Roofing

https://annsdollhousedreams.blogspot.com/2016/06/new-project.html

The Dura Craft Farmhouse has presented a lot of challenges in the building process. It is a large house made of MDF, which makes the pieces very heavy. I had a hard time keeping them it place, but it is still a grand house despite its imperfections.

I began the project in earnest in 2016; in fact my first post was June 3, 2016, and still I have not finished it. Your can read that fist post by following the link.  I which I have become quite adept in covering the up. I wrote the first of the year that I would finish this house, so that is what I am doing.

Project 1: The Attic Bedroom

 The attic bedroom where I envision a teen aged girl hangs out. It's not quite as rustic and shabby as I wanted it, but it turning out nicely. It's an odd shaped room that is difficult to work with.

With the tape wire running across the floor, the flooring won't be glued down. I've considered my options, including the paper tile flooring, carpeting, and wood. I even contemplated painting the floor. In the boy's room to the left, I made a hardwood floor out of the wide craft sticks, and so I decided to do the same for the girl's rooms to give the attic a sense of continuity. 

First I made a template--the photo out of focus, but you get the idea.

From the template I cut a 12x12 cardboard to fit the space, but as one piece it was too wide to be installed, so I cut it down the center, taped it together on the underside and began placing the craft sticks from the center working to the outer edge on each side. I decided not put flooring in the very front alcove.
 

When I found this rug on Melvin's Minis on Etsy, I knew that I was headed in the right direction. It is perfect.



Before I separate the flooring pieces, I sand the wood using 120 grit and 220. My sanding blocks have been well used, so I cut sheets of sandpaper to size and pinned them in place.

And then the stain. I am waiting for it to dry. 

Tomorrow the floor will be installed, the baseboards added, the crown molding will be installed, and the furniture moved back in and that room will be finished.

Project 2: The Roof

I have put off this job because I could not face installing all of those tiny. little, single shingles then Jodi at My My Miniature Madness suggested speed shingles sold on the Greenleaf Dollhouse Company Store. I had my husband help figure the square inches of this multi level roof with several different elevations. Originally I figured that I would need five stacks of shingles, but our math indicated 4 would do the job since each stack would cover 225 inches. The roof measured over 800 square inches.

Laid out together, the choice seems simple: nice, neat, simple strips of shingles as opposed to a plastic bag of wood chips. In all honesty, the choice is up to each builder. At $15 dollars a stack, the speed shingles are pricey. This shipment cost me $60, but I am quite pleased with them. Certainly a better choice than the punch-out shingles that come with some kits. 

Before I began, I did some research, visiting these blogs. Both links have great instructions from beginning to end. 

• Otterine has a very good tutorial on speed shingles.
• My Miniature Madness
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvwdi16uewhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvwdi16uew. This is a great video of how to apply the shingles.

So between these three miniaturists, I decided that I'd go with the speed shingles. 

The wood chips would have to dyed, allowed to dry, sorted, and put in place one by one. I had used them on the Ballet Studio, which was so tedious. I used liquid nails to adhere them which didn't dry clear and leaked out from under the shingles, so I couldn't bare to work on an 800+ inch roof.

I began by making templates of each elevation first by using computer paper then cutting a better, sturdier template from card stock. 

The roof has some unique problems. I didn't get the pieces properly placed, so the gables don't fit tight against the main roof. I'll have to accommodate that. You can also see my failed attempt at drawing the shingle lines.

With my cardstock templates all made, I began laying shingles on a small roof first. I had to fiddle around with the shingles to get the layout correct. I fixed each row in place with masking tape.

I made a small measure to make sure that my lines were evenly spaced.

This roof is finished. I have to figure out how to finish the very top row.

I flip over the template where I will use my utility knife with a new blade to cut the along the template. 

It's a tough cut. I learn that the shingles are not secured with enough tape and the ones at the bottom slip, even with a guide.

Still, I get a good cut. I'll be able to even up the edges just a small amount when I glue them down.

I am pleased. The template fits nicely on the small roof. Next I will glue each shingle sheet in place, one by one. 

And so the work continues. Still some shingles are not secure in place and slip when I put the template on the roof, but I'm not worried because they will be straight when glued in place. 

To close the gap, I will place trim over the gap--unless some else has a better idea. A gutter would be an option. I just don't know yet how to make one.

I learned after my struggle with the utility knife that if I taped the edge that would be cut away with masking tape and used my Fiskar scissors, the shingles stayed in place and cut much easier and cleaner. 

This elevation has been the other reason for my procrastination. The brick chimney must go here. I traced its base and cut out the shingles where the chimney would fit.

It is a brick chimney and very heavy so I have long pondered and stewed over how I would attach it. What sort of adhesive should I use?

Don't breathe; its just resting in place.

Progress. All of the elevation templates are made. Ready to be install. I have used exactly 4 stacks of shingles, hoping that when I trim the last piece that I will have enough to finish the front elevation. I do not want to have to order another $15. worth of shingles for this small space.

And now for the adhesive.

I used liquid nails on my first build, the Ballet Studio, because it is not water based. Water based glues such as the white glues and tacky glues that clean up with water will curl the shingles. Here is my test strip. I like the E6000 best, the fumes are awful and the tube comes with a stern warning about the vapors. Since I work in the basement, especially this time of year, I don't have good centralization. I purchased two tubes of Quick Grip, expecting to use it, but it will be require several tube and at $7 a tube it will be expensive and the glue stinks. I'll be returning it unopened after smelling the E6000.

The Tacky Glue will curl the very thin shingles, though will some tender care I managed together my ten piece to lay flat and not curl.

I even used Grandmother Stover's that I use for all of my wallpapering, but it didn't set up quickly. I envisioned my shingles slipping when I added the next row.

I have always resisted hot glue but David Nelson who helped his mother manage her dollhouse store in Denver and builds dollhouses for a living said that he used hot glue to apply the shingles. I'll see him at the Little Show hosted by the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Doll and Toys next month--hopefully I'll have most of the roof done by then.

The hot glue isn't as problematic as I thought it would be. I found that if there was leakage I could quickly remove the excess glue as it had cooled enough to touch it but not so much it wouldn't release. So I think I'll give hot glue a try. 

I am determined to finish the farmhouse this spring and begin something new. 

Thanks so much for visiting. 

Little Things

With the goal in mind to finish the Texas Farmhouse, I've ordered shingles from Greenleaf, a rug from Melvin's Minis on Etsy, and two unrelated pieces from Robin Betterley to finish my circus train. I've cut some trim pieces for the attic bedroom and searched for other pieces of trim that were painted and cut to size long ago--I may have to recut them.

While I wait for the shingles to arrive, I've done other things. I built the three Robin Betterley circus cars that I received for Christmas, a fun, tedious project, but very much worth it.

Who did doesn't love the circus? Admittedly, I have either never grown up or reverted to by childhood in my old age, so to indulge myself, I embarked on building my own circus train designed for the Storybook Toy Store. With Barnum and Bailey Circus now shut down and the animals retired to their spacious farm in Florida, the little train brings back those fond memories.

Early one morning as I prepared to go work, I heard the train rumble through town. Glancing east to just look as one often does when the freight trains roar through town, the cars that sped by were marked "Barnum and Bailey. It was indeed a real circus train headed to Denver. The animals though were safely bedded down in the early morning in enclosed rail cars, nor were there clowns handing out of coach cars waving wildly. It was a long train complete with flatbed cars that carried all of the heavy equipment necessary to set up the show--you know fork lifts, tractors, golf carts and even a school bus, I suppose to take the humans to their hotels. It was a self contained, self sufficient show. A real circus train. I am sure that it passed each year through our little town; I had just never been able to see it. Perhaps it was that particular year that the circus train stopped in Greeley, CO just 12 miles or so down the road from where I live. Because I worked, I couldn't go welcome the train and circus performers. The train made a rare, brief stop to recognize an  anniversary of a tragic event when the circus did stop to perform in Greeley. In August 1884 the circus train caught caught fire, killing ten roustabouts and injuring others. You can read more about the dreadful accident here: http://www.gendisasters.com/colorado/5745/greeley-circus-train-wreck-aug-1884.

The Barnum and Bailey circus train stopped in Greeley in 2002 to thank the Greeley residents decades later for burying the ten workers because the show must go on by giving a very brief performance.

These kits are tedious to assemble. The hardest part is cutting out the tiny animals. The directions suggest using either scissors or a sharp blade--I used both. I used a pair of small, very sharp, and pointed scissors that I acquired in a small scrap booking kit that I purchased at Tuesday Morning. It came with the cutting mat, magnetic ruler, and those very sharp little scissors. I also know an expert blade sharpener who keeps my scissors honed to a fine edge.

It is not always easy to get all of the tiny flecks of white paper cut away, so what I really need to do is to use a fine point Sharpie pen to color the white; however, the whiteonly shows up under the scrutiny of a well lit and focused photo.

Next, the giraffe, a favorite. Working with the Easter kit from Robin Betterley, I learned to paint the pieces before removing them from them their form. Here they can be painted and sanded while flat on the work surface. The edges do need to be sanded to for two reasons: to remove the tiny tab that holds them in place and to remove the burned surface on the edges from the laser cutting. This is tricky because the pieces are so tiny and delicate. I sand them either on a sponge sanding block 320 grit or a small emery board. The burnt surface really does need cleaned off for a clean paint job or left on for a more rustic, worn look--perhaps.

 I think I did a better job of cutting out the giraffe. Takes practice. I use a tooth pick to apply Aleene's tacky glue dispensed in a piece of jewelry finding container held in place with double sticky Scotch tape. The unused glue eventually dries clear and can be easily removed for the next application.

The little cars go together easily and quickly.

Global Village Museum

After a nice lunch with a friend, she took me to a little known museum in Ft. Collins, CO, where her husband volunteers. It is a unique museum that holds collections of local world travelers who collect mementos and souvenirs during their travels. On display currently is the Festival of Light and Nativities, so one room is dedicated to the role that Light plays during the holiday season. The display includes an interesting collection of menorahs, but she really took me there to see the dollhouses, mostly donated by local miniaturists. The iPhone photographs are not the best and there was so much to look at. Here are my favorites.

The very first display is a Mongolian yurt. Surprisingly, my friend revealed that she and her husband had traveled to Mongolia last summer and had stay in a yurt.

There was a wide variety of structures furnished with the most wonderful pieces.

This one was my favorite, a Mexican Hacienda. You will enjoy the authenticity and attention to detail. Perhaps the rugs and pottery were the best features.

I wondered if the luminaries on the roof's edge would light--probably not. See the Indian Kachina dolls in the upper corner.

Another favorite. 

 This little girl's room was part of a display that was built in a multi shelf cabinet, with several contributors. You will see her tiny collection of toys on the bottom of her shelf.

Hoping to build my own cabin one day, I enjoyed looking at this one. My grandmother's cabin had that same rag rug made out of rags from the rag bag, braided and stitched together.

This corner had different themed, small houses, but I chuckled at the bottom on, the two story outhouse, apparently the real thing since the sign explained how a two story latrine actually worked. I never knew.

 This one was named 'A French Apartment House', but my friend called it a brothel.  The living quarters on top, the boudoir, and the ground floor, the Bake Shop.

At first I didn't see the loft room at the top of the house with its side view,

but as we returned to the room, the very top level was reveled with a side exposure: The Artist's Studio.

Another room had miniatures from around the world. So many tiny, colorful things.

There was more to share, but I end with a nostalgic American classic, the vintage gas station that I remember a child, completely with a 1940s Chevy pick-up. I began my diving lessons in grandpa's 1950 red Chevy pick-up. Such memories. 

The shingles and rug should arrive today or early next week and then the fun will begin.

Have a great week. Enjoy the Little Things in life.

Thanks so much dropping by. I always love your comments.