Arthur Door and Window Trim - help!

[moonberry]

I'm ready to tackle all the little bits of door and window trim.

Gina's blog has been super helpful so far, but isn't very explicit for newbies like me to figure out the whole itty-bitty setup.

Interior kitchen/living room door: Is there any trim for this door? How do you finish it without trim? Just glue some skinny sticks on the exposed wood core? Or can I use kebab sticks? I have kebab sticks that are the exact thickness.

Windows: Do I glue the acetate to the inside of the wall and then glue the inside trim over it? Or do I glue the acetate to the outside of the wall and glue the trim over it? And where do the window sills fit in relation to the acetate?

Front Door: Is the nice-facing plywood side of the door backing supposed to show to the outside or to the inside? Mine has a rough texture on the back side, so I want to hide it. Since so much of it will be hidden by the door decorative trim, can I change it around or will it mess with the placement?

Where and how do I glue the door into position?

But I would love to show off the stairs and some of the interior, so would have to hinge it, but don't have the courage for pin hinging or brass hinges.

I do, however, have some thin chamois leather to try and make hinge strips (as someone suggested in a previous post).

Would I glue them in between the door back and door trim first? And then glue them into the wall trim (in between wall and trim)?

Sorry for so many questions - but so many of you have helped with the build so far, I'd hate to ruin everyone's efforts with an uninformed rush job!

[Dalesq]

If the kit doesn't come with trim for the interior door (it's been over twenty years since I built the Arthur and I've forgotten) you can use any of the things you've mentioned to trim it if you choose to do so. I use stir sticks and skewers for trim all the time.

Everyone does windows differently. I prefer to assemble window trim flat and paint it before installing it. I attach the interior window trim last. First, I glue flat on parchment paper, then paint. Then I glue the acetate to the interior trim. I use the tiniest dots of glue at the corners. I quit gluing all the way around because it's not needed. When you glue in the trim it will hold the window film in place. You just need the tiniest amount to keep it in position. This also saves a lot of cleanup. Once everything is ready I then glue the window assembly for the interior onto the wall. I install the sills on the exterior.

[moonberry]

Thanks for responding so quickly, Deborah!

So you don't put the sills on the interior too? The Arthur comes with interior and exterior sills. If I put curtains, they won't show anyway, right?

I know they are dust-gatherers in real life, don't want to give Mrs Claus extra housework hehehehehe.

A question about curtains: do you attach the rods to the trim or to the wall on either side of the trim?

It may be easier to drill the tiny holes and glue in the necessary metal bits before gluing the lot to the wall, right?

I wish they would hurry up and deliver my finger drills - they arrived in Dubai yesterday already, but I'm still waiting!!!

[morgansmith]

I worry about windows being fragile. I do the same as Debora, but...I put the acetate on the exterior usually. Either way, whichever side the acetate is on, I glue the window to the wall, as lightly as I glue the acetate. If the acetate breaks, I can pry the window trim off easily.

As for door hinges, I am new to this as well. Not dollhouses, I've built dollhouses forever, but not with hinged doors. They terrified me! What helped me the most was looking real close at the doors in my house. Interior, exterior, cabinet...they're all different, or can be and you get a good idea of how hinges work in real life.

It's going to be a learning experience with great results. Have fun!

[kellyannmo]

I have not been able to master hinges yet... I have used the "fabric" hinges which have worked ok for me... for windows I do what Debora does mostly... and apply the window to the interior frame... and install near the end of my build.... but I have also done them like Morgan... I don't really think there is a wrong way.... just use as little glue as possible.... I can't help you with curtains, I don't even have them in my real house (except for my room) because I live in the woods and prefer the open windows.... I have only a few shades to keep the sun out in the hot summer....

.... also I do use the sills in the kits... I like all the trims

[Dalesq]

I couldn't remember if the Arthur had both interior and exterior sills. I typically use all the window and door trims, unless I'm making modifications.

Like Kelly said, I don't think there is a right or wrong way for the acetate (interior or exterior). I go with what looks pleasing to me.

I've hinged doors with metal hinges (it was maddening but looked nice. I've also used pins and ribbon. The ribbon and pin hinges are easiest (for me).

[havanaholly]

I'm ready to tackle all the little bits of door and window trim.

Gina's blog has been super helpful so far, but isn't very explicit for newbies like me to figure out the whole itty-bitty setup.

Interior kitchen/living room door: Is there any trim for this door? How do you finish it without trim? Just glue some skinny sticks on the exposed wood core? Or can I use kebab sticks? I have kebab sticks that are the exact thickness.

Windows: Do I glue the acetate to the inside of the wall and then glue the inside trim over it? Or do I glue the acetate to the outside of the wall and glue the trim over it? And where do the window sills fit in relation to the acetate?

Front Door: Is the nice-facing plywood side of the door backing supposed to show to the outside or to the inside? Mine has a rough texture on the back side, so I want to hide it. Since so much of it will be hidden by the door decorative trim, can I change it around or will it mess with the placement?

Where and how do I glue the door into position?

But I would love to show off the stairs and some of the interior, so would have to hinge it, but don't have the courage for pin hinging or brass hinges.

I do, however, have some thin chamois leather to try and make hinge strips (as someone suggested in a previous post).

Would I glue them in between the door back and door trim first? And then glue them into the wall trim (in between wall and trim)?

Sorry for so many questions - but so many of you have helped with the build so far, I'd hate to ruin everyone's efforts with an uninformed rush job!

Team Arthur also blogged building the Arthur; in fact, it was the first kit the Building Team built and blogged.

I hinge my doors (and side-hung casement windows) with chamois strips. The exterior door is in two pieces, so I hinge half the strips between the two pieces of door. When I'm ready to hang the door I glue the other half of the strips between the wall and the door trim.

The "nice" side of the plywood is the side I face out, so that's the side I paint. If I'm painting the trim I "finish" the rough edges by rubbing spackle along them with my finger and when it dries I sand it smooth. I glue the acetate inserts to the inside of the frame. I faced the sills to the outside. I think I wrapped the wallpaper from one room around the edges of the doorway. You could also use your stripwood to make trim for that interior doorway. If you so desired, you could also use craft sticks/ skinny sticks to make a kitchen door, and glue an extra piece of stick along the hinge edge to sandwich your chamois hinges.

[kellyannmo]

The "nice" side of the plywood is the side I face out, so that's the side I paint. If I'm painting the trim I "finish" the rough edges by rubbing spackle along them with my finger and when it dries I sand it smooth.

Yes... I do what Holly does... the nice side goes out. You can also add embellishments to doors to dress them up... this is what I did to the interior side of my Arther door to give it some pizazz

[moonberry]

Thank you for all the replies!

Kelly, I like what you did with the kitchen door, joining it up to the front door trim and the decoration is very pretty.

Okay, I'm going to start prepping and painting all the trim, then I'll see how it goes.

[GirlPiper]

For the curtains--it's just like your real house--some are mounted to the trim, some to the wall. I do those about last.

[moonberry]

So, assembly instructions say to glue the window sills on first, then glue sides, then glue rounded top trim last.

How do you keep the exterior window sill balanced on the inner rim of the wall without it drooping as it dries?

[havanaholly]

...How do you keep the exterior window sill balanced on the inner rim of the wall without it drooping as it dries?

Masking tape and scrapwood.

[moonberry]

Thanks Holly!

[havanaholly]

You're welcome! What's the point of figuring one's way around the same problems if we can't share the info and save someone else that particular PIA?

[moonberry]

It is very hard to see from the GL instruction sheet and photos, exactly how it all fits together.

And I tried accessing the Arthur team build blogs, but the links to go to individual blogs don't work anymore - I hope someone can fix it - or are they lost forever?

[havanaholly]

...And I tried accessing the Arthur team build blogs, but the links to go to individual blogs don't work anymore - I hope someone can fix it - or are they lost forever?

I hope not! When I want to refer someone to something specific I did in one of those blogs it takes me nearly fifteen minutess or longer to find what I'm looking for now! When I could go to my own (or someone else's) section of the blogs it went much faster!