Perseverance: Or Reading the Directions Doesn't Always Help

Without trying to be repetitious, this build is especially difficult and has not been a particularly fun project. The kit dating back to the early '90s is machine cut from 3/8th inch poor quality plywood that splinters easily with a rough surface. The cut-outs for doors and windows are rounded rather than squared off, so the house directions say to square the corners for a better fit. I forgot to do that for the windows on the second left, but it didn't seem to matter.

The mansard roof with its angled sides is also difficult to glue together. I assembled the second floor side before I installed the second floor which would be the roof.  I could give a whole discussion on how to assemble this house, but I won't because it is not available now unless it shows up eBay or some other sales forum. If so, contact me. Briefly, I should have installed the second floor then built the walls. 

As a result, nothing fits rights--at least in this case. But the second floor is installed and the roof is on. There are gaps, but wallpaper and moldings will cover them up. No will know--but you and me. 😊

                                          
Next: assemble the dormer windows. Are these instruction clear?

     

I got this far, but could not figure out how to add the dormer pieces.

According to the directions, this is order for the pieces.

With the window taped in place, I began stacking the pieces.

And that is how the window fits together. So I glued each piece in place after I had the main window in place.

                    

   

 

Once I figured out the order, I was able to get the dormer windows in place. Now I have to refigure my roof.

Once the ceiling was in place, the gaps were apparent. I knew they would be there due the uneven sizes of the wall panels. I don't know how I messed up on that so badly and that mistake has ruined the entire experience for me. However, when working with these old kits is indeed a challenge. So, I must figure out how to cover the imperfections--I am really good at that.

                                   

Good Grief

                       

I have installed the crown molding, which cover up the gap, but there still gaps to deal with.

                            

My Secret Weapon

Easy to apply. You can either apply it to your finger and rub it in place or just squeeze the tube to run a bead of caulk across the gap. Then I wet my finger and run it over the bead of caulk to smooth it out. 

I do tend to lose my confidence in dollhouse assembling when I see the the beautiful houses on Instagram and Facebook then I realize that the newer kits are easy to assemble--not mistake proof by any means--but they do not present the problems of the older kits. 

This is my 5th build and certainly the hardest. This house definitely is not for a beginner. 

I noticed a new follower: Welcome Alice. I'm not so sure that blogging is a popular as it once was and there are some fabulous artists and builders out there who now use InstaGram, which Ann's Dollhouse Dreams is there, but I've not posted much. I do post some tutorials on Facebook Dollhouse Miniatures Tutorials & DIY, but I love the blog the most. So thank you for dropping by.

One last note: A huge thank you to George at CR2s (https://cr2s.com/) where I purchase my power supply for the dollhouses. I emailed the company with a problem, received an email on Sunday to call him if his instructions in the email did not work. I was raised not bother people on Sunday, but the email said to call, so I did. He was so helpful, and after trying his suggestions, I emailed him back and said I'd just order a new piece. He so very generously sent me a new part without charge. Thank you, George. I love your products and appreciate your service and generosity. He has great YouTube tutorials on how to electrify a dollhouse, too. 

Seriously speaking, this is one great reason to buy American. I have had several occasions to call companies: Minatures.com called me in regards to an order--such a sweet woman. I emailed  HouseWorks, the company that milled all of the beautiful wood building supplies--trim, molding, doors, window, cabinet kits. That lady called me! She loved to visit and gave me few tips. Sadly, she has passed. HouseWorks sold to Miniatures. com who is now run by Miniature Crush, a Texas company, that is now one my favorite suppliers.

If you are working with LEDs, Evan Designs is a great company with great customer service. For me they are  local company in Ft. Collins, CO, while I'm not sure if they have a store front, they have excellent customer service--I've spoken to them on the phone, too. I use them for all of my battery operated LEDs lamps and lights. Great instructions online, too. https://evandesigns.com/

For kits, Real Good Toys, is my go to, another great phone experience with customer service. 

Sometimes we do pay more when we buy locally or buy American made, but it is the neighborly thing to do and when we find ourselves in a bind with a product or task, the help is often just a phone calla way.

I'll be letting the Newbury rest for awhile as I move to the other side of the basement workshop to open up my card making studio to my DAR friends to make Veterans Day cards for our veterans in two care facilities: the Cheyenne, WY VA nursing home and Valley Manor Care Center in Montrose, CO. 

One last note: I'll be monitoring comments before they are posted to avoid spam. In the decade that I've been blogging, I've never had spam comments until the last post and I don't know how to get rid of either! So be patient for your comment to post. 

See you soon. And thanks for dropping by.

Ann

Plan B Takes Shape

 Well, we will file that previous post either in File 13 (the wastebasket) or File for Future reference. The Wood Craft veneer is not flat; it tends to have ripples here and there, which really did not flatten out as I thought they would  when I glued them in place. The real problem with the floor, however, occurred when I realized that as I glued the planks in place, they were not level. So I tore the whole mess out and began again. I had glued the to flooring to card stock which was also glued to the floor so, I had to used my laundry softer/water solution to dissolved it and scrape out the card stock without damaging the wallpaper. 

Plan B: I purchased flooring from Hobby Lobby. And here's how that went.

With the first floor installation, I used Aleene's Tacky glue to secure my card stock "sub" floor that would protect the copper tape.

I covered the copper tape with Scotch tape to protect it, leaving a small opening where the the connections for the wire that will connect to the upper floor and where I will connect the only floor lamp in the living room. 

You can see the mess. 

And I began a new. 

This time to adhere the card stock to the floor, I used my favorite double sided tape found in the scrapbook section at Hobby Lobby. It will hold the paper secure and will remove easily should that ever happen.

The new flooring comes from Hobby Lobby, too. I've used it before. It comes adhered to a backing so I was able to use scissors to cut the shape of the floor from a template. Looks great. Fits perfectly.

I used a walnut stain to give the floor a really dark, rich look. . .  

. . .which dissolved the glue that held the boards to the backing, so now I have to install them one by one. I did a dry fit--several times, remembering to leave a 1 inch gap in the living room to wire in the lamp. In the end, I've left 2 center boards that won't be glue in so that if I ever have to repair the connection, I can. More on that later. 

  

I followed the same process in the kitchen, glued in each plank one at a time with tacky glue and pressing each plank next to the pervious one for a tight fit. For some reason the planks are not quite even at the bottom, but at this point I am not going to worry about that because I will use a trim along the edge. 

With the wall supports as they are, planks had to be sculpted to fit. This wood cuts easily with an X-action blade. Next time I will stain the sheet of plants before I cut them and then cut each separate plank as I go to fit instead trimming to fit the template. 

The floorboards will hopefully cover up any gaps. 

Here, then, is the completed living room floor. Look closely at the bottom where you will find spliced blanks. I left 3 boards unglued that will be held in place by the center baseboard and the edge trim.

I did something similar to this in my first house, the remodel which I call the Blue Farmhouse Now Pink. I don't usually run tape wire across the main floor; instead, I run it up the walls, but in this house I wallpapered the wall panels before I installed them (Won't do that again), so for my one lamp in the living room I had to create the electrical connection and hide it in the floor. In my experience over the years with renovations and new builds, the copper tape never wears out or fails, but what does fail are the connections in the tape wire. 

So FIY stay tuned for this I will be soldering my connections instead of using brads. Won't that be interesting--well I hope so. 

  

The base board will come out, and the little splices will be easily removed. Then I got the brilliant idea to move them to the top where they won't be so easily spotted. Now I will be able glue the trim at the bottom in place for tight, secure fit. 

 

And only you know my secret.

The same technique will be used in the front entry. 

The copper tape runs across the kitchen floor and securely glued in place with the electric connection on the outside. I've used card stock as a base floor which will be taped in place with access to the spot where the wire leading to upstairs will be connected. While the sub flooring will be taped down as the wood flooring, the tile piece will be left unattached. The stairs will not be glued into place permanently either and will hold the tile in place. But more one that later. 

  

Finally, after a lot of struggles, the first floor is almost complete. I have to paint and install crown moulding and it will be done. The second floor will not be as tedious for it is only 3 main pieces with two interior walls and straight lines, no bay windows to fuss with. It does have 3 windows that have to be built, painted, and installed. So stay with me. 

Thanks so much for visiting. 

Ann