Woodworker's Journal 1993-17-2, страница 51

HOP

EASY-TO-MAKE GIFTS, TOYS & ACCESSORIES

Show off youi miniatures

There's a new collectibles fad thai seems to be sweeping the country—miniatures. They're popping up in those eclectic catalogs that feature everything from housewares to furniture to bric-a-brac, and there are even entire catalogs specializing in this genre. We won't pretend to know just what's sparking all this interest in doll and miniature furniture, but with the growing interest in these items a* collectibles. no doubt there's a fair number of folks who could make use of a handsome little display box to show off a favorite setting.

There are three accepted scales for making miniatures. Ihe mosl common scale is 1:12 or 1 in. equals 1 fool. Less popular scales are '/- in. lo 1 foot or '/-i in. to I foot (this latter is really tiny). The display box shown here, by Connecticut woodworker Dave Moretti. is sized to the 1:12 scale. The display area is 8 in. high, which corresponds lo a standard 8 ft. high ceiling. Moretti made most of the items shown in the display box himself, but the candlestick, candle mold, basket and ihe Shaker pees and pegboard were purchased at a local crafl store. In keeping with the Shakers' affection for cherry, the box is made of cherry solids and plywood, but other woods, such as walnut, maple or mahogany would also be fine, depending on what you are planning to display.

Our display box features a top that unscrews, a Plexiglass viewing panel that is easily removed, and a small drawer for storage. Although it's shown with a Shaker-style room setting, the box needn't be used only for displaying miniatures. It can also serve as a display-box lor a favorite small vase, knick-knack or whatever. And of course, you can alter the box size to fit a particular item that you'd tike to display. If you do opt to use the box for a miniature room display, and decide to purchase miniature furnishings, be sure to check size carefully before ordering. We looked through one catalog that claimed to

March/April 1993

feature items made to the 1:12 scale, but found individual pieces may not always conform exactly to that scale.

There are many sources for miniatures. including catalogs, hobby stores and craft centers. These suppliers carry everything from the bare essentials— flooring, wallpaper, miniature rugs, etc.—to the finest minulia. such as sandwiches on plates, cans of beer, boxes of cereal, bags of cat food, all in miniature, of course. Although there are thousands of items available (quite literally, everything that you might find in a real house), we'd like lo think that woodworkers would prefer making at least the furniture themselves. However, if you require a source for just about any miniature, one of the best we've seen is Rose's Doll Mouse. 5826 West Bluemound Road. Milwaukee. WI 532*13: tel. 1-800-926-9093 (catalog SI).

A Simple Box

Broken down to its component parts, the display box is basically just a plywood box. with a hardwood lop. bottom, facing and drawer. The plywood box consists of ¹ /z in. thick sides (A), divider (B) and bottom (C) with a 'A in. thick plywood back (D). We've used a cherry plywood (good one side) for the sides, divider and bottom. In the sides, cut a '/a in. wide by 7-t in. deep rabbet for the back, a in. deep by in. w ide rabbet for the bottom, and a '/-» in. deep by '/: in. wide dado for the divider. Measure the thickness of your plywoods carefully before cutting the rabbets and dados: most '/- in. thick plywoods actually measure a little less than '/: in. thick, and you'll w ant to adjust the rabbet and dado dimensions accordingly. Also, don't forget to make the divider 'A in. less in width than the bottom, to allow for the

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