First Project: Willow

[nunziata]

Having a problem getting a few of the pieces punched out of sheet #2. Using a very sharp straight edge razor and do not want to lose a finger. Any suggestions? I am at a standstill and do not want any of the other pieces to break in the process.

Thanks

[KathieB]

Try using something a bit more sturdy than a razor blade, like a utility knife/box cutter with a new blade. Sometimes it takes a bit of pressure to tease out the pieces that you just can't get from a razor blade.

Some people have had success with brittle sheets by putting a coat of sanding sealer or stain on the wood before removing the pieces. You won't want to use the sanding sealer if you plan to stain that piece.

If any of the pieces do break in removal, it's not a big problem. Use a wood glue, like Elmer's Wood Glue or Titebond, to put it back together. Lay the glued piece flat on waxed paper to dry. The glue won't stick to the waxed paper. The mended joint will be stronger than new. (Don't use Gorilla Glue.even though it is advertised for use with wood. It expands as it dries and distorts the shape of the joints.)

I'm hoping you've read through some of the forum and understand not to use hot glue for assembly despite what the directions say. Over time, the hot glue will become brittle, and the house will come apart. Some of the members here love to get their hands on old houses that have been hot glued as they are so easy to take apart and put back together again.

By the way, :welcome: to the forum! Do drop over to the New Member Introductions forum and introduce yourself.

[rbytsdy]

Hi Nancy, welcome-- the Willow is a great house, and such a "blank slate" to do whatever one's imagination inspires! I blogged my Willow build: http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=blog&blogid=82&cat=7

I went back and looked at what pieces are on sheet 2; I did not end up using the corner or gable trim and do not remember my sheet 2 being particularly tough to work with, but I certainly know what you are talking about-- occasionally I will run into a sheet that is simply intractable and impossible to extract the pieces. I think the Magnolia was the last house that this happened; I believe that I ended up making some of my own door frame pieces out of basswood strips because I simply couldn't get them out of the sheet.

I have used scissors, saw-blade, and dremel sanders to get pieces out of sheets, but if all else fails, basswood works!

Looking forward to seeing your Willow build!

[Roxxie2]

Kathy that was some very good advice! I have built a lot of houses and had a lot of frustration with the pieces being brittle and splintering. I didn't know that gorilla glue wasn't good. I usually use tacky glue now that doesn't seem to cause any issues. Thanks for the great tutorial!

Welcome Nancy!

[havanaholly]

Andrew was the one who gave us the heads up about Gorilla Glue. Kathie's advice was straight on. If you read through my section of the Team Glencroft building blog, my kit had numerous sheets of old, brittle wood and all my half-timbering and door paneling and window frame pieces were constantly splitting, breaking and delaminating. I went to harbor Freight and bought a couple of tubes of those garishly colored plastic clamps when they were on sale and tore off lots of small pieces of waxed paper to wrap the pieces after I glued them back together, and then laid along a craft stick or solid piece of scrapwood and clamped the bejeezis out of until they dried flat & straight. I think I used Titebond on the Glencroft, but since I built most of it in our RV camper and that was eight years ago, it's all sort of fuzzy to remember now.

[elfprincess]

I didn't know that Gorilla Glue wasn't suitable, either. I'm about to start on my Willow, bought already assembled. Both outer side walls are a bit curved due to the way the previous owner glued them in place, so I'll have to do a bit of dismantling and re-gluing.

How should I separate the firmly-glued pieces? I'm nervous about possibly damaging the thin ply.

The base of my Willow is fragile - the wee ridge on the underside appears to have been broken for some time. It's still there, hanging on by a thread, but I'll have to find a way of repositioning and strengthening it. Window shutters and door fittings have broken or fallen off since I bought it (!) but they can be glued back in place pretty easily, I'm sure.

I keep looking at my damaged-in-transit Worthington and wondering whether I should go Southern Plantation House, or Art Deco conversion!

[KathieB]

Pauline, taking joints apart depends on the type of glue used. You can try heating the glue with a hair dryer or heat gun and wiggling a thin bladed putty knife or palette knife into the joint. Dampening the joint with a vinegar/water solution may soften the glue. Slicing into the joint with a sturdy blade, like a utility knife might do the trick if the joint isn't tight.

Patience and experimentation is the key.

As to what style the house will be, that will become apparent as you work on the repairs. You'll begin to "see" the house in one style or the other. Or maybe a third style -- houses can and do sometimes insist on having their own way.

[elfprincess]

Thanks, Kathie. I don't want to risk damaging the walls but they are stuck in place - and curving outwards! I didn't think of using the heat gun I bought two years ago (which has sat untouched in its packaging ever since).