Manchester Takes Shape

               I've been procrastinating putting the roof on the Manchester because roofs can be so tricky. I messed up the roof on the Bellingham, so the roof is not square. I know exactly where it shows, but only a close inspection will reveal the fault; none-the-less, it bothers me. So I've put off this roof, even knowing that it doesn't have the difficult pieces that other one had. 

If you are building your first house, read the instructions a dozen times before you begin and identify the pieces so that you know what you are working with. Once you begin the build, continue to refer to the directions. I know this seems pretty elementary, but I tend to go rogue--take off on my own and then I make mistakes. But I have learned. 

Having said that, know that pieces  just don't go  together as they are supposed to, so then you have to make a judgment call and do what works.

Last week I committed to getting the house assembled. I've held off, too, because I've been ordering things for the interior, so there really hasn't been a hurry to get the house assembled. I began by gluing in the 3rd floor the moved on the triangle shaped side walls, but first I made wallpaper templates for the pieces that make up the attic walls.

In place of industrial sized clamps, builders can use strong, wide tape, but I found that with these heavy, large houses, clamps work best. They are worth the investment if you are going to build more than one house--I wasn't, yet here I am on house 3. 

At this point some will be asking if I paint pieces before or after assembling. Both. This time I decided to assemble the house first then prime it and it goes much faster and easier. I use regular house latex with Kilz as my primer coat. On the the first two floors, I gave two coats for a nice smooth surface to paint with acrylics or wallpaper. 

Note: between each phase I let the glue cure over night before I go to the next step.

The back brace that will hold the main roof is glued in place next. It's tricky to hold in place.

The instructions make note to make sure that the side wall lines up exactly in the notch channel so that the front roof sections fit properly. 

Do lots of dry fitting before you glue anything in place.

These front panels are heavy and will require lots of taping.  

Next the front window wall will be installed. I played around with this piece for a long time before I committed to gluing it in place.

Once I was sure that I had it positioned, I taped the front seam then slid my Kilz can against it on the inside to give it support.

The instructions say to lay these roof pieces for the triangle roof flat with the grooves down and tape them together then turn the piece over and apply the glue. The pieces will fold in the center. Keep the tape in place.

Before adding the glue, with them taped together together do your dry fit. It's a tricky fit and you will find yourself referring to the directions several times to make sure they are placed correctly. You will check for the interior of the house to see if they line up then you apply the glue and set it in place. You may need another set of hands.

The roof now has all of its pieces in place. 

These pieces are so hard to get placed exactly. You dry fit until the pieces are perfectly in place and the you end up with a big gap. I showed my husband and his comment was that perhaps it was just the machining of the of pieces--the way they were made, so you do the best you can to make sure everything is square and in the correct position. So maybe I did the best I could, but this not a fatal error that required taking it all apart and doing it over. No.

                        

Despite all the dry fits, I didn't get a tight fit on one side.

I searched my stash and found a piece half inch crown molding that will act as nice trim for attic alcove and conceal the gap while adding stability to that side. I purchased this pre-painted crown molding at Hobby Lobby and is it available unpainted at various online miniature shops.

I am not going to let these gaps fluster me because they will covered up with wallpaper and trim and maybe filled with calking. 

On the back side there are two more roof pieces that I will not glue in place until the electrical tape and the wallpaper have been installed. I will also paint their back sides before installing.

So here it is, the Manchester Country Home by Duracraft, 1998. I love this house and I love the addition. 

It is similar to the Vermont Jr. One drawback is that the stairs are in the middle of the house. That stair hole can be filled and moved to the side. Searching Pinterest to see how builders have redesigned the stairs will help you if want to move the stairs. I wish I had, but but I had already cut the openings for the addition, so visit a lot of bloggers to see how they have bashed the stairs. 

Common Questions:

To paint or not paint before assembling: Your choice. I found that painting afterwords went much faster. Priming piece by piece requires a lot space to spread out the pieces then you have to turn them over over and paint again.

To wallpaper before or after: Because I wrap the front wallpaper piece around the corner in each room to cover gaps in walls and to create a smooth seam, I paper after I assemble; however, with hard to access attic walls, it pays to paper before assembly, like the Bellingham attic. I do make make wallpaper templates using computer paper or butcher paper before I assemble the house. 

Glue: I used Aileen's Tacky glue for this house; wood glue works, too. Aileen's will dry clear; some wood glue will not. You will want to wipe away drips and spills immediately. I know that some use hot glue, but I avoid hot glue for a couple of reasons. First it sets quickly which tacky glue and wood glue don't, giving you time to reposition the pieces should you have to make adjustments. Secondly, I'm sure if it creates a lasting, tight bond.  Let glue cure for 24 hours or over night just to create a tight bond before you go on to the next step.

Don't get in a hurry. Enjoy the process. 

Thanks for joining me. I'd love your feedback on how you put your projects together.