Tool ideas for a beginner making doll's house / miniatures

[Looloup]

Hello,

My wife has decided that she wants to start making some things (furniture, working sash windows) for a dolls house (she is pretty "crafty" so I don't doubt her ambition).

However she doesn't yet have much woodworking skills, and as part of her research has been looking at a number of sites for inspiration and tool ideas.

She was asking me about what could be good for her (as a birthday present ) - and had a list of a few things: Miniature tablesaws, bandsaws, chopsaws .....

After asking her more what she expected to do - She will only be making straight and mitre cuts in small pieces of wood.

Now I love my wife - especially with al of her fingers, but she can be a bit clumsy ... so my prime concern is to get her something which is both effective AND safe.

I originally suggested a good (gentlemen's, dovetail, Japanese) fine saw and a mitre box - but she said that she read that mitre boxes have too large a gap to get good mitres/results - and that she might have hundreds of pieces to cut (as I said I don't doubt her ambition), and would prefer some powered option.

Depending on what I get, I will also make her some jigs to help - and keep her fingers away from the sharp bits ... ie a cross-cut sled or equivalent for the tool(s) chosen.

So, please suggest away.

 

[Spectric]

A Dremel might be handy and also the router attachment will allow her to put detail on the wood. Thinking of how delicate / small these pieces might be needs a very small precise saw, have you thought of a scroll saw and jigs which would be much safer and allow fingers much closer to the blade.

The other option is to look at Proxon who make small table saws and machines for model makers.

 

[Jacob]

Paradoxically a PT is useful in that you can reduce stock to thin dimensions, planed both sides. Thin stuff can be cut with a sharp knife and a steel straightedge.
Helps to have a low friction PTFE sheet on the thicknesser bed.

 

[MikeJhn]

Spectric beat me too it, I also was going to recommend Proxon tools, but additionally a mitre slice rather than a mitre saw may be the way forward.

 

[paulrbarnard]

A Dremel might be handy and also the router attachment will allow her to put detail on the wood. Thinking of how delicate / small these pieces might be needs a very small precise saw, have you thought of a scroll saw and jigs which would be much safer and allow fingers much closer to the blade.

The other option is to look at Proxon who make small table saws and machines for model makers.

I was thinking the dremel route too. They do a whole host of tools for miniature work, including routers, shaper, drill press, table saw etc. they are specifically aiming at the miniature market rather than just being small tools.

 

[Looloup]

She already has a Dremel - so will take a look at their accessories etc

 

[akirk]

dremel are good - I use mine a lot, making toys etc.
I have the Proxxon router table - it is okay, but a bit plasticky for the money
other than that a jigsaw (scroll saw) can be very useful - but the most useful is a range of sanders - I have mini ones (look on amazon, they are cheap) / disk and belt sanders / bobbin sanders / lathe based sanding / etc.

 

[Etaf]

i purchased a dremel and a few accessories as part of a deal on Amazon some years back

I have used a few of these items , and expect to use more in the future

Some things to consider

My kit had a few attachements, i though the remote flexible attachement would be good - and used to get into an arkward place
The vice i have used a lot and with my multitool
I also used the router Bit and attachement to make a groove for a bit of plastic
sharpened tools
and used the ginders and the sanders tools a few time
and the fine drills

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MOIFXA8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&th=1
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0928XXDRP/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Chubber]

An old fashioned, quality beech mitre block can be made to work admirably with even the finest pull saw simply by screwing some 3mm flat wood (think thick lolly sticks) to both sides of the outside of the pre-cut slots which are presumably gauged for a standard tenon saw.
Bear in mind that many model boat makers use shears which may be adjustable to various set angles. Please excuse long link. I have something similar I use in the build of 4mm/ft card models, see below.

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=OpWZ8kL+&id=9E8398B2088DBAB0D707396FE14EAB2B0DB4C28F&thid=OIP.OpWZ8kL-mTihH5c8hsx_2QAAAA&mediaurl=https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41b0tDkabzL._AC_.jpg&cdnurl=https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.3a9599f242fe9938a11f973c86cc7fd9?rik=j8K0DSurTuFvOQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&exph=458&expw=386&q=adjustable+angle+shears+for+modelling+screwfix&simid=608035329693345171&form=IRPRST&ck=92CE7EA753EE3DA67208D20EF138ECA0&selectedindex=30&itb=0&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0&vt=4&sim=11