Selkie Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 GL definitely sells replacement sheets! And you don't need to know why I know this fact so very well! ... big sigh ... Messy Martha here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueirishmoon Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Permutations- you may be able to get workshop space if you contact a school or community college with a continuing education program. They probably have woodshop, maybe tools you can use? I have a space in my garage for stained glass, and a space at my community college also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 Didn't someone here rent an old commercial building space to work in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 I don't have the money to rent space, and it would be quite a big pain to lug all my materials around. I'm fine with working in my little apartment. Every once in a while I use power tools and make a huge saw dust mess, but most of the time I use hand tools. I put down plastic and paper when I'm painting. I haven't done any permanent damage yet. My little closet, however, is so packed with crafting supplies that there is hardly room for clothes. :laughbounce: I accept my space limitations. Location-wise, my apartment is awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'd live in a closet if I could live in NYC. What a fabulous place to live! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 When I lived in Westchester County, NY, there was a room in the basement of our co-op where men would use their tools to work on projects. It was a spooky place, though. Long dark hallway. No windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm able to do all kinds of woodworking and crafting in this apartment. All it takes is a willingness to make a massive mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm starting to think about getting the Dremel Moto-Saw again. The price has dropped, the blades are readily available now, and it's very small. I'm thinking about whether I can stuff one more thing into the closet. Good thing I'm not much into clothes. http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-MS20-01-Moto-Saw-Variable-Compact/dp/B00AFELU6O/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 2, 2015 Author Share Posted July 2, 2015 Here are my new and improved window sash templates - cardboard covered with tape. The sashes fit inside the window trim, one on each side of the glazing. Then I'll hinge the sandwich to the frame. They were painstaking to cut out because they're so thin. The real ones will be made from 1/16" basswood sheets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 I'm in the process bending the wood to see if I can create what you are doing. Just for kicks. Unfortunately, I cant load any pictures of the progress i am making. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 I'd love to see what you're doing. Do you have a camera on your phone? That's how I take my pictures. Or maybe you can describe? I gave up on bending a true sash around the glazing. The problem is that bending wood to sit on the surface of the glazing (versus the edge) will buckle. You can see it in the picture I posted of my first attempt. What I'm doing now is cutting the shape out of a thin sheet of material (nothing bent), and sandwiching the glazing between two copies of it - sticking the pseudo-sash directly to the glazing. A real sash is a frame that holds the glazing, which floats free inside. If the window was square, no arch on top, I could do that. But the arch makes it impossible. I expect I'll have to cut little notches in the pseudo-sash and the frame for the hinges so everything seats properly. I'm waiting to receive the 1/16" basswood sheets and x-acto blades I ordered to try it. X-acto blades are much sharper than utility knife blades - should be easier to cut with that. The templates took me forever because even a new Stanley blade in my utility knife wasn't sharp enough. There's a reason these blades are cheaper than x-acto knife blades. You get what you pay for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 3, 2015 Share Posted July 3, 2015 What do you mean by glazing? Traditional glazing is when a putty is pushed into the window panes to hold the glass in and keep out moisture. Are you doing all that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 3, 2015 Author Share Posted July 3, 2015 No, I'm doing what I described in my previous post. I'm using the word "glazing" to mean the clear portion of the window (made of glass, plastic, or whatever). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 I'm trying to cut out my window templates in basswood sheets, and it's not working so well. They're so thin that the wood breaks. I think I'll have to do this in plastic. At least now I have a use for that very thick plastic I bought! I'm planning to paint it white, so it doesn't matter if it's made from wood or something else. The other thing I discovered is that a utility knife with a fresh Stanley blade cuts through basswood whereas an X-acto knife with a fresh #10 multipurpose blade cannot get all the way through. Hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 No joy. Wood breaks along the grain, and plastic is too hard to cut. Matte board might work, just for the top of the arch. I can make the rest with strip wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 I also prefer my utility knife to cut basswood. I like to work with 1/8" thick basswood because it matches the thickness of the rest of the kit wood that I'm replacing. When I cut the arched tops for the Pierces doors and windows, and oval windows, I laid out the patterns with the grain of the wood (I'm an old seamstress) and start my cuts in the center part of the arch, the outside curve first, and work towards the ends in equal sections, outer curve and then inner curve, until I get to the ends. I get a lot less breakage this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 I'm impressed you could do this without breaking it. I think you're right that part of my problem was that I did not orient the work with the grain. 1/8“ would be too thick because I'm sandwiching plastic between two matching frames and I want the total thickness to be 1/8". I'll try once more with the 1/16" sheet oriented correctly, and I'll try your arch technique. If that fails, I'll use art board. I just bought a sheet of white art board that's 1/16". It should be easy to cut and since I'm planning to paint the frames white, it doesn't matter that it's not wood. I made a horrendous mess trying different materials and cutting methods (including the Dremel). I'm almost scared to go home and confront it. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 I can cut out the outside, no problem. It's when I try to cut out the inside that it splinters and breaks. I suspect I'll have to use art board, but I'll try one more time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 For the thinness of the material AND the thinness of the frame you're trying to cut, art board is the way I'd go; my frames were 1/4" wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 Yes, art board it is. I can't cut the shape I need out of 1/16" basswood without splitting it. The art board is nice because it's evenly dense and white all the way through. I can round the edges a little with an x-acto knife. I'm still working on my technique, but these are the first two I cut out and together they fit perfectly in the window frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 We all love happy endings! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 They don't look so good blown up so big! Even though they're already white, I'll paint the side facing out with semi-gloss so it matches the walls and the frayed bits go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 Success! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted July 12, 2015 Share Posted July 12, 2015 You can use fine emery boards to sand the rough edges. Use a gentle touch. It will give you a smoother finish than trying to pare it away with a knife. And it won't take layers of paint to fill in the pits. Practice on some scrap bits until you get the feel for swiping in one direction. Don't saw back and forth with the emery board. To smooth the inside of the frame, you may want to split the emery board lengthwise. The narrower width will accommodate the curve of the arch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permutations Posted July 12, 2015 Author Share Posted July 12, 2015 I've been using thin strips of sandpaper. If I wrap them around a finger, I can smooth the curve. I also have some sticks with thin strips of sandpaper attached. Those work well for getting into corners. Each one I do is a little better. The x-acto knife already seems a little dull, though I haven't cut that much with it. Is that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.