My Orchid is here!!!

[MaryAnne]

Hi everyone

Thanks for all of you welcome posts :lol: So...my Orchid arrived yesterday and I have read all of the instructions and I have a few questions already that I am hoping you can help with. Also...where exactly (in the forum) should I post my random questions as they come up?

When you construct your dollhouse...what do you acually build it on? Do you mount it to a board? Sorry...this is probably a silly question.

How many types of glue do I really need? The instructions say I should us hot glue but I have read otherwise here in the forums. Can you please give me a breakdown and some recomendations?

Thank you all for your help and wish me luck!

[havanaholly]

...Thanks for all of you welcome posts :lol: So...my Orchid arrived yesterday and I have read all of the instructions and I have a few questions already that I am hoping you can help with. Also...where exactly (in the forum) should I post my random questions as they come up?

Here: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/i...hp?showforum=28

When you construct your dollhouse...what do you acually build it on? Do you mount it to a board? Sorry...this is probably a silly question.

There are no silly, stupid or dumb questions. I build mine and then, depending on how/ if I want to landscape it, I mount it onto a board afterwards.

How many types of glue do I really need? The instructions say I should us hot glue but I have read otherwise here in the forums. Can you please give me a breakdown and some recomendations?

I use carpenter's wood glue (Probond & Titebond are two brands I've been happy with) to glue wood to wood, and I use Elmer's white all-purpose glue for just about everything else. If Elmer's won't do the trick, there's E6000; and for building polystyrene kits/ Chrysnbon there's the solvent adhesives such as Testor's.

In case you would like to see what a house built with hot glue looks like within a year, check out page 3 of my "Laurel rehab" album.

Thank you all for your help and wish me luck!

You don't need luck, just patience and asking all the questions that come up.

[kfkelly]

I haven't built my houses on anything since they all have a base. But, there are members of the forum that put their houses on sheets of wood/posterboard etc and then landscape - the result is gorgeous and I'm going to try that with my next house. I'll build the house first and then put it on something.

The glue I use (and swear by!) is Titebond II for Molding and Trim - its a white wood glue. It grabs fast, doesn't run and also works on plastic. (It's a little pricey comparatively though.) For wall paper I use Aleen's tacky glue sticks. For fabric, I use fabric glue but I can't remember the name - from Joanns. I only use the hot glue for shingles, but I know a couple people here have used it for building furniture.

I think you'll find one or two types/brands of glue that you will like the best after experimenting and I know others here will give you more information.

Can't wait to see pictures of your Orchid!

Kirsten

[fov]

Welcome to the community. There's a subforum specifically for questions about Corona houses -- I'll move this thread in there. That's the best place to ask questions about the house as you build it.

I build my houses on whatever surface happens to be available (which sometimes includes the floor!) I wouldn't necessarily recommend this method. :lol: The Greenleaf and Corona houses are light enough that you can easily move them once they're assembled, so don't worry about the finishing touches now. Just build the house on a flat surface where you'll have lots of space to spread out, and when it's done you might decide to add it to a board with landscaping (or not).

I mostly use Elmer's wood glue and have recently started using Quick Grip on things I want to dry more quickly, but it can be a bit messy. For wallpaper I like the MiniGraphics mucilage. I know some other people really like Grandmother Stover's and Yes glue for wallpaper, but I just make a big mess when I try to use those!

The Orchid was my first dollhouse build. I've learned a lot since then but you may still find the photos helpful -- you'll find them here. There are also some beautifully finished Orchids in the Greenleaf gallery that you can look at for inspiration!

[havanaholly]

Well I just mentioned the adhesives I use for building. For wallpaper I'm a wierd person, I use regular premixed wallpaper paste.

[rbytsdy]

Welcome, MaryAnne! Ditto to all of the above, and my particular answers--

When you construct your dollhouse...what do you acually build it on? Do you mount it to a board?

I use a shop table with a plywood top, that I confiscated from hubby. I change out newspapers on it to try to keep it somewhat clean. As far as a base, I wanted a little landscape for my recent Westville build (in my albums and blog) so I got some 1/4" plywood and put some quarter-round around the edges to brace it and keep the grass on it. That was the first time I've tried that and I liked how it went-- I'm planning to do this for the Willowcrest too since it has a smaller footprint. Well, smaller than the Pierce, at any rate...! :lol: I wish that I had tried it for my Orchid build, because the Orchid is a nice size for it.

How many types of glue do I really need? The instructions say I should us hot glue but I have read otherwise here in the forums. Can you please give me a breakdown and some recomendations?

I think I have about four types of glue that I use-- Elmer's wood for structural joins, Aileen's Quickgrab tacky for just about everything else, white school glue for wallpaper and window transparencies, and once in a while I'll use super glue for a very small job that just needs a quick tack... The adhesive that I use the most has to be masking tape. That stuff is wonderful. I bet I go through a roll every time I side or shingle a house, but it sure does do the job. Another handy item that I use all the time is my Dremel.

I had fun with the Orchid and used LPCullen's wonderful paperclay brick tut to try something new-- now paperclay is one of my must-haves!

Edit: I don't even think I have a hot-glue gun...! Never saw a use for it.