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I HAVE A BASIC TYME CUB LATHE WHICH I BOUGHT IN 1986 STILL GOING STRONG. I HAD SOME BALSA TIMBER SPARE 3/4 X 3/4 X ABOUT 12 INCHS LONG. SO I MADE A SET OF GOBLETS.THESE ARE NO HIGHER THAN THE BRITISH NEW PENNY.WHICH IS 3/4 INCH HIGH. FOR THESE I USED OLD NEEDLE FILES WHICH WERE BROKEN OR THE ENDS SNAPPED OFF. I USED MY GRINDER AND DIAMOND STONES TO PUT AN EDGE TO THEM TO USE AS TURNING TOOLS.AS FILES ARE HARD ITS EASY TO USE AS TURNING TOOLS FOR MINITURE AND FINE WORK.AS FILES IF YOU GRIND THEM RIGHT THEY WILL KEEP A SHARP EDGE.ALL MY TOOL GRINDING IS DONE BY HAND VERY OCCASIONALY I WILL USE A JIG.SAME AS MY DRILL BITS THEY ARE ALL DONE FREE HAND.AND TAKES A FEW MINUTES TO SHARPEN A DRILL.EVEN TOOLS. THIS ALL DEPENDS WHEN YOU SHARPEN OR GRIND A TOOL TO A SPECIFIC DESIGN. IT JUST TAKES PRACTICE.AS I HAVE A PYOGRAPHY MACHINE I USED THAT TO MAKE THE PATTERNS ON THE GOBLETS.THESE ARE IDEAL IF YOU HAVE A CHILD WHO HAS A DOLLS HOUSE. AS TO DOLLS HOUSES I HAVE NOT MADE ONE FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW.I MADE ONE THAT TOOK ME OVER 9 MONTHS TO MAKE. AS I WENT FOR IT AND BUILT IT FROM SCRATCH.IT HAD ROOF TRUSSES, REAL SLATE TILES, WINDOWS WERE GEORGIAN WITH GLASS,DOORS WERE MADE FROM OAK OFF CUTS,WITH PIANO HINGES MILLED DOWN TO MAKE MINITURE BUTT HINGES. IT EVEN HAD A STAIR CASE WHICH HAD TURNED NEWEL POST AND SPINDLES.THE SPINDLES WERE MADE WITH TOOL STEEL WHICH I GROUND TO A SPINDLE PATTERN,SO ALL I DID WAS TURN SPINDLE IN 2 CUTS. SO THEY WERE ALL THE SAME .THE BRICKS WERE MADE FROM BEECH.EACH BRICK WAS CUT AND HAD A SLIGHT BEVEL TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A MOTAR JOINT. THE BRICKS WERE 1 INCH X 3/8 WIDE BY 1/4 THICK. HAD MADE 2868 OF THESE.I EVEN MADE A DOUBLE GARAGE BUILT ON TO SIDE OF HOUSE. TOTAL AREA WAS 36 INCHES LONG X 20 INCHES WIDE X 40 INCHES TO THE TOP OF THE APEX.THE GOOD THING ABOUT MAKING THIS WAS THAT YOU CAN DESIGN THE HOUSE HOW YOU WANT.I HADS NO PLANS .AND ALL TIMBER I USED WAS FROM A SKIP OR FROM A BUILDING SITE.IMAGINE A LUMP OF 4X2 STUD TIMBER SAY 16 INCH LONG SAWN. TO ME THATS A STAIRCASE WITH 20 TREADS..NOWADAYS YOU CAN BUY DOLLS HOUSES MADE FROM MDF PAINTED WITH TIMBER TILE ROOF FOR ABOUT £150 POUNDS .CHEAP AND CHEERFULL. AND MOST OF THE INTERIOR IS MOULDED PLASTIC.IF YOUR GOING TO MAKE A DOLLS HOUSE IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND YOU WANT IT TO BE HANDED DOWN IN GENERATIONS?.MAKE IT FROM SCRATCH,AND TAKE YOUR TIME.IT MAY TAKE YOU MONTHS EVEN YEARS TO MAKE BUT IN THE END IT WILL BE A PIECE TO BE ADMIRED.THE TIMBER MAY COST YOU £100/ $150 BUT ITS YOUR TIME AND YOUR SKILL THAT COUNTS.REMEMBER NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE IF YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO IT?????AND AT THE END OF THE DAY ITS FUN?
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