Just got the coolest idea!!!

[Jonathon Spafford]

ok... I just got my woodturning design magazine! and read the article about miniatures! My thought was it would be cool to collaborate with the flat-workers (I know... horrors!;)) to make a giant dollhouse or castle of some sort full of miniatures. We could turn the columns, ballusters, lamp posts, light fixtures, dishes, decorative vases, tables, bathtubs, and so on! Anybody try turning a miniature pen?? :D A miniature chess set like Malcom Tibbets turned would be super cool too. I am sure there are ton of other turned items that could be thought up. I wonder if the flat workers have every tried creating ornate miniatures: like Victorian style chairs on a teeny scale. Anyway, they would be in charge of everything else that is flat that we couldn't make. It would be a lot of work to figure out what we need and then to make everything proportionate with each other's. But we have so much talent on these forums it would be cool to create a huge collaboration! Have a totally realistically detailed castle just on a smaller scale complete with lighting and all... that would be cool!!!
Any of you heard of Colleen Moore... she was an actress and she built a fairy castle comprised entirely of miniatures. I think it is about 8 ft. tall at its highest. It is really cool! It is worth a million or so I think... but she had gold and jewels in it :D

Anyway.... any comments??? :D

[Neal Addy]

Sounds like fun. I haven't seen anyone go all the way like that.

This isn't quite as elaborate as you are describing (with columns, ballasters, etc) but I thought it was cool. This is from the 2006 "Small Treasures" exhibit at Del Mano.

http://www.delmano.com/exhibitions/2006/mainExhibitions/TurnedWoodSmallT/artists/gKrueg.htm

Be sure and check out the other turnings while you are there. Some good stuff.

[Andy Hoyt]

The Itty Bitty Contest inspired this (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27460). A shame it fizzled.

[John Hart]

I still think it would be great!!:D

Ya know...Andy, as an Itty Bitty Building Builder, could be the Chief of such an endeavor.;)

[Jonathon Spafford]

The Itty Bitty Contest inspired this (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27460). A shame it fizzled.
That is also a super cool idea!!!
I think it would be so much fun to get everyone involved making a museum piece like this. Make it a certain style (medieval fantasy, victorian, colonial, etc) and get everyone involved. We need to get something posted on the other forums and get serious about doing a mammoth project together. It would take a lot of work, but we could do it! We just got to get some guys to get it off the ground. I am sure there are tons of people on here who have made miniatures!!! I am also sure lots of these guys on here have wives that sew that could take care of that department!

[Jonathon Spafford]

Also we would need someone to design the whole thing as the first order of business and figure out exactly what pieces each room is going to need. Then they post all the parts needed and people on the creek claim different pieces that they will make and send them to the designer to assemble. Hey it would be unique if the stair railing had different style ballusters turned by a different creeker going all the way up.

[Joash Boyton]

AND what would us'n proffesional turners need with an oversize doll-house???:rolleyes::p

Be interesting to see where this goes...

:)

[Jonathon Spafford]

Ah, c'mon folks... an entire SMC collaborative would be such a cool idea, we'd just need a little team work!!!!!

[Andy Hoyt]

I still think it would be great!!:D

Ya know...Andy, as an Itty Bitty Building Builder, could be the Chief of such an endeavor.;) Actually, the guy we want/need to honcho this project went ahead and did it himself not too long ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCiOrC-rR08).

Yup - our ol' buddy Bill Stevener. Sure wish he weren't awol.

[Keith Burns]

AND what would us'n proffesional turners need with an oversize doll-house???:rolleyes::p

Be interesting to see where this goes...

:)

Well my guess would be that you'uns professional turners would not be allowed to participate.

[Kurt Rosenzweig]

HEY! Could always sell chances and donate the money to a worthy charity

[Jonathon Spafford]

First, we'll need someone to design the whole thing and be the architect. If someone on here has any background in architecture that would be the way to start. I was thinking more of a castle style or or an ancient hunting lodge style for the house. There is a world of miniatures that could be turned for it. I am thinking of a vaulted ceiling for the entrance with lanterns would be cool. It would need a dining hall and a kitchen and a library and bed chambers a staircase to the battlements. It would be cool to have something like this made mostly of wood. Burl columns, chatterwork wall hangers, scroll saw gates, scrollsawed windows and pictures, ornate segmented vessels, ancient pots, of course shields on the wall, chatter work light fixtures fountains, barrels for gunpowder and of course barrels full of moxie and ice cream! ;) It wouldn't be an easy project, but if enough folks got interested and we could get active about getting a designer and an electrician and an assembler than the rest of the pieces would be up to the 10,000 individuals on this forum to make!!! Hey, we might make a record for the biggest collaborative dollhouse!!! ;)

[Jim Ketron]

Actually, the guy we want/need to honcho this project went ahead and did it himself not too long ago (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCiOrC-rR08).

Yup - our ol' buddy Bill Stevener. Sure wish he weren't awol.

Yep I agree I miss Bill Hanging with us

[Bill Stevener]

Mr. Spafford, hear is a start. Lots of luck and I hope you have lots of time, to build it like it should be built.


http://img168.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=1001390wy6.jpg

[Keith Burns]

Bill, , that is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Glad you posted it. Don't be a stranger.

[Jonathon Spafford]

Mr. Spafford, hear is a start. Lots of luck and I hope you have lots of time, to build it like it should be built.

http://img168.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=1001390wy6.jpg

Hey... that is one phenomenal piece of work. That is really cool! You did a beautiful job on it... where did YOU find the time for that! :eek:

[Curt Fuller]

Mr. Spafford, hear is a start. Lots of luck and I hope you have lots of time, to build it like it should be built.


http://img168.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=1001390wy6.jpg

Bill, great to see your name on a post here at the Creek again. And I agree, that is some of the finest work I've seen.

[Jim Ketron]

Glad to see ya Bill!
now dont be such a stranger;)

[John Hart]

Now there's a great sight to see. Hi Bill! Wonderful work. Just awe inspiring as usual.

[Jonathon Spafford]

So... ten posts and 490 views and no one has an idea of how to get together a collaborative of this size??? :confused: :rolleyes: Hey, Steve gave us some good inspiration!

I just hate to give the idea up... :p