Some random notes #1…

By David Smith Copyright © 2010

On Ebay, if the tool listing the brand says ‘Other’, then read ’junk’! Really.

Bankruptcy is not the carefree process shown on the TV ads – otherwise, why
would some people commit suicide after bankruptcy... ?

Funny thing is, after you file bankruptcy... you can get credit cards!.... can buy a
car.... buy a house, even..... after all, the credit card companies know you can't file
bankruptcy again for 7 years... that is a lot of high interest payments for them to collect
on.... and because of the allowable limits.... you can keep almost everything you now
have. Go figure….

A reconditioned machine…

Reconditioned planer $199.95

Delta TP300R Reconditioned 12" Planer (looks good)

Includes 15 amp., 120V motor, dust chute, two-knife cutterhead, knife ... steel base
provide a large, smooth surface for moving stock through planer. Handy stock roller lets
you pass stock over the planer. Poly V-belt and pulley cutterhead drive with rugged
gearbox/chain ... At about $200 this unit is about ‘price even’ with the new 12 ½ inch
Harbor F unit. Hover, qualitywise, it’s miles ahead.

Any roller track system this unit uses is simplified by the table being at a fixed
height. The unit has a stock roller on top of the case which lets you pass stock over the
planer - a bit interesting, but I don’t think it would be of great use to me. Like most
portable units it (and whatever ‘track’ system is used with it) is best bolted down for
large jobs.
Projects

‘Yokes’ for help in watering horses, or carrying a stretcher, or…

This all started when I made a replacement ‘yoke’ for an outdoor museum, so
they could ‘retire’ the original 200 year old item they were using to a resting spot in a
display case where it belonged. Of course, in the making I tried it out the copy while I
was working on it. I thought there had to be some missing padding involved, but -
surprise! - for a properly carved yoke, there is no need for padding. Really ! That was
the first surprise on the project. The next was finding out that hand strength (or the lack
thereof) was not a problem when carrying a load. Ok, I can live with that.

It is great to be able to, say, open a gate or fend off bushes while carrying a load,
and not have to put the item down to do so. And last, just how much of a load you could
carry?

Really, as this item seems to have been first made for the purpose of carrying
water for animals, I can’t see how I can claim a patent on it. Horse owners, let your
friends drink up!

Of course there had to be some way of stopping a stretcher from blind siding the
leader –

I suggest a criss-cross of ropes to xxx.

[Link] is a good place to go for tools.

1 (800) 225 - 1153

These right-hand threaded arbors attach to your electric motor for an instant,
direct drive, polishing, sanding, or grinding work station.
go
Good place to

[Link]
[Link]?prodid=915
Work Arbor, Fits 5/8" Diameter Shaft
#01V11

Price: $5.99

Home ‘shop made’ tools

‘Convert any electric motor into a polisher, grinder, sander, flap wheel sander, or
buffer‘, the add says. Well, kind of. Flap wheel sanders work best because they are not
totally dependent on the drive shaft centering. These items work best on things that are
not totally dependent on centering. The reason is simple enough, motor bearings are
not spindle quality. And the shafts might be bent a bit, are not a precision mount, and
the mounting is not running on precision bearings. Sometimes you have to try different
position combinations to get the best low running vibration.

Rubber bound abrasives (Cratex wheels) don’t have to be as centered. Or wire brush
wheels.

Multi-purpose work arbor for motors with 1/2'' or 5/8 shafts. Right hand arbor for
counter-clockwise rotation. Spindle thread: Right Hand, 1/2'',-20 TPI

Make your own power tools

By the way, there are a few different gadgets that can be used directly on the
shafts of electric motors IF they turn in the right direction! See why I suggested the
label have a wiring diagram on it? Hint: rewire them if they don’t.

Like what? Like arbors that turn a 1/3 or 5/8 electric motor into a machine of your
choosing. No, there are no major money savers here. - the items are ok for making
tools for home shop use, but not much more than that.

An example:

[Link] is a good place to go.

1 (800) 225 - 1153

Expand your shop's working capabilities while putting spare or old motors to
good use! Create your own tools for sharpening, polishing, sanding or grinding with
these quality accessories. Recommended for 1725 RPM motors.

Double End Mandrels. These simple pulley-driven mandrels feature a 12" by 5/8" shaft
supported by two pillow blocks with locking shaft collars. Wire wheels, buffs, etc. are
easily mounted on the 1/2"-20 TPI shaft ends. 1/2"-20 TPI right hand thread one end,
left hand thread other end. Center pulley is 2" in diameter. Available with bronze or
heavy-duty ball-bearing blocks.

Work Arbors attach directly onto motor shafts for attaching abrasive, wire, and cloth
polishing wheels. Machined from solid bar stock, includes flanges, nut, and 1/2"-20 TPI
right hand threading.

Arbor Chucks. These keyless, 3 jaw, 1/2" capacity chucks mount on your motor shaft
and hold wheel strops, sanding drums, rotary files, drills and other shaft-mounted
accessories.

Sanding Discs. These 8" aluminum discs attach directly onto 1/2" or 5/8" diameter
motor shafts or thread onto a mandrel with a 1/2"-20 TPI right hand thread. Build your
own disc sander and save some money, set up three in a line with different grits and
speed up production runs!

These right-hand threaded arbors attach to your electric motor for an instant,
direct drive polishing, sanding, or grinding work station.

Arbor chucks ½ inch keyless $20

8 inch Sanding disk platter $17 Of course this can be used as a vertical disk sander,
but think about using it as a horizontal sanding disk as well. Ok, you would need some
way to adjust the position of the motor/disk combo, but that is not an impossible
mechanical task.
One problem is a missing dust pickup. To correct the problem, start with a ½ gallon
milk container. That’s about right. Connect into it the right size hose going to xxx .

The centering on the motor shaft can be off, and so can the centering on the
arbor. I suggest you start with a slow speed motor (1725 rpm) - no use forcing
problems into happening at high speeds.

Look around for chucks that take the 1/2''-20 TPI right hand mount. Be warned,
three jaw chucks are not the most centered items to start with, and… as a rule, the
more adapters you add, the more off center the spinning mass will be. Flap sanders
don’t mind being off center a bit, but for a sanding drum, well, excessive drum wobble
works against you. Go slow!

Murphy’s law says you will find lots of 5/8 motors when you only have a 1/2
arbor, and when you do find a ½ inch motor it will rotate in the wrong direction. If it’s bi-
directional it will be hooked up wrong. Read the label for reconnecting.

I do suggest you keep looking for usable motors, even if you have what you need
for the moment. Water is not a total killer of electric motors. It’s not too good for them,
true, (rust in bearings!) but does not ‘forever’ kill them, if they are dried in say, a hot
attic. There are even some motors that don’t even notice water. Dust proof, and even
totally sealed motors are a bit rare, true, but do show up. But you don’t have to have a
special motor to survive a wetting.
It’s not a real killer that a motor got wet in the past, as long as it dried out before
you use it. You should not use an electric motor wet, however. Use spray oil to halt the
bearings getting hit with rust, and make sure the motor is dry before you plug it in.

1/2'' Right Theards HAND MOTOR ARBOR

‘Convert any motor into a polisher, grinder, sander, flap wheel sander, or buffer‘,
the add says. Well, kind of. Flap wheel sanders work best because they’re not
dependent on the drive shaft centering. These items work best on things that are not
totally dependent on centering. The reason is simple enough, motor bearings are not
spindle quality. The shafts are not a precision mount, and the mounting is not always
running on precision bearings. Sometimes you have to try different combinations.

Multi-purpose work arbor for motors with 1/2'' or 5/8 shafts. Right hand arbor for
counter-clockwise rotation. Spindle thread: RH, 1/2'',-20 TPI

[Link] sells ½ drill chuck, plus other things

Fine Tuning Bread Machine Mixes

Got a bargain brand bread machine, but sans manual? Sometimes bread
machines can be tricky. We were trying to help a friend whose bread did not rise
enough. It seemed he did everything right. Come to find out, he had an older model
and a brand we were not familiar with. (Bread machines are becoming more
standardized, but there are still different requirements for different machines.) So we
tried to help him fine tune his mix to work perfectly with his machine.

Fine tuning may be required either because the mix does not perfectly match the
machine or because of environmental conditions in your kitchen—humidity,
temperature, or altitude. (Since temperature is a variable, make sure that both the mix
and machine are at room temperature before beginning.)
Bread machines work on a timer. They mix, allow time for the bread to rise, and
then bake. If the dough does not rise fast enough, then the loaf is dense, with poor
volume.

If the dough rises too fast, it collapses with a depression in the middle. To fine
tune a mix, we want to adjust the rising so it’s at peak height when the baking cycle
begins.

In fine tuning, there are two variables to work with. The first is hydration, the ratio
of water to dry ingredients. A more hydrated dough is softer and will rise easier. If it's
too firm, it won't rise enough and will be dense. If it's too soft, it will rise too quickly and
collapse as baking begins. A little difference in the amount of water added will change
the loaf, so measure carefully with a reliable measuring cup designed for liquids.

Check the dough ball at the end of the kneading cycle. Poke it with your finger.
It should be soft but not too sticky. If you think it is too soft or too firm, pull it out of the
machine, form a loaf, let it rise, and bake it in the oven. Then next time, add or subtract
water. Usually a one tablespoon adjustment is all that is needed.

The other method for fine tuning is adjusting the temperature of the water. All of
our bread machine mixes are developed with water at 80 degrees and a specified water
temperature range of 75 to 85 degrees. As a rule of thumb, if your kitchen is chilly, use
water at 85 degrees. If hot, use water at 75 degrees.

Increasing or decreasing the water temperature will change the rate of the yeast
growth substantially. So if the dough ball indicates the right consistency, then you can
speed or retard the rising of the bread quite handily by adjusting the water temperature--
warmer water will speed the rising, and cooler water will slow the rising. Usually an
adjustment of ten degrees is adequate – gadget measure it.

I hope this helps you fine tune any mix for your bread machine and the conditions
in your kitchen. What works for one mix, should work for all mixes of that same brand.
Once you find what works, stick with it. Consistently turning out perfect loaves is
usually no more difficult than carefully measuring the water and controlling water
temperature.

Uses for baking soda

Some of my uses for baking soda besides cooking:

Pour a generous amount on burnt food in stainless steel pots, cover with water and
bring to a boil, let cool and the burnt food will come right off
2. use as a non-abrasive cleaner for tubs, stovetops and more
3. absorbing odors
4. general cleaning

Tool Tips

Pipe clamps to glue up boards into panels. (should be mechanically linked at the ends
of the pipes (a shop aid)

‘T-50’ is the most popular stapler in this area. ‘T-50’ type stapler is the most popular
- you will want ¼ typically.

Stay away from wood glue – it does not last in outdoor projects. Use 2 part epoxy
instead.

A- 2 ½ INCH hinge is about a dollar each, but cut up brass strip hinge, with punched
holes, is cheaper.
To maintain your wooden bowls - simply wash with soap and warm water,
rinse and dry immediately. DO NOT allow your wooden bowl or item to soak in water.
Wash and dry right away. Never put wooden bowls, cutting boards, or any wooden
items in the dishwasher.

Our ‘oversize’ cutting board lasted for 30 years (!) when treated this way.

Hot melt glue sticks

(for general assembly, and other uses)

A hot melt glue gun is a nice item to ‘pair’ items to be jointly shaped on a sander.
The ‘glue’ is really a flexible, low melt plastic. ‘Pairing’ two items lets you better sand
the edges of two items as one item.- and then use the heat gun to separate them, if so
needed.

Defthane clear gloss coating for bird houses, fireplace bellows, and other projects.
Matter of fact, just about anything wood…

A ‘tool’ for any shop, any products

A ‘tool’ for any shop - you should buy is Sunnyside Lacquer Thinner ( Methyl
Alcohol, Toluene, Acetone, others ) 1-800-323-8611 [Link] At 4
bucks for a pint it may seem spendy and unnecessary, but this stuff rules! For example,
it thins contact cement (which is spendy, use it all up with a ‘thinner re-fill’!) as well as
doing other jobs like thinning lacquers, thinning epoxy, and cleanup in general.
Warning: Contact cement has a secret mission in life – to glom up the threads of
any container it’s in. This includes the stuff you poured into a homemade ‘brush in a jar’
item (a useful item, make two or more). So, use Lacquer Thinner! on them.

Some saw dusts from a belt sander can give you real medical problems. Really.

Polishing

Cratex rubber bound abrasive wheels Kit 777 (wheels and points for the Dermal tool )

Cratex, 518 Stone Road, Bencia, Ca. 94510

The Harbor Freight band sander: Other machines, other uses

This unit can drive other types of belts by the way. You can also do other tricks.
Flip the belt and sand things from the back, for example. You can make a ‘power strop’
if you replace the belt with a leather belt charged with black buffing compound, for
example.

Warning: Not everything can be made into a belt. And unless you take a bit of care, not
every belt you made will track, that is, work on your machine.

For that matter, you can even make this into a ‘tape’ sander. Think about it. If
the machine can drive a 1 inch wide belt, it can also drive a narrow belt as well, right?
Make your own, or just Googol ‘abrasive tape‘, and look for Mitchell’s Abrasives.

[Link]
Or call 770-242-0888 - e-mail is at ecmitch@[Link]
Hopefully the factory will now be making full, true belts of their product. If not,
you can make your own. How? Well, an abrasive tape is basically a tape loop, some
glue on one side, and sprinkled with abrasive grains. If those abrasive grains are just
on one side of the tape there will be no excessive wear on the platen. If both sides of
the tape have grit you will have to remove the platen and just use the wheels to guide
the belt.

As it’s really just a narrow belt sander, the general rules of power sander use
apply. For wood working, under 100 grit is for stock shaping; for metal working, under
180 grit is best for stock shaping.

Harbor Freight 4 drum sander add-ons 35455-0VGA $19.99

---

Boiled linseed oil ‘painted’ on cloth makes ‘oilcloth’, and painted directly on wood
is also a good (but slow cure) wood finish. Some people find that the boiled oil by itself
dries fast enough to be used directly.

A mix of 1/3 boiled linseed oil, 1/3 mineral spirits (paint thinner) and 1/3 of a
good quality floor varnish. (Warning: not all varnishes work in this mix – test first – it
may have been a problem with the varnish xxx Test with a small amount first.)

tp://[Link]/The-Leather-Guy is the place to buy leather for bellows making (2 to 5

oz)

A Power Carver…

Otherwise known as a power chisel…

The smaller version

Warning: After 10 minutes of steady use the Proxxon 38642 SGM Power Carver
gets hot enough to need gloves to use it (this is normal operation!).

As the Proxxon 38642 SGM Power Carver is the best rated unit until you get to
10 times its price, buying two is still cheaper than a commercial equivalent unit at 10
times its price – so buy the first unit to see if you like it. Then extend its use with a step
on foot switch. the set of Then buy a whole other second setup, if you use the first
one a lot.
(Warning: small projects only suggested for first time users)
If you do, later on add a second unit to switch to, and to let the first unit cool
down from use while using the second one. Plus you now have a backup unit ready if
the first one fails, but these are solid units, not without a good warranty - .
 [Link]

Wood Carvers Supply, Inc., PO Box 7500, Englewood, FL 34295-7500 USA

Questions: 1-941-460-0123, Fax: 1-941-460-9433

FLEXCUT RECIPROCATING POWER BLADE SET $194.94 $195! Just for

blades? That’s almost as much as I spent for the tool in the first place. ok

RECIPRO BLADE #28-1/2" RG351 Item #: 993351 $12.25 4PC FLEXCUT

RECIPROCATING POWER BLADE SET Get the most out of your reciprocating power
carver! Razor sharp blades (Rc 60-61 hardness) fit these units: Mastercarver® black
colored Recipro-Carver Pro handpieces (792400) purchased after July 2001, plus
McCulloch (4-in1) Ryobi®, Proxxon & Automac (HCT30 $ 36.00

Sharpening tools

Any edged tool, of any type, will benefit from being honed on a strop.

“Right. What’s a ‘strop’?”

Umm, ok. A strop can be LOTS of things… the black leather strap hanging on
the barber’s chair, a felt wheel, or leather wheel, or leather on wood, or… Whatever. It
can be a regular buffing wheel (felt or layers of cloth).with an aggressive buffing
compound on it.
Example: the ‘Yellow cake’ sharpener on a strop. Sometimes sold as knife
makers’ “secret” sharpening compound; is fast cutting, dry and leaves practically no
residue on the tool edge. A good all around compound, it leaves a brilliantly polished
razor edge – which is what you want on these tools.

[Link]
LB/productinfo/586001/

Item Number: 586001 Price: $5.80

And you can buy leather at:

The Leather Guy

437 West 5th St.

St. Charles, Mn. 55972

Practical advice

NEVER ship UPS to Canada... They even was one of those consumer TV
shows who had a special show just dedicated to how UPS robs us blind to clear
customs. UPS in Canada charges an arm and a leg to clear customs, and wow, is it
ever expensive. It is NEVER cheap to send via UPS to cross the border.

US Postal Service First Class Mail International AND Priority Mail are great -
Canada Post clears the stuff, and more often than not, they do not charge a cent for
clearing customs. Otherwise, the maximum they can charge is a $5 fee for clearing the
item + taxes (for Alberta, it's just the Federal GST at 5%).
If it needs to go by courier for whatever reason, FedEx is much better (they
only charge about $20-$25 to clear customs on top of taxes).

A heat gun will clear and ‘clean’ (aid in removing the labels) of plastic bottles for
making face shield /replacement AND / or producing small clean pattern material. Heat
guns are useful to have around.

What you should know about choosing the types of wood for birdhouses
There are plenty of choices when it comes to types of wood for birdhouses. Here
are a few tips that should help you decide. I recommend you don't use any pressure-
treated woods for birdhouses. The chemicals can be toxic to your birds (sawdust is not
so good for you too) and their chicks – and you too, as well. This goes for painted
woods that may have a lead based paint, or are pretreated with creosote.
Here is a safe list of woods that can be used:
 Pine
 Redwood
 Cedar (smells nice!)
 Spruce
You shouldn't have any problems using these woods - we recommend they be at
least 3/4 inches thick so they can stand up to the elements!

---

A good source of small wood items to make up a set is: candlesticks, ect,
Reason: you don’t have to make every item yourself.

[Link]

For more small wood items candle cups, candle sticks, shaker pegs...

[Link]
For work hold down tools (Vise Grip type and drill press, for example.)

[Link]

Harbor Freight Table saw stand $ 20.00 #35716-1ADN as a work table. Shallow
bench stop ‘vise’ as a top.

Industrial Abrasives Co.

642 North 8th Street

PO box 14955

Reading, Pa. 19612-9954

[Link]@[Link]

1 800 428 2222

Rubber router pad, flex strip wheel, sanding belt things, non- skid pad, other things…
Pad is good for ‘non-impact’ use; carving or router use, but not other things. Test
before use.

Holding odd things…

The suggestion of using a big C-clamp held in a vise (with a wedge, so that it
doesn't change its angle ) actually works pretty good for holding an item steady while
you’re using 2 hands to do stuff to it. You can get a good grip on the thing just about
anywhere on it!
The 4 inch drill press vise (Harbor Freight Item # 30999 - 9RPB at $4 to $7) is a
very useful item indeed. Another good general purpose vise is a (better yet) 6 inch drill
press vise. They are often put on sale at Harbor Freight – cheap! Watch their prices,
and be ready to move and make a grab at the price drop.

The most useful clamps made from 1/2 inch water pipe, and Harbor Freight -
work for clamping boards together, or holding art items. Just have different lengths of
pipe on hand.

There is a vise grip ‘device’ for clamping things down in a drill press. Harbor
Freight is one place it’s sold? To make such devices work on a ‘production table’ (blind
slots) might require the use of t-slot bolts or similar.

[Link]

Shaker pegs =- 2 1/4 long – legs for doll chairs, or for everything

Harbor Freight Earmuff and face shield

$10 #99979-0VGA

Look for a local one, or just earplugs might be cheaper

(Earplugs are not needed with this model)

HF Ear muffs # 43768 – 1ADH Hearing protection - muffs only

Band saw blades

Piper's Saw Shop, Inc

454 Phillip Stone Way

Central City, Key 42330

Phone: 1-270-754-2354

Order Line: 1-800-845-6075

Email: Jimmy Piper

Saw Blade Dealer: [Link]

More bandsaw stuff…

[Link]

[Link]

Use 3/8" 4 skip tooth band saw blade

HF bandsaw - band saw is 92 and 1/4 length

You need 3 band saw blades, 1/4 inch, 1/2 and 3/8 inch skip tooth
Make reduced size bellows

Bladder skin 12 long overall 6 inch ramp each side, and the 4 by 4 ‘square center’
section wide, ends in 1 1/5 inch centered on center line

Bellows Paddle 9 by 18 (2:1) overall radius 4.5 inch bellows handle neck needs to
be larger (wider)

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

Idea and projects list

Doll cutting board

Doll oblong tray or bowl ‘Also ran’ of doing spoon work (sort of)
Doll Canoe Paddle, or wood shovel

Bookshelves ??????

Boat??

Doll yoke * uses just firewood, can be done with thick ‘slat lumber’ Drill center hole
‘almost’ on edge of board, round that edge, then thin the ‘shoulders’

Doll bellows * uses tacks and uses up scraps

Mirrors, combs

Doll stock

Doll table

Doll bed

Doll Bench

Doll Chair needs shaker pegs what size? Another design?

Fishing pole need tapered doll stock, also flag pole

Doll Baking/ pizza paddle a ‘peel’ several made need 1 by 30 ‘finish belt’ 100
grit or so

Doll sled

Candle sticks ?????

Full size stuff

Full size cutting board

Full size yoke (for real people carrying real water to real horses) or, as a reproduction.

Special switch light covers A layout / ‘try box’ can be made from a metal box and a
switch, and 6-32 screws pointed to mark drill points on underside of cover.

---

Metal nozzles on a bellows are not really needed on a fireplace bellows, but
people sort of ‘expect’ them. OK. You can make a limited use lathe to do them
yourself, or convert a wood lathe to a limited use lathe. For some reason I had a bit of a
problem in finding a source for them. Try:
[Link]

I just use copper pipe for a nozzle!

Full size

Wooden Mixing Spoon

Wooden cutting board (with long handle)

Fishing net

Garden ‘dragon’ (Solitary bees)

Bird house / bird feeder

Solitary bee houses

Garden Bench

Garden “whatever” idol

Standard ‘bellows’

“C” Handles for bellows

Make ‘next size down’ bellows (non functional)

Put hinge at the ‘almost top’, hinge pin ‘up’ or ‘top’. The board work should be all
done except tacking the leather in place. Place 3 inches of contact cement and tack
that leather down. Then repeat the procedure, until done. The edge of the leather is
folded over as usual, and held by the unused tacks in place, until they are driven home.

Make church birdhouses!! Also buyer ‘must buy’ several of each model for him
to market them for you.

Put a Formica top on band saw top to keep blade true

Make salad bowls with sign wave ripple top edge so salad spoon and fork can fit
down low while not having salad fall out - ‘sign’ wave pattern.

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

Prices on hole saws and types. Prices and drill bits and saws.

air brush kit.  there are 2 types of air brushes.  single action dual action. Air compressor

Key fob idea for leather and metal.

Fastener companies:  [Link]

[Link]
cov=SC&what=carolina+fasteners&heading=79612008&searchpos=6&cid=25762

Abrasives Dealer:  [Link] [Link]

Why are ‘American Girl’ dolls so popular with little girls and their moms?
If you have a daughter or granddaughter between the ages of 3 and 13, chances
are you are very familiar with the American Girl dolls produced by Pleasant Company
(now a division of Mattel). The American Girl dolls are high-quality vinyl, 18" play dolls,
with their own historical stories. The dolls have lavish clothing and accessories
consistent with their own historical story, as well as books
written about each doll's adventures.
Here are some of the most popular American Girl Dolls:
Felicity:   A colonial girl growing up in Williamsburg, Virginia
in 1774
Kirsten: A pioneer girl growing up on the American frontier
in 1854
Samantha:   A Victorian girl, orphaned and growing up with
her Grandma in 1904
Josefina:   A Hispanic girl growing up on a ranch in New
Mexico in 1824.
Addy:  A courageous African-American girl growing up in
war-torn Civil War America in 1864
Molly:  A girl growing up during World War II in 1944.
Additionally, there is the "American Girl of Today," which is a modern doll that can be
special ordered to look like its owner, with a choice of hair color, eye color, and skin
tone.

Great Play Value

Why are these girls so popular? From a child's point of view, these dolls have
incredible play value. The accessories that are available are amazing--for instance, you
can get a lovely Tea Tin Lunchbox for Samantha, or an entire set of Nature
Paraphernalia (including a mini flower press and magnifying glass!). For Addy, there is
a puppet show or a gardening set. How about a pioneer school lunch, or a fishing set
(with mini bait!) for Kirsten. There is also doll furniture available for each doll, and a
lovely wardrobe as well.  Each month, there is also an "American Girl Magazine" with
articles on the dolls and their owners.
American Girl Dolls are Educational
From a parent's point of view, these dolls are
definitely educational! There are six books about each doll
full of historical information. Everything about the dolls,
from their wardrobe to their furniture, is historically
accurate. The dolls are also sturdy, and, although not
cheap, the dolls are less expensive than many high-end
dolls from manufacturers such as Madame Alexander. For
instance, Josefina with her basic outfit and paperback book
costs $82 Or, for the parent who wants to splurge big-time,
"collections" of dolls plus various outfits, accessories and
furniture organized around the historical stories can be
purchased for several hundred dollars.
Sewing and Costuming For American Girl Dolls
Another reason the dolls are so popular is that they are a wonderful size for costuming
by moms and daughters alike! There are many patterns available to make outfits for
18" play dolls, including American Girls. And there are also many web sites who offer
additional, handmade clothing for the American Girls and other 18" dolls (including
Magic Attic, Heidi Ott, Gotz, and others). See below for a list of sites offering costumes
and patterns for these dolls.

Bitty Babies
My daughter, who just turned 4, already has two Bitty Babies, another wonderful doll
from Pleasant Company, with many lovely accessories and outfits (our favorite--the
bear Halloween costume!) We also love "Bitty Bear" who comes with Bitty Baby, and
who gets a matching hat in every Bitty Baby costume! Bitty Baby is very reasonably
priced at $38, and you can order the doll in various skin tones and hair colors. I am
greatly looking forward to buying my daughter her first American Girl in the next few
years--but which one to buy? Kirsten, who looks just like her, or Addy, who looks like
her friend, or Molly, who could have been her grandma?

Pleasant Company: Home of the American Girl Dolls

Pleasant Company was founded in 1986 by Pleasant T. Rowland, a former
educator and publisher of educational materials. The first dolls introduced by the
company in that year were Kirsten®, Samantha, and Molly® According to their web site,
Pleasant Company's dolls aim to enrich the lives of American girls by fostering pride in
the traditions of growing up female in America and celebrating the lifestyle of girls today.
Mattel, Inc. bought Pleasant Company in 1998, but Pleasant Company continues to
operate as an independent subsidiary from its headquarters in Middleton, Wisconsin.

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