I promise I'll go do some laundry and clean up the kitchen as soon as I finish this post...
I laid down some popsicle sticks in the living room just to see how many it would take and how they might look. The popsicle sticks are 5/8 inch wide. Then I tried Star Bucks coffee stirrers and liked them much better. They are 1/4 inch wide and look more realistic. You wouldn't think 1/8 of an inch would make much difference but it does. Guess I just might have to go back to Star Bucks!
The good thing about coffee stirrers is that you can cut them with scissors. Much easier to cut off the rounded ends than using a craft knife or saw.
One of these days I'll buy a nice saw from MicroMark.
I'm wondering if I can just glue the sticks right down to the plywood floor? Do you think they would warp? That's my biggest concern.Thanks for following my progress, including the research and development!
8 comments:
Hi Kathi, there is an award for you at my blog if you want to pick it up. Have fun with your minis Rosanna
Hey Kathi, I discovered yesterday that I can cut off the end of my skinny sticks with a pair of cheap kids school scissors. (I am making picture frames and wanted to miter the corners!) Now bear in mind that the end that gets cut off become unusable, it splinters) but I really didn't have any trouble with the longer piece. Maybe you can try that too...you will still have to do each one, but scissors take a lot less time than a craft knife!
Getting a mini saw bench would be the quickest way of doing a uniform job. No, I wouldn't dream of suggesting a craft knife for that job - that is one way street to cutting fingers and getting very frustrated. I've got a similar saw bench but haven't used it for a long time because I haven't needed to (not been doing miniature woodwork for a while), but I know my husband has used it recently.
If you glue them down properly they shouldn't warp - but might be a good idea to do a test glue job just to be sure. And I'd lay the sticks close up to each other, they may shrink slightly over time so will create a natural gap anyway.
Kathi, I would suggest that you try the method that I use for laying wood floors. I have never used the sticks, but I am sure that it would work. Someone taught me, long ago, that instead of putting a solid line of glue down the length of the board, put dots about three quarter inch to one inch all along the underside. Then put them in place and if need be, weight them. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't, depending on the wood.If the whole length isn't wet the wood fibers can't become saturated all the way along. That's what causes warping. I do that for moldings and baseboards also. Anything skinny.
Good advice about the glue Casey! I probably would have smeared it all over everything! And thanks Rosanna, for the tip about finishing the floor with wax. I'm actually getting excited about doing the floor now!
I love the flooring idea! Very nice.
Isnt it amazing the use for these stirrers. I always fill my bag with them and have a boxfull just incase, lol.
It's going to look great.
If you don't use too much glue i cant see a problem with warping. If you can use a glue that dries quick so the wood doesnt have much of a chance to pick up moisture it may also help.
If you have a warm airing cupboard put the sticks in there for a while to totally dry out the wood before you lay them.
Oh yes, just ignore the laundry and hide it like i do. Its the best way.
Nikki xxx
Eventually, the laundry becomes a mountain, I scaled that one last week. ;)
Don't know where you're at with the floor at this point, but have you tried cutting the popsicle sticks with heavy kitchen scissors.
I have a saw and miter box that would be useable in a case like this, but, I just don't like using it.
I'd put a big heavy book or two inside the room while drying the glue, even for a few days.
Hope this helps. :)
dale
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