jdodyd

My first house was definitely a "learner" and I did learn a lot. I took pictures and made a scrapbook which I treasure. I re-decorated it about eight years later and that was fun too. But unfortunately it got badly damaged while moving and I ended up taking it apart and getting rid of it. Saved all the furniture and decorations and have been re-using them in my other three houses. It's kinda like life, you move on.

I think it is some version of a Real Good Toys "New Concept" collection, 1000 series. The 2nd story windows, the thickness of the wall dividers, and the shape of the additions are distinctively RGT. I've seen a two-dormer version of this house.

Things I've learned over the years - A magnetic gluing jig is great for building furniture and getting those 90 degrees angles straight. Use wood glue for wood pieces; Aleen's tacky glue works for just about everything else except plastic (then use Testor's glue) Put wax paper under objects as glue is far less likely to stick to wax. Put the glue on the smaller object (not on the bigger object.) Use toothpicks or a small paint brush to apply the glue. (And you don't have to dip the brush into the bottle; instead have a small supply of glue on a piece or paper or cardboard) I've used rubber bands to hold things together to dry since you can adjust the tension fairly easily. I hope some of this helps. I'll bet other people have good ideas for you.

How dexterous are you with your fingers? I just finished a miniature Jenny Lind travel trunk from a kit by Brasses by Suzanne Russo. The main assembly was not too difficult but the attaching of the tiny brass hinges and other fittings was challenging and hard to do neatly with my old arthritic fingers. Does the kit say if the wood-look parts are actually wood or are they tape of some sort? If you have to bend wood (by moistening or immersing in water), it gets a lot more difficult.

I built the Duracraft Shenandoah kit as my first dollhouse - that was a mistake, as the "genuine log cabin construction" was much more difficult that either a Greenleaf or RGT kit with the wall pieces already made. I stained before gluing for the reasons stated above. I didn't occur to me to put it together and then paint it. I just used the book of instructions and was able to do it okay. I found the project very time-consuming but the cabin is real cute when done. Best of luck to you!

I gave up on buying electric or battery-powered lights because they were so expensive. That said, I'd had a lot of fun and satisfaction making lamps and ceiling lights out of odds and ends of plastic, jewelry chains and findings, and other things.

I've built the Dura-Craft Shenandoah kit - unless you REALLY, REALLY want a log cabin for some reason, my advice is to try a Greenleaf or RGT kit first. They are much easier and faster to put together. The Shenandoah with its 700 or so individual pieces is quite difficult and not the best choice for a first build. Just saying...….

I've made dollhouse kits more stable by gluing blocks of wood in the corners of the base (under the first floor). I've put corner trim on vertical outside corners of the house and glued horizontal pieces of trim on the outside walls to cover up the places where the tab/slots are. Another thing that helps is to put baseboard and cornice molding in the interior rooms making sure walls get glued to floors in the process. Good luck with your project.

Hello from a fellow Minnesotan! It's a very enjoyable hobby and this is a great place to get ideas.

My new word is window "cill" - I always thought it was window sill. Live and learn.

Perfectly normal.

I'd never heard of any of this before either, but then my parents didn't celebrate Christmas. Next year I'll try the "moving tableau" idea for my nativity scene. I put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving and take it down after New Year's Day.

I agree with what Deb said - dry fitting is more than seeing if the parts fit. It is very useful for figuring out how the parts of the kit are assembled and can stop mistakes like putting in floors or walls upside down or front side to the back. Anyway, I can't wait to get a dry fit together to see what size the rooms are and put in some furniture in and start thinking about decorations!