Betty Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 You wasted no time. Good for you! I'm wondering...does it seem a lot lighter weight than the wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellencouch Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Gosh it looks wonderful ................... can't wait for mine to arrive, though I'm still not sure whether I'll be leaving it sparkling white or not .....will need to build it first to decide i think Ellen :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Maybe I underestimated this material or just over estimated the value of good old fashion wood.I think the Sentra would work well for smaller scale houses like the Fairfield & Victorianna, but I wonder about issues like paint & stain & having to hunt for & use specialty glues. I also wonder with Kathie about the brads & grommets. Also about finishing & bashing... I can cover a lot of "oopsies" & sins of commission with wood putty or spackle, and fir someone wanting to use the wee brass hinges to make working doors & casement windows (like on the Glencroft), how easy & forgiving is it to cut & sand/ file for seating those hinges? It would be nice to know some of Sentra's properties, it seems like the plastic would be great for someone who wants to build the house that's on the box. (I don't really like to play Devil's advocate, I'm just curious. It seems like it'd be fun to play & experiment with...) a couple of manufacturers started replacing plywood with MDF which is a much lest expensive material than wood. I was expecting to see that saving passed along to the consumer Uh-huh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shutterbugkc Posted October 29, 2006 Share Posted October 29, 2006 Hooray! It looks perfect! :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Man Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Holly is right about the brads and grommets... adding light would definitely be challenging. I think that one of the trade offs of using synthetic material is in the finishing options. Materials like Sentra and MDF offer a consistent appearance and require little sanding (yes, no splinters), but options like staining are out of the questions. We are lucky enough to have a resident expert in model building, doogster, in our midst. Since this material is similar to the plastics used in the model industry, I put a White Orchid in the mail to Andrew so he can advise on finishing options. If this material is something that our community thinks has promise, I'll consider sampling another house with it in the future. Thanks! Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 It'll be interesting to see what Doogster comes up with on finishing techniques....especially wiring. This is very interesting. I'm so glad that Teresa won the White Orchid so that we can all benefit from her expertise. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 Thanks everyone for your kind comments! I be dumb....can ya direct me to the blog and pics of this?? Pleaseeeeeeeeee?Hey Bobbi, just click on the 'Visit my Blog' or 'Visit my Gallery' (and click on the 'White Orchid') buttons in my profile to the left here. Teresa, your White Orchid is lovely! How did you put it together so quickly? No paint, no stain, no wallpaper!! Using it in a porch display with the pumpkins is a perfect example of it potential. Of course it's primary use is for indoors, but it's great that it can pull double duty.If you're talking about my pumpkins, Dean, that was just a picture to show that I got the house during the month of October. I wouldn't leave my 'precious' outside! :w00t: but I wonder about issues like paint & stain & having to hunt for & use specialty glues. Holly, I think that acrylic or model paints would work just fine on this material. I've used acrylic paints on glass and plastic when I was teaching folk art painting and had no problems. Also, no need to 'hunt' for glue, you can find what you need at the hardware store . . . no matter what name it's called. I just made sure that I bought a glue that could be used on plastic. how easy & forgiving is it to cut & sand/ file for seating those hinges?Holly, it's as easy as cutting through a piece of pie and the best part . . . no need to sand. I'm going to be applying hinges to the front door, so I'll let you know how that goes. I'm thinking a little punch with a sharp tack and I'm good to go, but like I said, I'll let you know. I'm also going to electrify for a couple of lights, so I'll let you know how that goes too! :wub: I'm thinking round wire for this house instead of tape wire. I'm wondering...does it seem a lot lighter weight than the wood? Betty, it could just be that I'm a weakling, but the completed house feels to me like it weighs about the same as the wood Orchid I built, without the shingles! :thumb: If this material is something that our community thinks has promise, I'll consider sampling another house with it in the future. Dean, I LOVE this stuff and wouldn't hesitate to build another house with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Yep, you read it right . . . my 'White Orchid' is finished. I spent a total of about 12 hours yesterday and today. It went together like chocolate and peanut butter! I absolutely LOVE this material and wish I could get all my dollhouses made out of it . . . whatever IT is! :lol: I've posted pictures in my gallery and I also blogged the process. Enjoy! Speedy Gonzalez for sure!! It looks wonderful Teresa!! Thanks for blogging it too!! I'm wondering about wiring a house made of Sentra. Will it accept and hold brads and grommets? And are the pieces as rigid as plywood or more flexible? And what about paint? What would work best on it? It holds paint well so far. I have had mine for a little over a Year now and the best glue to use is quick grip. Parts are a little more flexible too and the trim don't break as easily as the wood trim does. Can't wait to see everyones!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Teresa it's beautiful :lol: . I really like how you kept it 'natural' it'll make a perfect show piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I've only had a quick eyeball at the kit so far, man I'd hate to marr the pristine surface since the kit's so unique. I'm gonna hit a couple of scrap pieces with Methylene chloride adhesive in the next couple of days, that's Ambroid or Tenax. It'll weld just about any plastic, but I want to see if it'll melt the Sentra, or even glue it (Renshape is closed cell polyurethane resin, and nothing will glue it other than CA) . I'm betting plumbing adhesive will work, since plastic plumbing pipe is PVC, but again a concern is the solvent melting the plastic too much. Paint? Not sure, but Acrylic will work with anything. And more importantly won't eat it. styrene sheet (what most kits are made out of) can be sprayed with Napalm and it won't flinch, enamels, however, will totally melt styofoam (which is foamed styrene). I'd recommend trying your paint on some scrap, sticking would be the least of my worries, especially if you're considering lacquer (a 'hot paint') or primer (really 'hot'). With the quality of today's acrylic paints, that's what I'd go with. I use Acrylics for everything, since I like my lungs, and don't want to get into a space helmet when I paint, and I spray. Terr-or uses acrylics too, and he has more golds at Wonderfest for paint than anyone else I know. I'll play with some of the sheet and let you know. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I'll consider sampling another house with it in the future. It would be interesting to build a Coventry or a Westville in this material, I think it would really bring out the lovely detail. Andrew, please check out how well it would bash by using any scraps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heidiiiii Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 After I do finishing touches on Nat`s Costume, and I carve the pumpkins..I am going to start glueing the body together today. I do like the weight and feel of this material. The pieces click together (kinda sounds like dominos). I thought electrifying it would be difficult so I wasnt even going to try. The MDF on the MHM was a beast with the brads so I can just imagine what this material would be like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairymom Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 where does one purchase such a kit? it is beautiful!-holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 where does one purchase such a kit? One doesn't, I understand the kits were originally produced as prototypes and were never shipped to retailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I had a thought about using Sentra. Perhaps its benefit lies in the smooth surface, with no need to deal with splits and splinters and tedious sanding. What if the main construction parts were made of wood and the trim and gingerbread pieces were made of Sentra? It would eliminate the worry about electrification and would add a real degree of elegance to the trims. I'd love to work on a house with that combination. I didn't look at the sheet plans for the Orchid to see whether the porch, rails, window and roof trim, gingerbread, etc., can be easily separated from the floors, ceilings, walls. It may necessitate changing the stamping dies and may be too much to deal with. What do you think, Dean? Anyway, my 2 cents' worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doogster Posted October 31, 2006 Share Posted October 31, 2006 I have called in the cavalry. A fellow poster on Starship Modeler is an architect who uses Sintra all the time. I build a lot of models, but models are generally either Styrene or Urethane resin. I've PM'd Umi-Ryuzuki and asked what are the best adhesives and paints for Sintra. When I hear back, Umi's usually pretty prompt, I'll let ya know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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