Small Segments

[Gill]

I hate rounding over small, fiddly segments. They're too small to shape with a roundover bit in a router because the wood just breaks; anyway, you have to put your pinkies too close to the cutter for safety. Sanding stations also break them, and so do abrasive drums mounted in drill presses. Santa bought me a detail sander but this is just as bad as other sanding stations.

In the past I've always resorted to rough shaping with a knife and manual finishing with abrasive paper. Does anyone know a quicker way to do the job?

Gill

[stevebuk]

hi gill
take a look at these : http://community.webshots.com/album/131100206UnxHsR
this is my miniature furniture made in 1/12th scale, i used a dremmel to shape pieces, and you may find if you shape the piece first and then cut it off, it works better.
steveb

[Gill]

Those are gorgeous, Steve - you're very talented .

Unfortunately, with segmentation you have to cut the components of the piece before shaping them. Like you, I have a Dremel in a router table which I'd normally use for rounding over (that's what I was alluding to in my earlier post), but some of the segments I've been cutting lately are too small and delicate for this approach.

Gill

[Steviegwood]

Hi Gill, I am wondering if you could hold those small pieces with a pair of forceps with small pieces of rubber bands on either side as non marring pads. Just a thought. Another thought would be to use something like a flie tieing clamp used for tieing fishing flies and possibly using your dremel and a diamond bur to shape the pieces. Steve

[Daryl185]

hi gill
take a look at these : http://community.webshots.com/album/131100206UnxHsR
this is my miniature furniture made in 1/12th scale, i used a dremmel to shape pieces, and you may find if you shape the piece first and then cut it off, it works better.
steveb

Steve your miniature furniture is awesome bud great work

Gill a dremmel tool with the small sanding drums at low speed should work for you I would think, I use mine when working on resin model parts and they are much more fragile then wood

[Marsha]

Steve, those pieces are wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

Sorry Gill!

[workin for wood]

I use the stationary belt sander or the spindle sander to round over small intarsia parts. I never use a router for rounding pieces...it's too uniform and too dangerous for me to get that intimate with. Whenever possible, I use a small spring clamp (similar to a clothespin) to hold on to tiny pieces for hand sanding after rounding the parts over. I do use a rotary tool when rounding into creveses that a sander cant reach into.

I hold the spring clamp between my legs facing upwards when hand sanding..it works great, but be careful the shape of pieces you clamp into it...for example a small skinny piece that curves, like a crescent moon, may snap under the pressure of the clamp, so best not to clamp those. Don't know if any of this helps...intarsia is pretty similar to segementation.

[Trout]

I was into miniatures....

those are some nice pieces that you made....
do you have a house for the furniture?
if you do, start a new thread and I'll add what I have done in the miniature world...

as for Gill, I do a lot of my roundover with a Dermel....

Trout

[CanadianScroller]

Gill, you may try gluing the segments to a bigger piece with a hot glue gun, so you can handle it safely. Then use a small round over bit in a dremel.
You can melt the glue after in the microwave.

Steve we would love to see more of your miniatures. There is a whole aspect of scroll work we have not explored here.

[Neal Moore]

Riffler Files

Gill...I have a set of small riffler files, that are very similar to jewelers files, that I use for intricate work and shaping. They are quite small and come in a variety of shapes so they adapt to shaping specific contours. I bought them years ago when I was carving miniature carousel horses for refining the under-cuts and other relief incorporated in the trapping decoration. They work well for rounding over tiny intarsia segments. I used them to do the "Mermaids" eyes that I posted in another thread. You can find them in many carving supply catalogs at pretty reasonable prices.

[uk scroller]

Gill
Have a look on the PROXXON web site at a" Minimot ps 12."
( sorry i cant fix a link for you) .
i have one of these , it is as small as an eletric tooth brush , and has interchanable ends wich you stick sandpaper to, works well but is a bit slow going ! it is also 12 volt so will work from a battery or transformer.
--------- HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all ---------Frank---- in uk.

[MikeDingas]

Gill, have you tried those scroll sanding belts that fit into the scroll saw?

[PeteB]

hi gill
take a look at these : http://community.webshots.com/album/131100206UnxHsR
this is my miniature furniture made in 1/12th scale, i used a dremmel to shape pieces, and you may find if you shape the piece first and then cut it off, it works better.
steveb

Steve, your furniture is outstanding! How the heck do you make it WITHOUT a scroll saw??

Gill, along the lines of Carl's suggestion, how about a dop stick? This is how jewelers hold stones, basically wax or clay on the end of a stick to hold the piece.

Pete

[Gill]

Thanks for giving my problem some thought and for all the good advice. I think I've tried all the mechanical methods suggested but I wasn't aware that riffler files are available in different abrasive grades. I also like the suggestions for holding the pieces while working on them. I'll do some experimenting next time I've got small segments to shape.



Gill

[CanadianScroller]

one more thought is a sanding mop. But you will still have to glue the pieces to something while you work. It could even be a shaker peg.
You could use it like a doping stick that a gem cutter would use.
Check out this site http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/nena...-turquoise.htm