What's everyone working on?

[ilovecats]

I put a tile floor in the kitchen of my house that jack built last week. I still need to tile the bathroom....then it's time to work on wood flooring and crown and baseboard molding! The house would come along so quickly if i would actually work on it. I haven't done much dollhousing, just a bit here and there but definately feel in the mode now!

I plan to work on a project tomorrow....haven't decided which house I want to work on tho...since I want to work on several at once! LOL

[pdlnpeabody]

Of course I couldn't get mad at you, Judith! I'm the one who failed to see this problem before I started building it. I didn't even have a clear idea of what the bathroom would look like until a few weeks ago. I'm still undecided about the ceiling. Over the years I have also found that the best photographs just don't tell the whole story.

Yes, the large, rectangular column on the right is the Chimney chase. It runs from the basement up through the roof. I have seen houses that either moved them from their alignment with the fireplaces or removed them completely on certain floors, but to be honest, the lack of continuity takes too much away from the realism, in my opinion. Mine are real brick all the way up. If the buyer decided to cut the fireplace lights and burn real fires, they could. I burned real fires in all 5 fireplaces in the Victorian B&B I built.

I have been kicking myself for positioning the chimney/fireplaces in that location ever since I started framing the 2nd and 3rd floors. While the location strikes a good balance in the kitchen, it takes up floor space in the other rooms. Besides the extremely difficult task of relocating it to the far outside wall, the kitchen extends out from the main house, so the chase would have been either too high and stuck out separately from the main house or would have been short and looked odd. If I had seen this earlier during the build and had a fix for the exterior appearance issue, I would have put the pizza oven on the far left exterior wall and replaced the inside wall with a bar / oven range that looks out into the dining area.

Ever since I started this project I have developed a whole new respect for home designers. It isn't as easy as it looks.

[KathieB]

Yes, the large, rectangular column on the right is the Chimney chase. ... I burned real fires in all 5 fireplaces in the Victorian B&B I built.

Ohhh, my ... pass the smelling salts! Even the thought of a live fire in one of your remarkable houses has me feeling puny. :ill:

Ever since I started this project I have developed a whole new respect for home designers. It isn't as easy as it looks.

That's why the architects get paid big bucks, eh?

But just think how cozy warm the wall in the bathroom will be when there's a [virtual, please!] fire roaring in the grate.

[havanaholly]

Kathie, you aren't the only one who got palpitations reading about real fires in dollhouse fireplaces!

[Ravenswing]

Hummmn...if the bathroom doesn't have a fireplace would it look weird for the chase to be narrower? I know J wants it to be as symmetrical as possible, but if a room doesn't have a fireplace/hearth then the chase is only concealing the flue (sp) right? Does anyone have any examples of, or know of any instances where there's a firebox on the bottom and top floors but none in the middle? Or is there always a fireplace on every floor?

[pdlnpeabody]

Most modern chimney chases only have one fireplace, but from what I have seen and read, I think it was common to see chimney chases with fireplaces on every finished floor pre-20th century. In this case, there is a fireplace in the adjacent bedroom, so it could not be narrowed without making the firebox too small. Besides, it would take a sledghammer to remove the masonry now.

I framed the gap in the bathroom wall and installed the two additional rows of tile this evening.

One other thing. Tom Bishop isn't happy about my application arriving so late, but I did get confirmation for Chicago International 2013 this evening. It will be a one house display next year, but I hope to have the Victorian restored to her previous splendor in time for Philadelphia in November and have at least the foundation of the next project ready too.

The much needed crown molding arrived today too! Thank you Tracy!

[havanaholly]

In the days before central heating there were fireplaces in every room that someone used for living space.

[sparklepuppies]

The much needed crown molding arrived today too! Thank you Tracy!

You're very welcome! Glad I could help!

[Ravenswing]

In this case, there is a fireplace in the adjacent bedroom, so it could not be narrowed without making the firebox too small. Besides, it would take a sledghammer to remove the masonry now.

Well Bah Humbug! Does this mean you have to revamp the design to make the room larger, or are you choosing door # 1 or 2 optionwise?

[pdlnpeabody]

Well Bah Humbug! Does this mean you have to revamp the design to make the room larger, or are you choosing door # 1 or 2 optionwise?

Yep, door #2 was to make the room larger by about 2 inches. I have already extended the floor, exterior wall and tub surround. The last of the additional tiles are going in this evening. It does look better with the wider passage to the tub.

I am bugged that I didn't see this problem before I started building. The other house also has a limited access bathroom, but that was because I built the house exactly as the floorplan exists in the real house.

I'm also angry with myself for entertaining a new project idea. I was commissioned to build two projects this past weekend, so it will be some time before I get to build any of them (after April 2013). The two projects are a replica of the Morningside Nature Center log cabin. The center is a city park / living history farm. The cabin isn't large, but doesn't have a finished board on the thing, so I'll have to wittle the corners and edges off of every "log" when I build it. The other project is a replica of the Ironwood Golf Course here in Gainesville, FL. It will be built in a small railroad scale.

The project I have been pondering is a 1920's theater based largely on the Stanley Theater in NJ. It is the 11th largest theater in the country and is opulent beyond belief. Even the exit signs are in stained glass. Most likely a modern addition, but still beautiful. The best part is the theater itself. The walls are themed to look like a Mediterranean palace and the ceiling is painted like the sky, so it feels like you're outdoors. The other feature I would add would be that pipe organ I still haven't gotten around to building yet. The only difficulty I can think of (besides time to build it) is the seating. I have no idea how I would go about building dozens or possibly hundreds of little, identical seats.

[havanaholly]

...The only difficulty I can think of (besides time to build it) is the seating. I have no idea how I would go about building dozens or possibly hundreds of little, identical seats.

Next time you're in Ron's, if they're not too crowded, ask them to let you in the front room and check out Ron's "Phantom of the Opera" theater, and ask him how he did the seats. I bet if you tell uilding the Stanley he'll be happy to give you suggestions.

[Ravenswing]

. I have no idea how I would go about building dozens or possibly hundreds of little, identical seats.

If the theater is in 1 inch scale I may have the solution for the seats. Check this out: http://www.miniland.ca/Product.asp?cc=020822&id=3754 or this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Miniature-SINGLE-THEATRE-CHAIR-dollhouse-cinema-1-12-/380461970270?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item58954cf35e

At the very least it gives you a working template that you can use to make your own.

[havanaholly]

Invest in a hot knife for cutting styrofoam into seats and seatbacks, and fabrics to cover them?

[pdlnpeabody]

I would probably have to make a silicone mold and cast all of the seats.

The past couple of days have been nothing but bathroom tile making. The last of the corner and wall tiles were made last night. They will get their final coat of paint tonight. I'll build the new arches too.

I have gotten some complaints over the past few months. Apparently some of my co-workers and people I hadn't met until a few weeks ago were following the Tudor build in my gallery, but are unable to access the images now. I guess you have to be a member of the GL family to see images.

[Ravenswing]

Jeremy, what are you using to make the tiles? They totally look like porcelain. I can never remember the name of that paint/gloss stuff, but see lots of folks using it to make sinks and bathtubs. I gotta get a bottle of that for my stash, maybe it will motivate me to make my next sink instead of buying one.

[pdlnpeabody]

Jeremy, what are you using to make the tiles? They totally look like porcelain. I can never remember the name of that paint/gloss stuff, but see lots of folks using it to make sinks and bathtubs. I gotta get a bottle of that for my stash, maybe it will motivate me to make my next sink instead of buying one.

Judith, the tiles are individually cut from styrene. The corners are sanded down slightly, then they're painted using a dry-brushing technique to avoid streaking. The tub is made of epoxy with a coat of spackle sanded down smooth. The tub and tiles will eventually be sprayed with several coats of gloss coat. The border tiles are hand painted with acrylics before the gloss coat is applied. Grout will be the last think to go in.

[chapchap73]

Jeremy, the amount of attention to detail you put into your houses is just fantastic! Keep the eye candy coming :thumb:

The following emoticon represents my real life colliding with my mini life

That's me behind the sofa looking to see if it's safe to come out and do some minis. Doesn't look like it :no:

When it is time, I'm trying to decide which 1/12 kit to crack. Orchid, Glencroft, or my HBS contest kit. I'm going to try and get my 1/4 house started this weekend. Our bathroom is under construction so I can't set up the big table yet.

[CatColorado]

I know how you feel Sarah. I'm currently hiding behind a stack of boxes working on a 1/144th kit. If I want to avoid eye contact I just need to duck down.

[KathieB]

Finally got someplace with the quilt shop room box today. The brick fabric looks good, the fan is twirling, and it has been moved upstairs to its display area. Not quite finished with the furnishings for picture taking - tomorrow, I promise! Was wondering how to affix all of the small sample quilts on the paper walls without causing staining (mini-hold wax or poster putty) or holes (brads) or risking tears (double-sticky tape). Lloyd suggested rubber cement dry mount. I do believe that's the way to go. Should anything need to be moved, rubbing the residue should remove the rubber cement, and it should not leave a stain. Hung a couple of test items tonight. Will see if I'm still happy with this idea come morning.

Did I mention how much the working fan tickles me? I went with one of Casey's suggestions. The ornament twirler moves slowly, but some of the old fans move slowly. I keep telling myself this is not a house, it is a BOX. It doesn't matter if the fan is slow or the bricks a tad large for the scale. It's a box with a jewel of a quilt shop inside. Like a lumpy brown geode filled with luscious crystals.

Life is good.

[havanaholly]

Old fans move slowly and. as I found out prowling old forts and older buildings, not all bricks are the same size. A gum eraser will remove old, dried rubber cement without touching wallpaper or whatever it's mounted on; my first fulltime paying job was as a pasteup artist in an offset printshop and we used rubber cement to mount paper strips of type and pictures for weekley shoppers and brochures, and removed the pictures for reuse, removing the old cement as well.

[pdlnpeabody]

I would prefer a slower moving fan over one that spins so fast it looks like it wants to launch an airplane.

I was up until 3 this morning building the new arched rafter for the tub surround. It took longer than I thought, but I was also watching old sci-fi movies last night.

All of the tiles are ready for installation, the tub has its final coat of gloss dried and if everything goes well, I'll install the library inlay floor panel tonight.

[KoalaSam]

I thought I would dust off one of the kits I had stashed under my bed about four years ago and began to build it today.

Just a word to those who have stashed kits, (especially the RGT ones), remove the rubber bands before you stash it. I didn't realize how many bands were around various pieces of wood, and they had all disintegrated, melted or I don't know what, but it made sticky little blobs on everything.

Live and learn!

[pdlnpeabody]

I've seen that happen with old document files. Hope it wasn't too difficult to clean up.

I have all of the tile work done on the house. The arches for all of the remaining doorframes have been cut and assembled and I'm getting ready to install the last of the 2nd floor inlay.

As much as I would like to have the Tudor finished in time for Chicago International, I think I will need to bring both houses to the show. That will require at least 6 weeks of repair work on the MacKenzie. Bringing the Tudor unfinished is equally troubling. I hate choices.

[sparklepuppies]

I thought I would dust off one of the kits I had stashed under my bed about four years ago and began to build it today.

Just a word to those who have stashed kits, (especially the RGT ones), remove the rubber bands before you stash it. I didn't realize how many bands were around various pieces of wood, and they had all disintegrated, melted or I don't know what, but it made sticky little blobs on everything.

Live and learn!

Good tip!

I've also seen this on power cords for computers and stuff. Ewww.

Jeremy, sorry you have to make the hard choice. But, I have to admit, I got a little excited at the thought of being able to see both houses in Chicago (if I make it up there).

[pdlnpeabody]

Good tip!

I've also seen this on power cords for computers and stuff. Ewww.

Jeremy, sorry you have to make the hard choice. But, I have to admit, I got a little excited at the thought of being able to see both houses in Chicago (if I make it up there).

Tracy, if you don't make it to Chicago, I'm planning a couple of stops near Atlanta on the way to the show. On April 16th I plan to stop over at Miniature Designs around opening time, get lunch at Pappadeaux in Norcross and maybe stop by Houseworks (if they don't mind visitors).