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Monday, February 26, 2018

The "Sinking" Saga Continues...

In the midst of my cleaning & reorganizing campaign, my education in sink making continues. The chaotic photo below shows my homework in various stages of completion/experimentation.


So far I've played around with different Barewood pieces, built some of my own using basswood, dowels and jewelry findings, and my latest guinea pigs are some Bespaq pieces. I am having a little fun adding, subtracting and rearranging them. No need to worry too much about ruining them - they are of the bargain basement variety.


Here they are after having gone at them with a blow dryer, microwave, chisel, pliers and Xacto knife. I have a vision and a plan, so please bear with me...


Some things were a little more difficult to pry apart than others. Trying to get the glass inserts separated from the doors was a bit of a challenge, but I learned (finally) the best way was to apply a good deal of heat with the blow dryer, run the Xacto along the seam where the glue met the glass and the wood, and then slowly pry them off. I also learned how to repair a blown out hinge and reattach trim so you'd never know it came off. See? Very educational!


I had learned in a previous experiment that the best way to remove glue residue from glass (any kind f glue), was to soak the glass in acetone. Works like a dream, and if you use a coffee filter, you can salvage the acetone and add it right back to the bottle. Not that I am cheap, but I'll do just about anything to avoid a trip to WalMart whenever possible!



I wanted to add my own countertops to some of the pieces, so I took measurements and made mock ups out of cardboard. I have learned that a good visual often saves a lot of cutting and sanding.



My husband Russ is a contractor, so he is big on tools. This is awesome for me because he often buys them for me and is an excellent resource when I have a question. For my birthday in December, he bought me a small Microlux Table Saw from MicroMark

This was excellent for cutting the 1/8" basswood countertops, though if I could suggest an improvement to MicroMark it would be to have a wider cutting table. There is only about three inches on either side of the blade, so that's all the width you get for setting the fence. My cuts were all around 3-5/8", so I had to free hand. It did cut much smoother than my scroll saw, like butter actually. Keeping a straight line was just a matter of going slowly and keeping your eye on the blade where it met the line. The other small suggestion I would make to MicroMark is to have the miter guide lock in at the end somehow. If it lifts up out of the groove while cutting, it could ruin your day. I think I can Jerry Rig something to solve this potential issue, though. Overall, I am happy with it and excited to have an accurate and diverse cutting tool in my arsenal.




Each of the furniture pieces were of varying height, so to keep the height between 32" to 42" real life inches, some of the designs had to be modified. Some will have bowl sinks while others will be recessed.



Some tops will be faux marble, but others are going to get a little more experimentation with faux quartz and granite finishes. This will be an interesting process and I'll be sure to share my triumphs and failures.


For the next few days, I'll be busy packing up and shipping the eBay auctions which end tonight at around 5:00 Pacific time. I am super happy and so grateful with the bidding, and a little shocked at some of the bids! Most of all, I am excited that these beloved little minis are going to get a new life and a new adventure!

Have an awesome week mini friends!

xo xo,
Jodi

28 comments:

  1. Wow I'm so impressed! Amazing work and I love the coffee filter idea. Anything to avoid Walmart!

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    1. Thank you, Sheila, but don't be impressed until we see if they actually turn into anything good! ;OP It may be an epic Fail, but something to learn from nonetheless!
      ~C~R~A~Z~Y~ people are drawn like moths to a flame at my WalMart. It's literally scary sometimes. I go as rarely as I can get away with!

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    2. yeesh. My walmart is the same way. It's scary. I try to go really early in the morning or very late at night to avoid everyone.

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  2. What a learning curve! But how do you cut the circles for the sinks?

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    1. Yes it is! But a great way to really see if I can push my many limitations! :O)
      I cut the circles the hillbilly way - drill holes all along the edge of the drawn line until the center pops out, then sand with the Dremel sander until it is uniform, even and smooth. There is a couple tools made specially for this purpose, but I have not yet purchased them or dug in the husband's garage to find them. My hillbilly way works just fine, for now! :O)

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  3. Hi Jodi! I have enjoyed your tricks and tips regarding your latest bouts of sink-making- the glass cleaning tip and the coffee filter hint are invaluable- Thank You!
    I also went and took a quick peek at your auction site and you certainly have had A LOT of interest which means that you're not only going to be busy posting your babies off to new homes but you can now anticipate re-filling your empty shelves once they are all gone. ;D

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    1. Thank you Elizabeth! I am happy to share anything that seems like it may help our kind!
      I am truly astounded at the response to the auctions, and humbled by seeing the fruit of the words on the plaque on my front porch. Proverbs 3:5-6, words I am learning to live by more and more each day!
      As to filling the shelves back up again, slowly, slowly is the best way forward! :O)

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    2. You have chosen an EXCELLENT Proverb to steer your course by Jodi and you are right again regarding moving forward slowly ♥ :D

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  4. Hello Jodi,
    First of all, I am happy all thoser terrific miniatures are going to find happy new homes...and now other pieces will find a great home with you!
    The sinks are all coming along beautifully. The glass cleaning tip was excellent and I love seeing your techniques. You really make wonderful miniatures...and thank you for talking about the saw.
    Big hug
    Giac

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    1. I am excited for them, and as I pack each one with care today, I will say farewell and thank them for the joy they brought to my life.
      Thank you, my friend! It is so much more fun to learn and discover when I can share it all with my kindred mini friends! Your comments make my day! :O)

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  5. Genial el tuneo de tus fregaderos y el truco del filtro es estupendo. Me alegro mucho que la subastas vayan muy bien; las piezas de tus lotes son preciosas, así que irán realmente a la persona perfecta. Feliz día:-)

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    1. Gracias Rosa Maria! ¡Estoy emocionado por los nuevos propietarios y estoy feliz de saber que están entusiasmados de tenerlos!

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  6. Ooohhh.. look at all this mini wonderfulness! Can't wait to see the end results. Love the coffee filter tip too! I'll definitely be using it. :) I've seen the Walmart memes on FB so I was a looking forward to a little people watching on my trip but alas Park City is vanilla town.. so there wasn't even one mildly interesting person to watch.. lol

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    1. Oh bummer! It would have been funny for you to get the real WalMart experience while you were there!
      A couple years ago, a lady was driving the wrong way down the parking isle going very fast. She was definitely in a rage over something. I tried pull into some empty spaces to let her by, but she pulled right in front of me, cut me off, flipped me off then sped off into the next isle going the wrong way again. As I was walking into the store, she pulled to a screeching halt in front of the doors, jumped out of her vehicle and then came running after me. Luckily, crazy is a regular occurrence in our WalMart, so there is a security guard right inside the door. I didn't have to say a word. He could see she was possessed and stepped in between her and I. She glared at me, flipped me off and then got back in her car. I did give her a dirty look as she was barreling toward me in the parking lot, and I guess that was enough to send her over the edge. Ultimately, I felt bad for her. What kind of day would drive you to behave like that?
      That is one of many scary and creepy WalMart experiences, and I really just try to avoid going now, especially by myself!

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  7. Me quedo con los trucos y consejos.Ya veo que estás en pleno proceso. Tengo ganas de ver los nuevos diseños
    Espero que la venta salga muy bien.

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    1. Gracias Isabel! La acetona funcionó muy bien para limpiar los residuos de súper pegamento en frascos con tapas. ¡Es barato también!

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  8. So many sinks! I'm so jealous over here! Not only is your collection of Bespaq dressers super enviable but that saw is pretty darn cool. I have the newest micro mark catalog on my nightstand and I've been ear marking the pages ;) Can't wait to see how the countertops turn out. Quarts should be a really interesting experiment!

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    1. You? Jealous of my stuff? Lady please! :o)
      I've have a little indulgence problem when I find a great bargain. Now I'm hoping I can only make something good come out of that and get stuff out of my hoard!
      I always think I need everything when I look at that catalog! Luckily, I am pretty good on the tools at this point so I can just recycle them as they come in. I do love the saw, and I do love my gluing jig, but anything else I have found at Harbor Freight for a much more reasonable price.
      I hope the quartz experiment comes out good, too! I can't wait to share it!

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  9. It's looking fantastic, Jodi!
    Have you tried using vinegar on the pieces that need to be unstuck? Vinegar makes virtually any kind of glue let go of wood. I don't know about glass and plastic though.

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  10. Hi Megan,
    Thank you, and thank you additionally for reminding me of the powers of vinegar! I had forgotten about that, and lately, have been using a lot of the Apple Cider variety to make Texas Style Pulled Pork in the slow cooker! I'll have to pick up the regular variety and do some testing with it!

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  11. You do realise you will be known as the sink lady pretty soon..... but that is a good thing in mini world. I loved your story of Wal Mart crazies. I am English but spent many years wintering in the US and thought my aversion to some WalMarts was due ro the cultural divide.... glad to learn you think it is the home of crazies too. I have never seen so many people in so much unsuitable clothing in one place at the same time. Pyjamas, shorts and flip flops when its cold, coats etc when irs hot, just plain weird and that's before you spot the behaviours. Love the store though for finding a bargain. M

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    1. Lol! I guess being known as the sink lady is better than some of the things that could have stuck over the years! :O) Let's just hope it doesn't turn out to be "The Bad Sink Lady"!
      The one good thing about WalMart, aside from the cheap prices, is that you never have to be concerned about what you look like when you go there. There's always someone to pull the attention away from you! Didn't brush your hair? No problem! There's bound to be someone there sporting a fuchsia mullet!

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  12. I am impressed Jodi. You are a pro! I love all your experiments and I think this lot will have some memorable pieces. Also, what a great christmas present, flowers? jewelry? shoes? nah! tools!! yeahhh. Please, keep having fun and sharing with us, thank you!

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    1. Those are kind words, my friend, but I am no pro! Just trying every day to get past the fear of failure and find better (and less frustrating) ways to achieve grandiose visions! :O)
      I am glad you are here and I appreciate all the support - you keep coming, I'll keep trying, maybe we'll both learn something! And hopefully whatever happens we'll smile!

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  13. Congratulations for your new table saw. It will make your work much easier and save you a lot of time.
    It must be a pleasure packing and posting your little treasures, wishing them a happy farewell. It's good to know other people will enjoy them.
    Thanks for the good hints.
    Hugs, Drora

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    1. Thanks Drora! I am sure hoping the saw will enable me to cut through thicker material more accurately. I'll need some practice!
      Thank you for the well wishes, too!

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  14. I love all these clever sinks! :D That table saw is marvelous, though the things you bring up are why I have held off getting one.

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    1. Thanks Brae! So satisfying to actually get to so many ideas at once, but daunting, too...
      One thing I love about this saw but forgot to mention is that the majority of sawdust gets deposited into the interior compartment while cutting leaving the work area clean and making it easy to suck out with the vacuum when you are ready to clean up. Convenient!

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