cayuga2572 Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I have been reading alot about what to do when assembling a dollhouse. I guess I haven't seen an estimated amount of how much primer or poly would be needed to seal it with. I recently bought a sealed kit "The Pierce" on craigslist for $30 dollars(after finding out the price online I then realised what a great deal I had gotten.)I also read not to use a hot glue gun with the assembly-I appreciate this,because I was going to go buy one. Any help for a noobie would nice. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakyshaky Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 HI and welcome! Feel free to introduce yourself in the introduction section. You got a great deal on your new Pierce! Congratulations. There have some threads just for beginer builders full of great info. Wonder around the forum a little they should be pretty easy to find. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATBIDLACK Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 I went though the galleries of those who had made pierces to see sho they did it. I have the general assembly done on mine, I am just left with the porch and the porch railing. But I must finish the stuccoing before I do the porch. Do a serch for pierce and you will get a lot of different places to check Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nechee Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I haven't done the Pierce but it looks amazing. Great deal on yours. And you are right NO HOT GLUE. It breaks down over time and will come apart. I use Aleene's Tacky glue. It comes in regular or quick grab. It is great. And listen to the instructions when it says DON'T PANIC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christinee Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Hi and welcome! You'll find all the answers to your questions here on the forums. Just search for a question you have and if you can't find the answer, post a new question and you'll get tons of help! For sealing wood, any old white latex paint you have laying around would do. If you don't have any, a quart of kilz or any white latex paint will work good as a primer. A quart will be plenty to prime the whole pierce. Keep in mind if you are going to stain any parts of the house, do not prime/poly/seal them. The stain will not take to any wood that is not bare. So be sure to stain any areas you want to stain first THEN prime. Regular wood glue or white tacky glue is good for assembly. I prefer wood glue for the main structure - walls, floors, foundation, etc., and use white glue for trim, windows, etc. Do not use crazy glue for the windows, it will fog the windows. You can use a hot glue gun ONLY for shingles (since they're easy to replace if they fall off). I prefer a glue called Quick Grab (available at walmart) to use for shingles, trim, and other areas where I can't clamp/hold the piece. If you have more questions, just ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 I'll repeat Melanie's invitation to come introduce yourself in the newcomers' forum. Thanks to New Day I have a Pierce that was built with hot glue that I'm taking home to rehab. It's falling apart & looks sort of nasty (New Day got it that way) and has already begun the tail-wagging happy panting that I encountered with the poor little Laurel I rehabbed last year. Since it's assembled with hot glue, I shall be taking it completely apart and removing as much of the mess as possible and rebuilding it from the ground up, so to speak. It's a beautiful house with elegant lines and Greenleaf kits are very versatile & forgiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleFox Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Hi! You got an excellent price on your Pierce! I am currently working on the Pierce and its a great house with a lot of nice features. When you have any doubts about what to do just do a search on this forum and you will get some great information. Everyone here is so helpful and supportive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyonis Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Great, now I find out I wasn't supposed to use hot glue. I think I'm going to write a book of all the mistakes I made on my first dollhouse. lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uppitycats Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Great, now I find out I wasn't supposed to use hot glue. I think I'm going to write a book of all the mistakes I made on my first dollhouse. lol. I think if you started such a book and solicited for contributions, it would turn into one of those multi-volumed World Book of Dollhouse Errors Encyclopedia!! We've all made tons of them along the way. Sometimes they're easy to "fix", other times they're easy to cover up, yet other times they're easy to continue and say, "...oh, that?? I meant for it to be like that! I was doing some creative bashing to get it to look like that! Don't worry about it. It'll all work out in the end. I see in another thread you built the entire house and want to go back and finish the walls..which of course you can do. A bit more challenging, but your house is one of the easier ones. Besides, it'll give you great practice if you decide to rehab somebodies already-built house (My Washington and my Brimble are rehabs. There are pictures in the gallery...) Welcome to our mini world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Congratulations on your Pierce! It's an elegant dollhouse with lots of potential! Great price too! And welcome to the forum as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 You can reheat your glue to soften it and it'll come apart easily and you can rebuild it with regular carpenter's wood glue, but obviously don't bother unless one day down the road you notice any wobbliness or separation. Some people who used hot glue still have their houses hanging together (they've posted), and you can reinforce the corners with a heavy-duty stapler (I do that while I build because I'm not too patient when it somes to waiting for glue to dry...) before you put on exterior treatments like siding or plaster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 You can also run a thin bead of white or wood glue along the wall/floor/ceiling joints and smooth it with your fingertip. It will ooze into the spaces between the pieces to reinforce the hot glue. I'm assuming you used a razor blade or other knife to remove and blobs of hot glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfieldzoo Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 I second the motion to go over either the outside or inside seams with wood glue. You could also try some very tiny nails here and there as well. Congratulations on the excellent deal you got on the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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