunt for really good wallpaper remnants.  The specific paper I used there was this horrid metallic gold vinyl paper.  Yes, really.  I sealed it with a couple coats of white gesso before applying a final layer of off-white paint.

The specific wood I used for the half timbering on Nonesuch House was 3/8" x 1/8" strips.  I'm very fond of this size, as it's standard, easy to find (you can buy it in bulk from Miniatures.com), and looks good.  The carved posts were actually Houseworks veranda posts that I cut in half lengthwise and glued onto wood strips.  For those strips, I actually glued the veranda halves onto slightly larger pieces of wood, and then trimmed out the composite piece on my table saw so everything would match.  I really enjoy using pre-turned pieces in my projects, and have achieved some interesting effects.

Speaking of table saws, a good, affordable starter saw is the PREAC table saw.  You used to be able to buy this saw from Smaller Than Life, but now the Boorums sell a new saw, the PROXXON table saw.  Their new package is quite a bit more expensive than their old package, but I'd still recommend springing for it if you can.  The Boorums make all the jigs, etc themselves, and they're extremely high quality.  Plus, they're very helpful in the customer service department.

The techniques in my tutorial on dollhouse floors also work for half timbering--and, indeed, are the same techniques I use.  I also really enjoy aging wood with a wire brush and some India ink.  This is how I make my really "dirty" pieces.  First, I scrub my finished piece with a wire brush to age it.  Then, I add a few drops of India ink to some water (the more ink, the darker the finish), apply it with a brush, and wipe it off with a rag.  The best advice I have, though, when it comes to finishing is: experiment!  There's really no "wrong" way to finish or age something.  In real life, every house is different.

When it comes to building historically accurate buildings, I like to kit bash.  There's a post about bashing my Tudor Bakery here.  I get my inspiration from real life: I love looking at pictures of medieval, tudor, and colonial houses in books, online, and in real life.  I'm not really into exact reproductions; rather, I try to capture specific features and themes that I like.

Gayle, I hope this helps, and please feel free to ask any additional questions you may have!

Happy mini making,

CJ