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Joe Joe is offline
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Posts: 151
Default tips for kids projects?

About 15 years ago there was a company making kid-friendly
woodworking tools - seems that I remember a scroll saw and
lathe. Tools were small and plastic, and came with a good
supply of balsa blocks and small sheets. They've likely gone
the way of others to protect us from ourselves, but it would
be worth looking around. They were reasonably priced to
start with and I got a bunch when a store went out of business,
just for the wood for about a buck apiece.
She's old enough to handle a full-sized scroll saw, but may be
more comfortable starting with one of the tiny ones and balsa
if you can find one. My boy never took to woodworking, but
went the way of continuous baseball, which he's still at today,
in college.
Good luck.
-J
Afterthought - consider foam also. Google "hot wire foam cutter".
I built a table version from cutoffs, PVC pipe, a 12v transformer,
and a light switch. Technique is like a scroll saw, but no moving
parts.

My daughter is interested in making dollhouse scale stuff. I've
purchased some bags of small craft wood and she's made some tables
and chairs, and a bed. I've also taught her how to use the Dremel
tool for cutting and sanding. Book shelves have proved tricky for
her, but I helped her make a set that aren't totally wonky.

She's 13, and much more skilled at sewing than woodwork. (The bed has
nice sheets and pillows, the table has a good table cloth. There's also
an abundance of Fimo stuff.) I'm able to make basic stuff at regular
size, but I've not had a lot of practice at small stuff or fine detail.

I can find things like this:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf/Craft_T...Furniture.html

And similar crude stuff. Or kits to buy, but I'm looking for something
a bit more sophisticated but not a kit.

Ideas?

Elijah
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doesn't have many clamps suitable for such small scale stuff