aimeegirl Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi all, I've been reaallllyyy slow to start my Orchid. I'm terrible at doing things in the right order so I was trying to behave myself and do the biggest job first, which to me seemed like priming all the roof shingles. Well that's extremely time consuming and boring. So tomorrow my husband is going to spend some time with me to work on the doll house and what I wanted to know is.. does everyone recommend doing a dry run first and fitting the pieces together pre-glue? I feel that would be putting it together twice and take twice as much time, but at the same time I dont want to do something wrong. Does this HAVE to be done? I really want to get things under way but I feel overwhelmed and stuck! Any advice/suggestions? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandykidsaturn Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 The way I did my beacon hill was I did dry runs of the things that went together in steps. For example, I dry ran the foundation, altered, then glued it. Dry ran the shell, altered, glued. Does that make sense? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimeegirl Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Not really.... lol but thanks for trying Megan I think I need Dollhouses for Dummies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandykidsaturn Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Oh I'm sorry, let me try again. lol Okay, so try and fit all the pieces together dry first, but not all at the same time. First you build the foundation, or the first floor of the house, along with what the house sits on the table with. Dry place all those pieces together and sand as you see necessary. Then glue together. Then do the walls, and other floors in the same order. I know how confusing it all is! I've only been doing it for a year, so I remember very well how hard it is to figure out! Also, I'm not terribly familiar with the orchid. This is Tracy on the boards blog which is super helpful! I use this as a second set of directions! Try here, she has steps and great pictures! http://moreminis.blogspot.com/2007/04/orchid-day-1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Aimee, the Orchid doesn't have many complicated bits, so it's possible you could put it together without dry-fitting it first. But if you do, be SURE the pieces are fitted properly before gluing. All corners need to be exactly 90 degrees, walls need to be exactly vertical, floors exactly horizontal, each tab must fit perfectly into its slot. If they don't, you're going to run into trouble as you head up toward the roof. It takes so little time to dry fit, I'd really highly recommend it ... but it's your house, your experience ... so do what's comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrchob Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi Aimee, I am not really acquainted with the orchid doll house but I am on my 4th house. I feel that until I am comfortable with my experience and knowledge I will follow the instructions that came with the house. That will give me the best chance I have to end up with the house I have pictured in my mind. I have always done the dry build. It helps to see the whole building experience and any areas that might be difficult to decorate once the house is all glued together. It also gives me a chance to clarify in my mind any instructions I might not understand. This is me. What's important is for you to enjoy your build! Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Dry fitting isn't building the house twice, it's just a "dry" fit, making sure that everything fits together perfectly. Tabs and slots might need trimming/ enlarging, you might have missed sanding a spot or decide you don't need to sand an edge. Also, as mentioned, once it's together with tape you can spot the areas you'll want to decorate before you actually glue it together (like the Orchid's upstairs dormer!) and to consider other potential technical problems (like whether you want to make working windows and how you want to hang your doors). I also find that the house really talks to me and tells me what it wants when I've put it into dry fit. If you do think that it's building the house twice, the dry fit is your chance to follow the instructions and find out, without making a permanent mistake, that you understand them and haven't made an unrepairable booboo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujurodgers Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 I had built several GL dollhouses before i ever joined here and learned about dry fitting! sooo well I just followed the instructions and glued as i went along, never dry fitting! so i would say it is possible LOL and never had too much trouble with anything...this year the spring fling is the first thing i have ever kind of dry fitted and then bashed (altered) in any way! I am like you (impatient LOL) and surely didnt think of putting it together and then taking apart only to put together again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Another reason I dry fit is that if I want to bash the kit, I need to see how it goes together to see how to make the modifications. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimeegirl Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Megan, Kathie, Holly, Janet, Julie, ALL really good points. And Holly, from what you're saying, I can see a bit clearer now that dry fitting is a good idea and you're right, it's NOT putting the whole thing together and then taking it apart only to put it together again. I read part of Tracy's blog that Megan suggested and it's been REALLY helpful actually. She explained that the Orchid isnt actually a good house for beginners because the instructions are kind of difficult for a first-time builder (such as me). I plan to use her blog for reference whenever I'm stuck. I really hope that after building this house, that I will continue to WANT to build more, LOL i'm trying not to get discouraged here. Thanks again everyone, very helpful! xoxo p.s. happy mothers day to those of children with 2 legs and those with 4 or more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 If it's any help, there are TWO building team blogs for the Orchid here: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=blog&module=display§ion=blog&blogid=25 and here: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=blog&module=display§ion=blog&blogid=26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'm going to move this thread into the Corona Concepts forum, it might catch the eye of more Orchid builders there. The Orchid was the first house I built and once I got going I did wish I'd dry fit it (didn't know any better!) The instructions can be confusing and also my pieces were warped, which caused some structural problems that might have been easier to deal with if I'd realized this before I started gluing. I posted about the process of building my Orchid on my website here -- it might help you avoid some of the pitfalls! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeeDollyRun Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 I'm sure glad I found you guys. I don't even know what dry fitting is! If this is kind of like building it before gluing...Well, does it hold together when dry fitting or do you need to clip or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Some parts hold together on their own. For others, you'll need masking tape. Here's a picture of my recent Rosedale dry fit. As you can see I have tape on most of the corners, but some bits (like the front bay window) didn't need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Michele, you really need to hit the Newcomers' Forum and introduce yourself to everyone. Which house are you building? I find 2" masking tape works well not only for the dry fit, but for holding parts together whilst the glue dries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeeDollyRun Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Okay, I see how dry fitting works. Thanks for sharing the link to a picture. It really helps to get a visual...Off to find masking tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeeDollyRun Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 Will do. I've gone as far as to empty the box and look at the pieces for the travel trailer. I'm kind of overwhelmed with it and it's just a small project. I've been working on a dollhouse that was made by my boyfriend's dad and it was already together. It wasn't a kit, but handmade. Michele, you really need to hit the Newcomers' Forum and introduce yourself to everyone. Which house are you building? I find 2" masking tape works well not only for the dry fit, but for holding parts together whilst the glue dries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted May 16, 2011 Share Posted May 16, 2011 I get that feeling with every box I open. One of the ways I de-panic is to stack the wood sheets in numerical order. Then I read over the instructions and look at the schematics sheet/s to find out what & where the pieces are mentioned in the instructions. With the Travel Trailer I left off the veneer for the curves until I was ready to glue it in place. Doees the house that's already built have electric lights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.