1st house ever- Washington2.0. Any how to books for beginners?

[Desi76newbie]

Hello !

I've always had a fascination with miniatures and dollhouses but was unsure how to get started. I finally purchased the Washington 2.0 in hopes of transforming It into my own version of "A Christmas Story" house. I have absolutely no clue on how to get started besides reading the instructions and was wondering if there is an informative how-to book on the dollhouse hobby. I did find " A Beginners' Guide to the Dolls' House Hobby: Revised and Expanded Edition" but there were mixed reviews. I just want the basics like tools, which glues are best, helpful hints for beginners. I realize that's what this whole site is for but I'd like to read something before I begin. Excited but nervous. I can tell this is going to be addicting

[Kimba]

Hi, I was looking at this blog about dollhouses. It is pretty helpful. http://moreminis.blogspot.com/2008/08/washington-20-day-1.html#.UoL1OJQo5dg

[havanaholly]

Desiree, introduce yourself to everyone in the Newcomers' Forum. At the top right there is a "Search" box. Type in "getting started" for a couple of weeks' worth of reading what some of us have had luck with. My personal basic tool kit starting out is a couple of rolls of 2" wide masking tape, a Stanley box cutter utility knife, a cork-backed steel straight edge, a carpenter's square, sandpaper and carpenter's wood glue. I like clear drying tacky glue (Elmer's all-purpose white glue is what I have on hand) for the clear acetate inserts. I have a Washington 2.0 still in its box that is clamoring to become a WWII-era farmhouse.

[GirlPiper]

I'm with Holly as a starter tool set. You can do almost anything with these basics. Good luck with your build.

[havanaholly]

Once you decide you enjoy the building process there are a lot of fancy tools and power tools you can buy, like a jeweler's hammer or a pin vise or a rotary tool, but start simple; you might discover you'd rather collect than build.

[Roxxie2]

Hi Desiree....love your idea of the Christmas Story house! I did a lot of reading of the instructions and then jumped in with my first house. There was no internet or Forum to help me out when I built my first house! This forum is a wealth of information . Just ask and someone will be able to help you out I am sure! Have fun!

[Dalesq]

Welcome to the forum Desiree! As the others have said, you don't need much to get started. But do take some time to browse through this forum. There are numerous threads about glue, wallpapering, to prime or not to prime, etc. etc.

Google your particular kit and you'll probably also find numerous images to see what others have done with theirs. KathieB (one of our members here) recently turned the Washington into an adorable haunted house.

Have fun! This is a marvelous hobby, and yes, very addicting. Fortunately, you've found the best enablers right here :lol:

[KathieB]

Hi, Desi, and :welcome: to the forum. I understand wanting to do some reading about building before beginning. When tackling something new, that's my modus operandus, too -- read as much as you can, find out what the experts do, and then jump into the deep end of the pool. No matter how many books you read, you'll come to the same conclusion: there's no right way to build a dollhouse and not very many wrong ways (besides using hot glue for construction).

My recommendation is to read and re-read the instructions, then get started. Do what seems logical. Doing a dry-fit will help you "see" the whole house and make decisions like whether or not to include the stairs, how the rooms will be used, and so forth. Don't be afraid to apply common sense and so what seems like the right thing. If it isn't, it won't be hard to fix.

Good luck and have fun!

[DocGreen]

Nothing like the ole baptismal fire! Just jump in and get started! Read the instructions and then read them again. Once you have done that read them again! Any questions feel free to ask. Welcome!

[Desi76newbie]

Thank you all for your replies. I will be sure to introduce myself in the newcomers forum. You all gave me that little bit of added information and encouragement I needed. I will be sure to read, reread, and read again those instructions before starting and I will go out and get the basic tools for the beginning process.

Kimba- That blog link you put in looks really helpful to get me started with my particular kit.

One quick question. The kit has not arrived yet because I just bought it two days ago. Is it possible to change the railing, stairs, window, door so it's on the other side of the front porch or are they "slot" style kits. Not sure anyone will understand how I worded that. It's just that the house in the Christmas Story movie had everything on the opposite side and I'm just being picky. Here's the house I'm speaking about. http://shop.greenleafdollhouses.com/Wooden-Washington-Dollhouse-Kit.html# Thanks again for all the help !

[havanaholly]

You do understand that you can build the kit insideout and the front will be configured as you want it.

[Desi76newbie]

That's what I figured as far as the front face of the house was concerned (for the door and windows) but it looked like there were slots for the front porch railing so I wasn't sure if I could make the rail opening and stairs on the other side.

[havanaholly]

Well of course you can! It's possible to change things around however you want to, if you aren't afraid of making mistakes and have the patience to repair them. I'm a firm believer in making test pieces and samples first, but sometimes even then the ideas don't always translate well. I have also gone back with spackle and sealed up a door or window and cut a new one elsewhere. If you have time to read the building blogs you'll see how some of these kits can be bashed (changed) to get a desired effect.

[Desi76newbie]

Haha ! Ok - great, it sounds like what I do in my house. Spackle fixes anything right?

[KathieB]

That's what I figured as far as the front face of the house was concerned (for the door and windows) but it looked like there were slots for the front porch railing so I wasn't sure if I could make the rail opening and stairs on the other side.

You can flip the first floor/porch floor piece upside down to move the stairs and that will also move the slots for the front facade tabs to the right place to accept its reversed configuration. The surface may be a bit rougher than the intended surface, but a little sanding and maybe a little Spackle will smooth it out. This is where dry fitting comes in. :thumb:

[havanaholly]

Haha ! Ok - great, it sounds like what I do in my house. Spackle fixes anything right?

When I learned that, I became the queen of spackling compound.

You can flip the first floor/porch floor piece upside down to move the stairs and that will also move the slots for the front facade tabs to the right place to accept its reversed configuration. The surface may be a bit rougher than the intended surface, but a little sanding and maybe a little Spackle will smooth it out. This is where dry fitting comes in. :thumb:

[Desi76newbie]

Perfect- I wasn't sure if the porch was an L shaped wrap around but after looking at it online, I can see it's two separate pieces. It was the one thing bothering me when trying to turn it into the movie house.

Thanks again !

[Desi76newbie]

After reading the "warm-up" sheet I'm curious if you have to paint before assembly or can you do it after as long as you prep it before hand? I feel like I have to have it together before I can paint it as the house in the movie. Also the instructions say to use the dreaded hot glue gun for the clapboard though I have heard time and time again not to. Thoughts on either of the 2 subjects? Should I post this in a separate post/topic? The Don't Panic part did not make me feel any better after looking at all the pieces and reading the instructions..lol

[havanaholly]

Wood glue does not stick paint to paint as well as it sticks wood to wood. During the dry fit I decide what and where I want to paint/ stain and then I trace along the inside corners and mask off the areas I want to glue if it's something like a stairwell that I'll never get my hands, much less a paintbrush to reach after it's together. Otherwise, floors get stained before assembly and then masked well when I do prime and paint or paper the walls.

Hot glue used to be recommended in the instructions that were written back when hot glue melted at a much higher temperature than it does now; although I still watched a Greenleaf dollhouse built with hot glue fall apart in a store window in Sylvester, Georgia, over 20 years ago; so I won't use hot glue on any aspect of a dollhouse build.

The Warm Up sheet isn't meant to be intimidating. It merely suggests things if the new builder is totally clueless. Since you have joined the forum, you obviously have a clue... One of the purposes of the dry build is to figure out whether you have to change the order of the instructions for the way you build. I forget which kit it was, now, but with one of the kits I wound up laying the instructions aside until I had the shell pretty much together.

[Desi76newbie]

Thanks !