Flowerpot Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hello! I have fallen in love with making dollhouses and have completed my first one, the Aster Cottage, I did it with lost of help from More Minis @blogspot. She really saved me I have The Columbian coming in the mail and I'm excited to get to work.. My parents gave me the San Francisan, but I'm a little intimidated by it. If anyone knows of a good website or video (I don't own a VCR anymore to play the tape that came with it) I would be eternally grateful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi Sharon, and :welcome: to the forum. I'm in mid-Mo (Marshall) half the year. Have you been to the Toy & Miniature Museum in KC? I get even more inspired with every visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Welcome to the little familly, Sharon. My first-ever build was the SF555 and except for showing how to lay the wall sections face-down and run strips of masking tape tightly down the back to hold them as you glue them together until they dry, and not to fear having to carve away stock to get fit (and fitting DC parts gave me fits, I've also built their Cambridge), I don't remember the VHS tape being any help. reading over the instructions several times and doing lots of dry fitting saved my temper. You need to measure three times and cut once with the millwork for the longframes and the windows & doors. I wish I'd had my EZ Cutter then, or my mitreb ox and flushcut saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 20, 2011 Author Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi Kathie and Holly ;) I was born in Marshall, MO. I LOVE the miniature museum. I haven't been in a few years, and I need to go back now that I'm making my own dollhouses. It's such a neat place. Thank you for the advise Holly, you keyed into the part of the build that has me the most scared, all the cutting and measuring lol. I haven't heard of an EZ cutter, but I'm going to check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrary Housewife Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi there. All us KC/MO folks will have to meet for lunch once the weather turns nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi there. All us KC/MO folks will have to meet for lunch once the weather turns nicer. Absolutely! We'll be back in Marshall in mid-April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLyn M. Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 Hi Sharon and welcome to Greenleaf.Glad you found us..many knowledgeable people here, friendly and helpful. :xmas_tree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 Hi there. All us KC/MO folks will have to meet for lunch once the weather turns nicer. That would be awesome We could go to the museum and then have lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shy Spirit Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 Hi Sharon, and welcome! Do you have any pics of the Aster? We'd love to have a look. Your avatar tells me you love ferrets - I don't have any myself, but have always enjoyed their antics. A college friend of mine had one, and now one of my daughter's roommates has one. They are such lively, intelligent beings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 27, 2011 Author Share Posted December 27, 2011 I will definatly get photos up tonight. I got my Tiffani in the mail right before Christmas. It's going to take a lot of repair work to the wood, but it will be good to get back to work building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janet Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Hi Sharon, and welcome to the group! :welcome: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 I finally got the images up in the gallery of my Aster. I still have more deocorating to do, but I think the Lundby furniture looks pretty good in there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I think it looks wonderfully cozy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Sharon, the furniture is perfect in the Aster. The house and its setting are super. It looks as if Heidi and her grandfather might walk in any minute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Thank you That means a lot to me comming from the experts. I'm getting ready to start sanding and filling the Tiffani. Bought it from ebay and it's an older kit. A lot of the wood splintered when I cut it. Does anyone have a favorite wood fill/putty they use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Thank you That means a lot to me comming from the experts. I'm getting ready to start sanding and filling the Tiffani. Bought it from ebay and it's an older kit. A lot of the wood splintered when I cut it. Does anyone have a favorite wood fill/putty they use? LOL ... you won't find many members here who will own up to an "expert" label. We all learn something new every day, which is why it's so nice to have a place like this where folks aren't shy about sharing their experience. I tried regular wood putty but found it was too coarse, would dry rough, and sometimes pull out when sanded. I've been using wallboard mud/joint compound which is easy to work with and makes a nice, smooth surface. Spackle also works well. Both can be worked smooth and require little sanding when dry. They are also good for putting on a skim coat to smooth out any roughness in the flat surfaces that remain after an initial sanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 ...Does anyone have a favorite wood fill/putty they use?My filler of choice is spackling compound... "Stainable" wood putty really isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowerpot Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 (edited) Thank you Kathie and Holly, I have the next few days off and I am always looking for an excuse to visit the hardware store I used that wood filler stuff on the Aster and it dried up really fast, was messy, and flaked off. I was hoping there was a better product out there. Edited December 30, 2011 by Flowerpot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Three things when you're reclosing your container; wipe off residue, spread a bit of plastic wrap or cut a piece of plastic grocery bag to cover the contents, and tap the lid down with a hammer to reseal it. This keeps the air out and makes it last longer. You can make your own wood putty, save your CLEAN sawdust in a container and when you need wood putty, mix some of the sawdust into a puddle of wood glue and add a few drops of stain to match the color to what you're using it on. It can be sanded when it's dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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