How to Make a Dollhouse Miniature "Marble" Topped Wine Rack from Card Stock, Part 3

If you haven't got your 4 legs done, yet, you can go on to the marbling.

Everybody has a favorite way to marble and if you do, please use what you are comfortable with.  
This is yet another way to marble.

After you've got a good coat of white on the top you will use a charcoal pencil, extra soft, to make your lines.  I found a way to make the best random lines by accident.  I wanted to sharpen the charcoal pencil and draw nice sharp lines.  The charcoal kept breaking in the sharpener.  The pencil tip would have a broken tip, it had a nice sharp edge all around the broken tip.  Instead of drawing, pulling the pencil, I would roll the edge in a random pattern.  This gave me a thick and thin line with little variations in direction that I couldn't get by drawing that perfect line.  This worked out for me, try it out.  Don't forget to draw lines over the edges of the top.

 This is my top after I have my lines on, each time I do make the lines the top turns out differently.

I don't get too worried about the lines anymore, we just want to suggest marble.

This next thing we do is smudge the lines with your fingers, leave about 20% of the lines un-smudged.

Mix the Magnolia White with Americana's Glazing Medium, 50/50.

Use a small sponge to dip into the paint, blot off on  newspaper first; next blot over the lines you made on your top.

You are sinking the lines into the marble.  Don't cover up your lines,  just blot here and there.  

Let this dry.

To finish the top I apply a coat of Delta's PermEnamel Satin Glaze.  I let this dry and lightly sand it with 320 grit sand paper.  I apply a final coat of the satin glaze. 

When this coat is dry I buffed the top with a piece of crumpled brown paper bag.

Have you got 4 legs, yet? 

                                      

 Let's start gluing the legs on.  The legs are glued onto the underside of the apron, diagonally to the corners.

Apply glue to the apron and slide the flat top part of the leg to the corner.  Stop just before the curve of the leg touches the apron edge.  The back of the foot should be touching the corner of the wine bin.

Turn the table over and make sure the leg is in the center of the corner of the apron.

Glue the back of the foot to the corner of the wine bin.

Glue the rest of the legs on the same way.

Attach a sticky toothpick to the apron and go outside and spray your wine rack.

Center and glue your "marble" top on.  It's a good idea to clamp it on to keep everything flat.  Always use card stock between the clamps and your work to prevent marks.

These are my 2 tops, one has more lines it, they all come out different.

 

This is a picture of the finished table.  Fill the racks with wine bottles and place a display of fruit and cheese on top and I think we have a winner. 

 

 

 Have  fun, expand on it, make it better and just keep making minis.

Talk you all later, Kris                                                

How to Make a Dollhouse Miniature "Marble" Topped Wine Rack from Card Stock, Part 2

During the time you are laminating the parts for your table you can be sealing the top for the marble finish.

I attach the top to a toothpick with sticky wax and use an acrylic finish.  I used Delta's PermEnamel Satin Glaze.  This will seal the cut edges and surface of the mat board.  I applied two coats, let these dry thoroughly.  I sanded using 320 grit sand paper and applied one more coat, nice and smooth.  Coat both sides; you can paint around the toothpick.  Let dry.

Another thing you can do is make the wine bins.  I made the bins from Coats & Clark Classic Crochet thread.  I tried other materials but the crochet thread worked best.  


Tape your card stock pattern to your table. 

 Tape a piece of waxed paper over the pattern.

 I found the easiest way to lay the thread on was to affix the tape to one end of the thread first.

Next, line up the thread and press the taped end down.

Pull the other end and tape it down.

Do one direction first then the other.

Use the yellow wood glue to glue where the thread crosses with itself.  Get between the layers of the thread and be neat.  It will count later.  Let this dry.

Before you take the wine bin off the pattern make marks on the thread where the pattern ends.  This will give us a guide to cut on.


Lift the waxed paper off the table and set it aside. 


Tape another piece of waxed paper over your pattern and make the second wine bin.

Are the 3 coats of satin glaze dry on your top, yet?  If they are you can give the top at least 3 coats of white paint.  I used Delta's Ceramcoat Magnolia White.  Paint 2 coats, both sides (around the toothpick), let dry thoroughly.  After the top is dry sand smooth, use 320 grit sand paper and apply another coat of paint.  If you think you need more coats, apply them. When you are satisfied sand lightly and give a smooth final coat of paint.  We want complete coverage.

You've got a lot of things going on right now, haven't you?  There are parts and pieces everywhere.

If your wine bins are made and the glue is dry carefully cut them away from the waxed paper.  If you have any glue globs at the crosses carefully cut them away.


Are your wine racks dry?  If they are we can assemble the bins into the racks.
You will probably have to trim, if you do, take a little bit off at a time, dry fit again, trim again.  When you get them to fit, glue the bins into the racks.  Glue the bins so that they are even with one side of the rack.  Let these dry.

Get the apron that you set aside earlier.  Cut a piece of mat board that fits in the center, between the long sides, on the underside of the apron.  Cut this piece of mat board 7/8" (23mm) wide.

Glue this piece of mat board to the center of the underside of the apron.

Measure and mark the center of this piece for later.  Set this aside again.

Glue 4 layers of 1/8" (3mm) card stock together, these strips should be at least 3" (71mm) long.

After the strips are glued together and dry measure and mark 4 pieces at 5/8" (16mm) long.


Cut these pieces and set them with the wine racks.

When the wine bins are dry, good and dry use a brush and black acrylic craft paint and paint the thread.  I spray painted my first table without doing this step and the spray paint made the thread fuzzy.  We are going to spray paint the table, but paint the thread first.  Let this dry.
Dry them on waxed paper with the flat side on the paper.  Don't leave them to dry like I have them here.

                            Are you making legs?

Get the wine racks and the little 5/8" (16mm) long strips together.  These little strips are to be glued; two at the bottom corners of the wine racks; I glued mine to the outside of the racks.  

The other 2 strips are glued a little higher, at the top of the second 1/2 diamond.  Let this dry. 

This assembly needs to be straight and square.

When the first side is done and has dried, glue the other side to it.

Glue the wine rack to the underside of the apron.  Center the rack side to side, front and back.  Set it down and check if the top is level.  Let Dry.






End of Part 2

How to make a Miniature Vintage Refrigerator

This refrigerator starts out as a block of wood, just about anything will do. I think I used pine 2 x 4's. For the body cut a piece 5" tall x 2 7/8" deep x 2 3/8" wide. If you have to stack and glue to get your size that's all right. If you have an old refrigerator to copy and measure, that's great, use it. Refrigerators will vary a little on measurements. I know the old ones were smaller than today's refrigerators.

The door is 3 5/16" tall x 2 3/8" wide and 1/4" thick. I used basswood.

The drawer is 1 1/4" tall x 2 3/8" wide and 1/4" thick. I used basswood.

The bottom grille is 3/8" tall x 2 3/8" wide and 3/16" thick. I used basswood.

You will need some basswood 1/32" thick for the gasket and bottom and 1/16" thick for the back grille.

Once you have gotten all of your pieces cut to size make a pattern to use for the top of the body. If you have access to a band saw or scroll saw use it to round off the corners on the top of the refrigerator. If not get some 100 grit sandpaper and sand the corners off. Soften the front and back edges just a bit. Don't keep them sharp.

**Important** Please dry fit your pieces to your pattern to keep the rounding off from going to far. Dry fit your pieces together while you are sanding to make sure they will fit . You want a space between the door and drawer about card stock thickness. A little more between the drawer and bottom grille. The bottom grille should be even with the bottom of the body. Adjust your pieces now before the painting and gluing.

After you are happy with the body match the door to it. With sand paper, maybe 220 grit, round the face of the door. Soften the edge that will be towards the body, leave the outside and inside bottoms alone. Keep these sharp.

Go onto the drawer. Keep the inside and outside bottom and the top edges sharp. Round the face to the sides just as you did with the door.

I copied a refrigerator that had a round center pull on the drawer. I used my Dremel to cut into the basswood. I used an engraver cutter. Unfortunately, I couldn't undercut the center circle enough. When trying I just kept making the center smaller and I thought I should stop while I was ahead. Thinking about it now I should have taken the center out and replaced it with a dowel that had a small circle glued to it. You can do either.

The bottom grille is sanded just like the drawer. I glued on 3 pieces of half round to make it look like a grille. You can make half round from 1/16" x 1/16" basswood strips, sand 2 corners round on one side. Glue these evenly spaced onto the front of the grille. Round them off towards the sides.

Use Rustoleum white and black for the painting. The grille will be painted black, the rest is white. Give everything 2 coats, let the paint dry between coats.

Now sand, using 220 grit. The body is going to take longer if you used pine or even if you stacked basswood. You will have to paint and sand to cover the grain and where the pieces were glued together. We are painting a couple of coats then sanding to a smooth finish. It will take a few days to do this. As you start getting a smooth finish start using a finer grit sandpaper, up to 300 or 400 grit. You are after a smooth porcelain appliance finish. You stop when you are satisfied, do not sand the final coat.

While you are painting and sanding you can make the back grille, gasket, and bottom.

Trace around the back of the body onto card stock. Measure in 3/32" to 1/18" around to top and sides. Cut out and place onto back of body. If you need to change the size do it now, you should have not more that 1/18" of the body showing.

When you like the size, trace onto 1/16" thick basswood and cut out. Remember to cut on the line or your piece will be bigger than you expect. Dry fit this, if it's the right size paint it black.

Trace around the bottom of the body onto card stock. This piece's edges are even the the body. Trace onto 1/32" thick basswood. Dry fit and trim if needed. Paint black.

Trace around the door onto card stock. Measure in a 1/16" around the top and sides. Cut out and place against the door. We want this gasket to be just inside the door, not too far in, enough to see that it's just a bit smaller. When you are happy with that, trace onto 1/32" thick basswood and cut out. Dry fit, make changes if needed. Mix your Rustoleum white and black to make grey and paint the gasket.

I used Testor's silver enamel to paint a line on the bottom of door and top of drawer, around the circle and the knob of the drawer. I used masking tape to do the lines.

I use wood glue to glue the parts together.

Glue the bottom onto body, keep the edges even.

Glue the back grille onto back of body. Make sure you have an even margin of body showing on sides and top.

Glue gasket onto front of body. Keep an even margin of body showing around top and sides.

Glue on door, drawer and bottom grille. The bottom grille is even the the body, not the bottom piece you glued on.

For the handle I used 1/16" thick basswood. I traced a circle 1/4" round. I cut this in two so each piece was 1/4" x 1/8". The next piece is 7/8" long from 1/16" thick basswood. One end is cut just like the 2 other pieces (1/4" x 1/8") to fit between them. The other end is long and straight for the handle pull. I have a diagram at the top of the page. Glue these 3 pieces together. Sand round the end of the handle pull tip. Paint this silver. You will have to do this a few times with a little sanding between coats to get a smooth aluminum finish.

I used super glue to attach the handle, be careful.

If you have any questions about this project, please e-mail me and I will be glad to help you.

Kris