debtingler Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Help! I am new at this dollhouse thing and the directions say R&P which I'm told means "remove and prepare". Does that mean that I prepare the exterior walls now with the stone stencil compound or do I just sand? I have a book that suggests that you finish the walls prior to building but I have a fear that the effect will get messed up with all of the turning front to back. I did a search and didn't find anything regarding this (but again I am new to this and maybe it was human error!). Thanks for any suggestions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 To me R&P means remove from sheet and sand to prepare for gluing. I do any stone work painting etc after the shell is toghether. I put in windows and stone after painting. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuppa-Tea Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Could you elaborate a little more about what product you are using? I have used Magic-ston quite a bit, which is a gritty powder that you mix with water, paint and glue. Then you apply it over a sticker stencil and peel up the sticker to reveal the lines between the "stones". Is that what you are talking about? In any case, I would definitely apply any kind of exterior finish like that after assembly. Is it for a chimney? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrellandmelissa Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Yes, I was refering to magic stone. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 I did mine after assembly. You can see a step by step of how I used this on my castle. Here is the link : Castle Magic Stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuppa-Tea Posted February 16, 2006 Share Posted February 16, 2006 Well, if we're talking about Magic-Ston, the guy who sold me my dollhouse told me to mix a lot of glue in it to make it hard. I tried it with and without the glue, and if you just use water, it crumbles very easily. So I mix it with a little water just to make it pasty, then add the paint color I want, and then a LOT of glue. I use Elmer's white glue. The important thing is to make it a pretty thick mixture. If it's too runny, it will seep under the sticker and ruin the effect. I paint the surface (after assembly) that I want to apply the stone to with a light gray color for the mortar and let it dry thoroughly. Then apply the sticker with the lines on it. Put all the stickers on at one time. Press gently, so that the sticker adheres completely, but not too hard, so that the sticker will peel up without a problem. If the paint underneath isn't dry, you will get patches of paint coming up with the sticker. I have found that I also have a problem with paint coming up when there is wood filler underneath it. I think I had to sand it to rough it up and repaint the mortar color with a thick coat to get it to stick. I overlap the horizontal edges between sticker rows to make the pattern look right, but you have to then remove them in the opposite order in which they were applied, because they are overlapping, if that makes sense. I always test my mixture on a separate piece of wood that I have painted with the mortar color and applied a sticker to. Then I smear the mixture on, keeping it about 1/8" to 1/16" thick. I use a Pampered Chef dough thingy - like a really wide spatula - to spread it. Try not to let the mixture sit too long on the sticker, because the moisture can seep into it and then it won't leave a clear stencil behind. Usually by the time I'm done smoothing it on, it's been two or three minutes and I need to get the sticker off. Pick the sticker up by the corner and very carefully peel it off. Do it slowly-if you pull too hard you can cause slanted corners on your bricks. This is why practice is important. If my sample isn't working out because it's too wet, I just add some more powder and try again. Once you get the knack of it, it gives a really beautiful effect. After the stone is dried, you can then mix some water and paint and "wash" it for a weathered effect. Just be careful not to get too much water on the stones or they will start to crumble. You can let it dry between applications of different colors. Usually all I have to do is touch my wet paintbrush to the stone and it absorbs the color. You can see the chimney of my sugarplum here. And Tracy's house is a wonderful example as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evervescent Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Tracy, on your castle with the Magic Stone, how did you acheive the effect that you use on the inside with the broken plaster over brick? I would love to do something similar to show broken plaster over lath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 The brick is wallpaper brick and then the plaster is spackle. I then painted the spackle and Viola. It looked like plaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debtingler Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 WOW!!! You guys are great!!!! I have purchased "Realistic Brick Compound" from Bromley Craft Products out of England. (link - www.craft-products.com) According to the instructions, it requires no glue - just water. I purchased the stone stencil which they recommend spraying with low tack adhesive. They also recommend painting the surface prior to applying compound. Thank you so much for all of your responses!!! I feel like my dollhouse will be a hugh success because of all the experience that is so freely given to me. My daughter was right - I needed to join this forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted February 18, 2006 Share Posted February 18, 2006 They also recommend painting the surface prior to applying compound. My daughter was right - I needed to join this forum. And we're mighty glad you did too! I tried the magic masonry for the first time on my librarian's cottage and was delighted at how easy it is to use and the great effects. That was ony my third house, so I know you'll do great with it too! You definitely want to paint the surface before you put on the stone mix, since that's what will show between the stones when you peel off the stencil. I was a little nervous when I started applying the stone mix, but by the time I got to the second wall, I was giggling and yelling "yeeehaaaw!". It's more fun than mud pies. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuppa-Tea Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 According to the instructions, it requires no glue - just water. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The directions for Magic-Ston don't say to use glue either, but you need it with that one. So I would recommend testing the one you have and seeing if it crumbles when you knock it against something. That's what happened with mine - I moved the house and accidentally knocked it against something and the compound just crumbled off! With the glue it's like solid rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Unless there's an adhesive binder material included in the "stone" mix it really makes a difference to use the glue. With Magic Brik I used equal amounts of water & white glue and added the powder to make it the consistency of cake frosting. Deb is absolutely right, it IS more fun than mud pies! I used the experience of using Magic systems to figure out how to do infill with half-timbered houses (like Sugarplum, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Tracy, What kit did you use as the basis of your castle and what scale was it? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuppa-Tea Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 Tracy, What kit did you use as the basis of your castle and what scale was it? ;) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It looks 1/2" scale to me. There's a 1/2" scale castle kit on her website, but it looks different. I wonder if it's a Fantasy Craft kit that she used? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 I just ordered the castle she has on her site and the one she shows the magic stone on is definitly different. I was thinking there is a vaguely chapelish look to it and the porch almost suggests a cloister. If it is 1/2 in scale the two can be bashed together. I am thinking very serious castle here. Her second castle based on the one on her site has definitly whetted my imagination for my own version. :)I just found it on her site> It is called Michelle's Cottage and it is 1 in scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 Rik Pierce bashed a Buttercup kit for his Wizard's Tower Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfire Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 That is very interesting! I wonder if he has used any other kits as a start? I am know thinking about ordering a second castle, fitting it back to back and have it open a la Bill Lankford and use the paperclay to face it with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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