Ed_Cal Posted October 13, 2005 Share Posted October 13, 2005 THe craftsman branded rotary tools and accessories are Dremel products relabeled for Sears. I prefer this older drill press because it has a moving table rather than a moving head. The latest version of the dremel drill stand had been pulled because it wasnt very good it is being re designed Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 THe craftsman branded rotary tools and accessories are Dremel products relabeled for Sears. I prefer this older drill press because it has a moving table rather than a moving head. The latest version of the dremel drill stand had been pulled because it wasnt very good it is being re designed Ed <{POST_SNAPBACK}> See there? I DID get a good deal then by buying a K-Sears? K-Smart? Sears-Mart? Craftsman instead of a Dremel. If I can get past our current financial crunch I may go see if they have a rotary table accessory. I tried playing around a bit with both the drill press set up and with the Dremel router attachement. Only half way successful and making good edges. Partially because I didn't have a good enough work table surface (haven't had time to build one) and partially because of unexpected movement of the part being cut. Mel vetoed the idea of drilling holes and mounting the whole set up to the kitchen table. I don't understand why she was so insistant about it. It's not like we actually eat there. LOL! But I have a lot of plans for some furniture I recently came into, and so I'll need to find a good way to use router bits and make things look good. Darrell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted October 16, 2005 Share Posted October 16, 2005 Look around at garage sales etc and you may find dremel stuff out the wazoo. Look for the drill stand that I hafe I like it as both a drill and overarm router. The Take a kitchen sink cutout from a kitchen cabinet shop and cut a hole smaller than the old router attachment and rabbett the edge so the router base sits flush with the top... you now have a router table for mini work. make yourself a fence for the router table as well. I mount all of my dremel tools on plywood bases with a cleat under the front edge so I can clamp them in my workbench vise. In your case the cleat will keep it from sliding across the kitchen table. I would suggest a piece of rubber no skid used for rugs glued to the underside might work Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jed1104 Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 Ed I looked at your album and your village is beautiful! I would like to do christmas villages for my four Grandaughters. A keepsake for them. I saw some for 19.99 for 6 pieces. Is this a good price and I haven't found too many places that even carry them. Also something was said about a dremel. The hand held one for sanding. I have wanted one are they as good as they seem? I am new at this and I am working on the Lily now. Thanks, Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 8, 2005 Share Posted November 8, 2005 Hi, Janet, I finally got the Dremel sander when I began building mini furniture. It works nicely for odd-shaped sanding jobs that the sanding drum just won't do for, and are more than handsanding will do (I have arthritis in my hands & fingers, so a LOT of handsanding is something that doesn't happen ;) ). I haven't tried it with anything smaller than 1:12 scale, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 When I bought my village I bought it as a set of 6 Carriage house, School, Church and 3 houses. I then added 3 additional sets of 2 Bandstand/Gazebo and firehouse....Station and Store.....and finally Library and Sweetshop. I think the second 6 are sold as the Greenleaf tow in one box instead of 3 smaller boxes. Keep hunting on ebay you will find the rest of the buldings. You probably should add some extra bracing to the cardboard roof as in add triangles to help keep the pitch and allow the roof to be easily lifted off to either add interior details or add lighting I would mount the lighting up in the ceiling and run the wires down to a hole drilled in the corner of the floor. When you start build the simpler buildings first (carriage house, school and church) before working on the gables and dormered rooflines of some of hte other houses. Have fun with them with a little care you will have a fantastic village for under the tree Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jed1104 Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 Thank You for the information. I am going to make 4 of these villages for Grandaughters. Do you know of any other places to purchase these village? I would like to make them all a little different. I may need to just do that with paint and decorating. Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted November 9, 2005 Share Posted November 9, 2005 You can use cardstock/ construction paper for shingles or siding. The ornamental toothpicks from Cracker Barrel restaurants might make scale spindles for porch railings or stairway balusters. Set each one on a little larger piece of plywood & landscape around it & you have limitless options for making them different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jed1104 Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 Thank you what a great idea! I will look forward to trying that. Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted November 10, 2005 Share Posted November 10, 2005 You can also do a seamed metal roof by gluing small 1/16 square sticks runing from eave to ridge on the roof and painting to look like weathered copper Porch floors could have scribed wod added build up Foundations out of foamcore covered with stone or brick paper or textured paperclay as one of our other members love Railings can be built up out of individual pieces to look more likeporch railing than punched cardstock, window trim can be done out of thin basswood instead of card, scribed or milled siding can be overlayed on the walls including board and batten clapboard or novelty siding are available Stained glass windows can be done by printing photographs of real stained glass windows Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 I just posted a bunch of new photos of my village. Check my gallery Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Wow! They're fantastic Ed! Looks like a really village! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 How absolutely wonderful! I wish the Library picture hadn't turned out fuzzy, all the litle buildings have turned out beautifully. I want to get the other three sets HBS has & build them all! I love your train layout. I'll bet everyone in the neighborhood wants to bring their children by to watch your trains & look at all the pretty buildings ;) Mini thanks for sharing your work and making the season that much jollier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 A few notes on the village for this year 1. Add printed trim to sweet shop and library. I already laminated and clear coated it to cardstock so the wood grain on hte signboards would not telegraph through 2. Add more tacky Christmas decorations to the green house with the front porch...it already has multi color lights across the front of the eaves, a light up plastic santa, a light up tree and light up shrubs in the front yard 3. Add tasteful decorations to most of the houses a wreath on the front door etc ONLY 1 TACKY HOUSE will be permitted 4. Re shoot pix of firehouse and library I bet the autofocus was fooled by something in the foreground Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Your set up looks really great! How long are you going to leave it up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 It will be up probably for an additional week or so Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 My nephews were more interested inthe new VW beetles and the new Mini Cooper. I found them both in "Tuesday Morning as I did the Tow Truck. THe firetruck was found in "Harbor Freight" it is actually a Russian prototype even though it looks very muck like a 34 Ford. The other vehicles were found at toy outlets in a variety of places. The street lights with the wreaths on them were from Dept 56 The decorative items around the houses were from LeMax found under a variety of labels some in Michaels some in Lowes, I didnt look in WalMart despeite their having a village and possibly JoAnnes fabrics More pix coming soon including the trains Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jed1104 Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Ed, Your village is beautiful! I love the train. My dad (85) has an American Flyer train he got as a kid. I couldn't tell what kind you have. It is very old and the transformer still works but barely. Thank you for sharing. Happy Holidays, Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicroJivvy Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Ed, your vilage looks grand! What a great photo treat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 I finally got DH to stop long enough to admire. He plays in N-scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 it really looks great! somday i would like to have a train for my 1/144th scale but Im not sure what scale it is. yours looks so good and is very inspiring! a train set under the tree would be fun. nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 My premise with my Christmas tree village is that any trains present must be of Pre WWII manufacture and have the "Toy Train Look" After doing Pre War American Flyer O gauge for a number of years I broke out the Lionel 226 with green passenger cars a set from the 1940 catalog and a 225 with 2650 series freight cars on the upper level also a 1940 set I will probably show off my American Flyer 9900 Zephyr set from 1935. THis one was a labor of love to restore to its original glory. I spent hours polishing the oxidised and pitted aluminum bodywork replaced the crumbled exhaust stacks, repainted the air intake grills and put new decals on the entire train. Some of the buildings I have were Lionel houses from the late 20s early 30s Some are ceramics from Kohls St Nicholas square series and a few dept 56 Lightups are a mix of Lemax and Dept 56 I am in the process of undoing battery boxes and leaving just the power connector for the hookup I got tired of hiding battery cases MORE PIX COMING Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Nutti For your display N gauge will work great 1:144 scale3 houses and 1:160 trains will work fine. Have a glass coffee table made with a hinged lift up top to access the insides and you can enjou your minis all year by changing scenery with the seasons....it will also keep the dust out For the table I would go 24x36 minimum this way the trains can negociate an 11" radius curve with minimum hassle Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Cal Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Just posted a new group of pictures Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 We have an "N" scale train that will just go in a circle right now. We want to get a "Z"scale house to put in a dollhouse one day. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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