miaowmiaow Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 My partner surprised me with a dollhouse kit for Christmas: the Garfield! I have never ever built a dollhouse before. I hope I can lean on you all during this epic build! Where do I even start?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 25, 2015 Share Posted December 25, 2015 11 hours ago, miaowmiaow said: ...Where do I even start?! Do a search for "getting started" topics. When I open the box I remove the Warm Up sheet and the acetate insert sheets for the doors and windows, which I slip between the pages of the Warm Up sheet and lay it beside the box. Next I remove the instruction and read through them and lay them on top of the Warm Up sheet. Next I remove the schematics sheet and lay it on top of the paper pile. Next, with a dark pencil or sharpie marker, I go through the stacks of plywood sheets and darken the numeral on each one and lay them in the box lid in numerical order. Then I pick the pile of plywood up and lay it back in the box bottom. Sometimes at this point I jut put the papers back on top of the wood and close the box and go eat chocolate or have a stiff drink. The next thing I do is reread the instructions sheet while holding the schematics sheet, so I can locate and identify the pieces being talked about. When I'm ready to start I collect my masking or painter's tape, sanding block and utility knife and start the dry fit. The reasons I dry fit first are first, so I can sand and/or shave the tabs & slots for more perfect fit; then to see if I understand the instructions; then to see what the house looks like and to let it tell me what it ants and how it wants to look; and last, to see which areas I shall have to go ahead with decorating before assembly with glue, like stairwells. There is no time limit on building a dollhouse kit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdodyd Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 4 hours ago, havanaholly said: Sometimes at this point I jut put the papers back on top of the wood and close the box and go eat chocolate or have a stiff drink. Oh, yes!!! I'll never forget how I felt when I opened my first dollhouse kit and saw ALL THOSE PIECES!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Holly, that was the best description on how to start! It's so important to familiarize yourself with your new best friend. It's a get aquainted session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickyfingers Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I've said many times, the reason there are so many open, but un-built kits available is that people open the box, look at the hundreds of little pieces, start to read the instructions, then just put it all back in the box and shove it in a closet because they think they can't do it. Every single kit house, no matter who builds it or how big or complicated it is, is built one piece at a time. Congratulations on the Garfield! It's a lovely house, and I'm sure you're going to have a blast with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Do not fear the wood, pet it (with sandpaper) and sniff it and PLAY with it! Sooner or later it will talk to you and tell you what it wants, and as you gain skill it will even tell you how to give/ make it what it wants. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jitchiwah Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 10 hours ago, havanaholly said: Do not fear the wood, pet it (with sandpaper) and sniff it and PLAY with it! Sooner or later it will talk to you and tell you what it wants, and as you gain skill it will even tell you how to give/ make it what it wants. SNIFF it?! Lol. Maybe that's why we all hear houses talking to us.. Too much time spent sniffing wood and glues! As to the house... a wise old teacher of mine once used this little analogy - "how do you eat an elephant?!". The answer being a little bit at a time. You won't manage it in one sitting so you just start with one little manageable chunk, and work your way through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 I wouldn't know about sniffing glue. Usually the kit begins to talk to me before I ever buy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miaowmiaow Posted December 27, 2015 Author Share Posted December 27, 2015 Two questions: when people say to dry-fit first, do they mean dry-fit the ENTIRE house, or just each join one at a time before you glue it? Also, favorite glue for wooden house construction? I have a bottle of Elmer's wood glue. I also saw somewhere online someone recommending that the pieces be primed before construction. What's the consensus on that? I see the utility in priming everything flat so you're not trying to get into hard-to-reach corners later, but I worry about primer drying in the slots & messing up the fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 Some people advocate dry fitting sections of a large house as you build. My personal preference is to dry fit the whole thing 1) to see that I understand the instruction and if they will work for me in that order, 2) to locate those areas I will need to decorate before gluing up (stairwells, fireboxes, etc) and 3) to see it altogether to let it tell me what it wants to look like, what room arrangements it wants, and so forth. I don't prime before construction. I stain what it wants stained and then decorate from the ground up, floor by floor. I install doors and windows LAST, and porches and balcony trims after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire-Star Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 I've just got my Garfield too and I dry fitted or taped the foundation first (or several times, if I'm honest) and then I sanded. A lot. Before even reaching for the glue. It took me a few days before I even decided to proceed with glue. Now I have the foundation glued and sanded and have been working on the stairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 When I build, the kit sits in dry fit until it has told me its story, what all it wants. It can take anywhere from day or two to several weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapphire-Star Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 2 hours ago, Sapphire-Star said: Have just finished dry fitting the whole thing. Am hoping it stays in one piece til I decide what to do next. Let us know what you decide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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