Rosedale: hinge the front & close the back?

[sparklepuppies]

Holly, glad you said that! I was thinking the same thing... <hiding with Holly >

[permutations]

Do you have to display all your pieces in  single house? (running to duck & hide...)

Sadly, yes. I live in one of those notoriously tiny NYC apartments. I don't really have room for one dollhouse.

[Debra from Olde Cape Cod]

Is that a Partelow piano?  Always wanted one of those....

[fov]

Sounds like you'd rather move on from the Rosedale than try to bash it, but it occurred to me that building two of them and hinging at the side might work better than trying to hinge the front. You'd just have to build one "inside out" (flip the wood the wrong way) and then hinge the seam where they meet (on the flat side that doesn't have the bay window). Your rooms would be double depth that way. In this scenario you'd also have an extra staircase to go from the second to third floors (since you wouldn't need a second "mirror image" staircase downstairs).

 

Still not ideal for display because the rooms would be split in half when you opened the house to look at them, but still an interesting idea.

[Dalesq]

Sounds like you'd rather move on from the Rosedale than try to bash it, but it occurred to me that building two of them and hinging at the side might work better than trying to hinge the front. You'd just have to build one "inside out" (flip the wood the wrong way) and then hinge the seam where they meet (on the flat side that doesn't have the bay window). Your rooms would be double depth that way. In this scenario you'd also have an extra staircase to go from the second to third floors (since you wouldn't need a second "mirror image" staircase downstairs).

 

Still not ideal for display because the rooms would be split in half when you opened the house to look at them, but still an interesting idea.

This sounds like your next bash Emily! I love the idea! Lots of possibilities!

[permutations]

Is that a Partelow piano?  Always wanted one of those....

Yes, it's a Partelow piano. I got lucky with it. At the time I contacted him, he had just made a piano for someone who couldn't take possession of it (I think she died unexpectedly - that part's not lucky), so he sold it to me at a big discount. It was just the piano I'd have bought if I was choosing and I got a great deal on it, so I was very lucky. I posted better pictures of it in my Gallery.

[permutations]

Sounds like you'd rather move on from the Rosedale than try to bash it, but it occurred to me that building two of them and hinging at the side might work better than trying to hinge the front. You'd just have to build one "inside out" (flip the wood the wrong way) and then hinge the seam where they meet (on the flat side that doesn't have the bay window). Your rooms would be double depth that way. In this scenario you'd also have an extra staircase to go from the second to third floors (since you wouldn't need a second "mirror image" staircase downstairs).

 

Still not ideal for display because the rooms would be split in half when you opened the house to look at them, but still an interesting idea.

I was thinking I'd just start again because adapting the Rosedale seemed so impossible. But after I put the working casement windows in today, they looked so cute that I've been thinking about how I might be able to do it.

I would want it to open in the front, even though that's harder, for several reasons:

• I want the dollhouse to be stationary (not on a turntable) because it will have so many small, delicate things in it, and I don't want to have to glue everything down with museum wax. Whatever side it opens is the side that will face front. A sideways display is suboptimal both for the house and for the miniatures inside.
• I want the dollhouse to face front because the front of the house is the prettiest, and because it will allow me to arrange the furniture against a back wall (which I will add), facing the windows. This is a more natural arrangement, and will also give me more room.
• It bothers me that the pretty stairway is virtually invisible (and undustable). Both problems are solved if it opens in the front.

In the main part of the dollhouse (below the attic), I'd cut out the two front-facing panels (being very careful not to touch the stairway wall) and hinge them on each side. I'd do basically the same in the attic - cut out the two front-facing panels and hinge them.

To do this, I'll have to cut through glued corners. That's daunting, but there's a Dremel wheel for cutting and shaping wood (Dremel 543) that I think will work. There's a video on YouTube that shows what you can do with it.

This doesn't solve all my problems. I still need to add some space. This is most easily done on the right side (facing front) since there's just a solid panel there. I haven't fully sorted that part out yet.

[permutations]

On bashing two Rosedales... I prefer some asymmetry, and twice the size would be too big. Also, I already have an assembled Rosedale so I'm past being able to bash. I'd have to start again with two kits. If I have to start again, it wouldn't be with a kit. I'd just design my own dollhouse customized to my needs.

[permutations]

I've been thinking about how I'd enlarge the Rosedale:

• I would extend the right side out 6", adding an additional window to the first and second floors (and possibly some windows on the replacement wall).
• I would extend the back (the open side) out 2.5", increasing the dollhouse depth (and then put a wall on the back since it will open in the front).

I blocked this out roughly by taping on pieces of basswood and cardboard, and marking where the windows would go. I think it would still look like a Mansard-style Second Empire Victorian house.

I have some pull-down attic steps, but I think I might add a second stairway to the attic. It bothers me that the attic ceiling is just 6" high (6' is a low ceiling), but I'll live with that. I also wish the first and second floors were 10" rather than 8", but I can live with that, too.

If I make these extensions and switch it to open in the front, I'll be able to fit most of my furniture (though not the Partelow grand piano). The extended room that the front door opens into can either be a dining room and living room (with no piano) or a living room with a piano, but no place for the little people to eat. So I'll leave off the piano. That can stay on my mantle. I may not have room for the adorable computer desk, either, since the office will be quite small (off the bedroom on the 2nd floor).

Extending walls and floors is tricky, but I'm not as worried about that as I am about the cutting for the front opening and the extensions. The cuts have to be very straight and clean or I'll wreck the whole thing. Maybe I'll use a jigsaw rather than the Dremel wheel. I feel more confident about cutting in a straight line with the jigsaw.

[havanaholly]

I have had experience cutting with Dremel and cutting wheels.  IF you must do this, do build a horizontal mount to hold the tool securely so you can use both your hands to hold what you're cutting, well way from the wheel, and wear eye and face protection.  When the wheel hits an imperfection in the wood it kicks or the wheel shatters, sending HOT, sharp pieces every which way.

[Selkie]

Perhaps you could add a conservatory as a music room for your piano.

You might consider a very, very narrow double back wall with an outdoor mural that would allow some "daylighting" options for any windows you might add. Some folks put strip lighting at the top and create that effect. It gives the optical illusion of more space.

Just because you have the body assembled doesn't mean you can't bash, imo, anyway. You can carefully deconstruct an area to enlarge or move to your desires.

[permutations]

I know how to use the Dremel safely. I use eye protection and a mask with all power tools. My main concern is doing a clean job - I want to use the tool that will yield the best results.

First I have to do the expansion. If that goes well, I'll open up the front and close the back.

[permutations]

Selkie, taking apart glued joints is very difficult. I can't disassemble. I will have to cut through tabs.

[permutations]

I have had experience cutting with Dremel and cutting wheels.  IF you must do this, do build a horizontal mount to hold the tool securely so you can use both your hands to hold what you're cutting, well way from the wheel, and wear eye and face protection.  When the wheel hits an imperfection in the wood it kicks or the wheel shatters, sending HOT, sharp pieces every which way.

 

Whenever someone posts about using a Dremel wood cutting wheel, you respond by saying it's too dangerous to use without building a device to mount the Dremel so it's stationary, like a mini table saw. This is untrue. Dremel would not sell cutting wheels that are too dangerous to use as designed - they'd be out of business if they did. Also, this advice is a disservice because the wood cutting and shaping wheel is a very useful and versatile freehand tool, as this video demonstrates:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaBmUAaZppU

 

Building a horizontal mount for the Dremel is a big project that few would take on, plus the mount would severely limit what you can do with the wheel - especially the cutting and shaping wheel.

 

Any tool used incorrectly can cause serious harm - including all the non-power razor tools used in making miniatures. That doesn't mean you shouldn't use them. It means you should use them correctly:

• Always use wrap-around eye protection and a mask with any power tool (drills, jigsaws, electric sanders).
• Always hold the Dremel with both hands, per the manufacturer's instructions. That's necessary to maintain control because the Dremel rotates at such a high speed, and you need control for accuracy, as well as safety. Holding it with both hands is necessary to maintain control, and it's also sufficient to maintain control as long as you have normal strength in your hands and arms.
• If you don't have normal strength and function in your hands and arms (for example, if you have arthritis in your hands), you shouldn't use the Dremel at all - or at least not unmounted.

I've used power tools of various kinds for decades, and I've never hurt myself with them. I have, however, cut myself with various razor tools - generally when I first start using a new type of tool. My experience is that razor tools are much more dangerous than a power tool used correctly.

[KathieB]

Whether or not to use power tools is a personal decision based on observation and experience. Like Holly, I had a Dremel saw disintegrate in use. It's not something I want to experience twice. I would not encourage a beginner to use the saw free handed. 

 

The steady-handed person operating the Dremel in the video is obviously well practiced. His cuts were smooth. The blade never wobbled in its path (which could cause binding, the first step toward disaster). I would like to be able to see a wider view of the cutting -- Was the Dremel braced against a guide? Was he cutting free hand? What kind of eye protection was he wearing? He was most definitely not holding the tool with both hands as you suggest.

 

In my experience, hand tools are far less dangerous and can accomplish beautiful results. 

[permutations]

How dangerous a tool is depends on who's using it, how they're using it, and their level of experience, without a doubt.

[permutations]

I'm getting ready to add the last bit of trim to the windows, doors, and banisters. I've already sanded and primed the remaining bits. When that's dry, I'll paint. And when that's dry, I'll glue. I've already dry-fitted, and all is well.

 

Once the construction is completed, I'll start the surgery, starting with deconstruction: remove the front walls for hingeing, and the no-windows sidewall to increase the room size. I also want to add 2.5" to the depth, but I need to remove the sidewall first. I'm still not sure what tool will work best. I'll start with a razor saw (hand tool), and if that doesn't work, I'll probably switch to a jigsaw because I can use a guide with it to saw in a straight line.

 

I'm not sure whether I have enough wood here for the expansion - I might. I'll see when I get there (if I don't make any unfixable mistakes while cutting).

[permutations]

I managed to take apart my Rosedale in the way I needed to make it larger and front-opening. I used only a utility knife and a razor saw - no power tools (and no injuries).

Here are some pictures of it disassembled. I've done no post-assembly cleanup - it's very raw. It needs a thorough sanding, a few repairs, some tabs removed. It's open on the right side so I can add 6" to those rooms. I'll also add 2.5" to the depth before closing the back. (I need to buy some wood for that.) Since I was opening the dollhouse on 3 sides, I had to detach the roof on 3 sides, and it ended up being easiest to just take the whole thing off. The roof panels detached whole, so it will be easy to reassemble. I'll probably make it an inch or two higher when I put it back together because the attic ceiling is only 6", and that's a very low ceiling. I want to put in dormers and have the proportions be right. And, of course, I wouldn't want the little people to bump their heads. I also plan to put in a second staircase up to the attic.

 

The first picture shows the disassembled dollhouse from the front with the two front panels slightly ajar so you can see how it will hinge. The roof will hinge separately. I also took pictures from both sides. The open side is the one I will extend by 6".

 

Hmm... I'm getting a message saying "Uploading is not allowed". Why is that?

 

[permutations]

I've been uploading a lot of pictures. Perhaps I hit a pictures-in-messages limit. Dunno. I was able to upload the pictures to my Gallery, if anyone is interested in seeing how the Rosedale can open in the front.

 

http://www.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&album=6783

[Anna]

You can check how much you used if you go to the tab with your forum name, choose "my settings" and then "manage my attchments"

Having all pics in a gallery (or several if one prefers that) also gives you possibilities. Of linkkng to them in other topics as well.

Hugs

[havanaholly]

You can also import gallery pictures into your posts without limit.

[permutations]

I just posted another picture of the front-opening Rosedale. I realized I needed to add another bit to the left-side front-panel so the left-side rooms were fully displayed when the front was open. I taped the right side on again, just for a mock-up (I plan to add 6" there), and I taped on the front panels to show how it will open. The blue tape is where the hinges will be. I'm thinking I probably won't add any windows to the back panel because I have a lot of framed pictures and I want to use these - want the wall space.

 

Now let's see if I can figure out how to import a picture from my gallery to display in a post...

 

 

[havanaholly]

Maybe put a door on one of thee back walls to suggest more rooms behind those in front; then your back walls wont need windows, anyway.

[permutations]

Maybe put a door on one of thee back walls to suggest more rooms behind those in front; then your back walls wont need windows, anyway.

 

Hmm... that's an interesting idea.

 

I need to brave the 100 degree heat to get to the hardware store and craft store. I need wood, hinges, sandpaper, and angle thingies (to stabilized the structure).

[permutations]

I needed a big sheet of 1/8" wood for the back wall, so I made some basswood plywood from two layers of 1/16" sheets, staggered. I should have used more glue, but it's good enough.

 

 

I still need some 1/8" sheets, though, so I'm off to the craft store...