Chamois hinge for Magnolia balcony door

[moonberry]

I am FINALLY at an interesting point in the build. I'm getting ready to do the French Doors for both balconies upstairs. The door frame consists of a cut-out rectangle of wood with the plastic window insert. I am going to try and hinge them with some chamois leather.

Since there are different thicknesses involved, I am not sure which slot on which side of the house walls needs to have the chamois insert to finish them.

Walls: Trim / Wall / Trim = 3 eighths of an inch total

Door: Frame / plastic / Frame 2 eights of an inch (one quarter).

So there are 3 thicknesses in the house wall and only 2 in the door.

If I insert the chamois in between the OUTSIDE trim and the house wall, the doors will be flush with the outside of the house (and recessed on the inside).

If I insert the chamois in between the INSIDE trim and the house wall, the doors will be recesses on the outside and flush with the inside walls.

Which method did any of you use (even with another build) and which one looks better? I've never had a house with doors like that so I don't have a clue.

Any advice is most welcome!!!

[Selkie]

Egads ! That is quite a dilemma. I've not seen them mismatched in a kit before. Usually the problem I've had is purchasing new doors that are larger that the house walls and having to pad the wall/trim area.

If you try to center it somehow, you'd have 1/16th on either side. Not sure if that is even possible. Could you pad the doors to create a matching thickness to the wall?

I looked at my RL front door and the trim sticks out and the door sets in - flush with the interior - if that helps. It's an old country farmhouse style.

[havanaholly]

As everyone who has stayed with me thus far knows, I started out hinging with chamois strips (detail chamois from the auto supply store is my source). If I want the doors to open outward I sandwich the strips between the exterior wall and the exterion door trim; if I want the to open inward I do the strips between the interior wall and the interior door trim. On my Maggie those doors open outward. If it really bothers you, cut the chamois strips 1/4" wide and into pieces the length of a hinge. You can go over them with a gold felt pen to make them look like brass; fold them in half and glue half the fold to the center of the door's edge and the ther other half to the edge of the wall between the frame pieces with the fold in the direction you'll want the doorw to open.

[moonberry]

As everyone who has stayed with me thus far knows, I started out hinging with chamois strips (detail chamois from the auto supply store is my source). If I want the doors to open outward I sandwich the strips between the exterior wall and the exterion door trim; if I want the to open inward I do the strips between the interior wall and the interior door trim. On my Maggie those doors open outward. If it really bothers you, cut the chamois strips 1/4" wide and into pieces the length of a hinge. You can go over them with a gold felt pen to make them look like brass; fold them in half and glue half the fold to the center of the door's edge and the ther other half to the edge of the wall between the frame pieces with the fold in the direction you'll want the doorw to open.

I remembered your advice and actually found a lovely piece of chamois in the auto section at the supermarket that is really thin (thinner than normal). So it is okay to just glue them to the sides of the door and frame instead of sandwiching them in between the trim & wall / frame & frame? What kind of glue do you use? I have Tacky Glue and am just a bit nervous about the chamois coming loose after a few years. That's why I'm thinking the sandwiching will really keep it in place.

[Selkie]

When you sandwich it, it seems to hold it in place more securely in my experience.

We've primarily used the Tyvek from the Postal envelopes in the same way and then painted what showed to match the trim work.

If you don't sandwich it, it seems to me that it will be too loose in the frame and won't stand or close as straight and secure.

Since I've not done it that way, I can't say for sure.

Only know that the "sandwiching" works well.

I've even gotten that so tight I couldn't swing the door the direction I planned.

Stood up nice and straight and tall though

[havanaholly]

I discovered about folding the strip with wee furniture with hinged doors. I just used wood glue, same as for sandwiching. Alas, it does add bulk, so I'd use Selkie's Tyvek instead for the folded hinge.As for the "recessed" look achieved by hinging a two-layer door in a three-layer opening, it didn't look "off" to me, probably because it's mini and it didn't bother me.

[More Minis Dollhouses]

Sometimes you just have to cut your losses during dollhouse building and accept a slight imperfection or go crazy. I would let the door be recessed on the inside rather than the outside since that's where it would be less visible.