My Beacon Hill

[madhatter]

Well,

I assembled my house a while ago, and had put it aside to work on other things. I had problems with warping before i put it together and thought that i had solved it. NOT SO.

When i looked at it the other night all the floor levels were warped, the only think i could think to do was to take it apart and start again. I knew i had to do some work on my base because i have extened the house, but it seems like now ive taken it apart there are more unlevel or warped pieces than not.

So here's what iv'e been thinking im gonna do. Scrape all the glue off, sand each piece and then soak the piece in water and weight it down. When it's dry paint each piece with primer, and then put the house back together.

One of the other problems i was having was that my tabs in the house dont match up right so i will have to do some more adjusting.

If you have any suggestions or help that would be great, ive been wanting to do work for so long and now im discourged again.

jenn

[Monica_the_haunted]

Jen, we had similar problems with the Lily but, what happend in the end was the more pieces that went on the house, the more it straightened itself out. Most of our tabs did not fit either and we ended up having to do alot of sanding to make them fit. There is alot of adjusting the pieces on these houses. They don't "go together" exactly how we thought they would.

Russ still thinks it's a bit warped but I think it turned out great.

I'll try and get him in here to answer some of your questions.

[More Minis Dollhouses]

Oh Jenn Im sorry to hear about your toubles with your BH. I have never had any type of warping like that with any of my houses. Everytime I get warped wood, I just continue glueing the house together and the warp disappears as more parts are glued together and pressure it to be straight. I know what you mean about the tab and slots not going in together easily. That has happened to me with almost all of my houses. I sand them to fit or hammer them in and they always go in in the end. It just takes extra time to do.

I think you are on the right path though. I believe that what you plan on doing will work because Ive read several threads on this forum about poeple doing just what your going to do and it worked out for them. We all get discouraged every once in a while but beleive me, once your house is done, you will not regret any of your toubles. Its all worth it.

[chesterfieldzoo]

I think there is always a little tweaking needed in ready to assemble stuff. I have had ready to assemble bookcases that I had to 'fix'. Don't wet your plywood though. That could make the problem worse. Did you store the house flat? Or standing up? I always lay mine flat. Try weighting the pieces down, then glue them in place right away when you take the weights off.

[Sharon-UK]

I'm so sorry to hear about your trouble, how frustrating for you, but I echo the comments made by the others - I sure wouldn't soak the wood in water especially. My Willowcrest started out with some real 'wow's in several of the big pieces such as the first floor (also forms the porch roof) and the whole front wall. But some of that flexibility is needed in order to fit subsequent components, and once later pieces are glued on, it all came together and straightened out. There are still a few places that aren't a hundred percent flat but only I know about them - they are unnoticeable now that everything else has been added. The floor pieces on the Willowcrest are braced by a support that runs all along the back edge like a support beam glued to the underneath edge of the floor - if the Beacon Hill doesn't have those, perhaps you could add them anyway.

Best wishes,

Sharon

View my Willowcrest blog at http://mywillowcrestblog.blogspot.com/

[madhatter]

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your words of encourgement and ideas. I laid the box flat and any pieces i am in process i also lay flat, I had assembled the house hoping that the warping would work out once in place, but took it apart. The floor was just too warped and really noticable. Im gonna try weights and hope that works, or the only other thing i can think of is to take a patter and cut new pieces. What a pain. AHHHHHHHHHHH.

All this and trying to take care of two small ones. LOL Will post some pics when i have some progress, hopefully it wont take too long.

jenn

[Minis On The Edge]

some of that flexibility is needed in order to fit subsequent components, and once later pieces are glued on, it all came together and straightened out.

This is so true and for me, after those special parts are assembled the house evens itself out. I ma so sorry to hear about your problems! Did you say you bashed it some too?? What are your plans?? I'd love to hear of them.

[Wolfie]

I too would be interested in the bashing of your Beacon Hill! Since Doug has gotten interested in this lovely dollhouse, now my own interest is peaked!

Wolfie

[madhatter]

I have some pics in my gallery of the beacon hill before i took it apart. I was planning on adding to the side where the kitchen is like so many others. The one difference is i want to extend the whole side of the house, not just that one part. I also want to make the porch wrap around the side of the kitchen.

Another thing i want to do is to cover the house in paper clay, and make it look like limestone. I was considering replacing the windows but at most stone houses iv'e seen the inserts are all that show. So i might cover the casings in clay also. Wrought iron is also anonther consideration for the house.

I know its a victorian house, but it's also a dollhouse and you can make it anything you want. So im gonna make it kind of georgian looking.

So now all im wondering is if i will be able to figure out how to do this with the warping. Any suggesions or ideas on warping would be great.

jenn

[nuttiwebgal]

Bummer you have to do the work over!

I wouldnt soak the wood but I would spray both sides and lay flat with even weight on it....hmmmm dunno which house I had to do this for....I remember 2 warped floors.

because we stepped over and around them for several days

full paint cans work well for this.

good luck...I know its a pain...but if it was so bad you weere compelled to undo all the work that was done its probably for the best!

you will be much happier with it once its finished! love all the plans you have for it!

I for one would love to see the BH in clay!

nutti

[madhatter]

Thanks so much for your incourgement, ive done one board so far and it's a little better but still warped. Once i took it all apart it became aparent that all the pieces are warped. I think i got a lemon. LOL

Anyways, im thinking of ways to level the first floor with blocks of wood underneath and then screwing down to get sections into place. Hope this works.

Im also thinking of taking of my porch and making a seperate step for the front door and just a small balcony above it. Ive seen this in a pic and it looks good.

jenn