Questions about Vermont Farmhouse Jr. (my first dollhouse)

[Whereforart]

Hi, I have been poring over all the posts on this forum and have found so much incredible information from all of you!  However, I have a few questions that I can't seem to get my head around.  I just bought the Vermont Farmhouse Jr. kit, and opened the box tonight. I have most of the tools, glue, etc., that I think I need, but I'm not sure about a few things.

1. I would like to have lights in the house but I'm not sure how to go about that. Is that something I need plan/buy now before I even start, or can I put the house together and then work on the electric as I work on the rooms?

2. I'm a little confused about what the extra are in the VF Jr and what is included.  For example, many of the houses I've seen have a railing on the staircase and a landing, but I don't see that in the instruction photos. Are those extra?  And what about interior doors?  

Sorry for this but I'm a little confused. Is there anything else that you would recommend to supplement the look?

Thanks so much!

Mardee

[chapchap73]

First, welcome to the hobby obsession🙂 The Vermont Jr was mt first house too!

If you want electric, you have to decide which type you want first. There are lots of battery operated lights available which are probably the easiest. You can also choose to run wired lamps which require more doing.

This book was a lifesaver for me. You can get it from Miniatures.com. The Vermont Jr kit is basically just the structure. It doesn't come with interior doors or stair railings, but those are readily available from other places.

DO NOT USE HOT GLUE even if the directions say to do so. I like Ailenes or Weldbond. The Vermont Jr is also made of MDF so you will want to paint it BEFORE you glue. Just don't get any paint in the channels where the pieces fit together.

I made a lot of changes to my Vermont Jr. Check out my gallery. Above all relax and have fun

[havanaholly]

I used Titebond quite successfully on the one MDF roombox I ever built.

[Whereforart]

10 hours ago, chapchap73 said:

First, welcome to the hobby obsession🙂 The Vermont Jr was mt first house too!

If you want electric, you have to decide which type you want first. There are lots of battery operated lights available which are probably the easiest. You can also choose to run wired lamps which require more doing.

This book was a lifesaver for me. You can get it from Miniatures.com. The Vermont Jr kit is basically just the structure. It doesn't come with interior doors or stair railings, but those are readily available from other places.

DO NOT USE HOT GLUE even if the directions say to do so. I like Ailenes or Weldbond. The Vermont Jr is also made of MDF so you will want to paint it BEFORE you glue. Just don't get any paint in the channels where the pieces fit together.

I made a lot of changes to my Vermont Jr. Check out my gallery. Above all relax and have fun

Thank you!  I will go ahead and order it right away. And I have read the instructions about using Aleen's Tacky Glue (except for the shingles).  I will definitely check out your gallery!  Thanks for letting me know about it!  And I totally get what you are saying about obsession - it's already becoming one with me and I haven't even started the house yet!

[Whereforart]

1 hour ago, havanaholly said:

I used Titebond quite successfully on the one MDF roombox I ever built.

Thank you!  I guess i didn't think about there being a difference in glue if it's MDF. 

[havanaholly]

Any good carpenter's wood glue ought to work on MDF.

[Whereforart]

Good to know,  thanks! 

Sarah, can I ask what you use for the shingles? I've seen a number of recommendations and I'm a little confused about that.  I'm planning on dying them first (and will let them fully dry).

Also, I just checked out your gallery and it is amazing!  Just beautiful!  So now I have a few more questions.   Can I ask what you used for the bathroom floor?  That was very nice.  And I loved the baseboards, too - did you make those or order them from someplace?  

Lastly, I've inventoried everything and noticed that the floors are already lightly glossed with something and have grooves in them to look like boards. The instructions say to finish the floors with clear acyclic urethane but what if I want to use a different flooring (like you did). How does that work?

Thanks so much!  I really appreciate the help!

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Whereforart

[chapchap73]

This forum is here so people can ask questions🙂 I certainly asked plenty and will again if my life ever slows down enough for me to get some minis done.

I used the shingles that came with the kit although I didn't stain them first but after they were already on. I used a stain marker from I think Minwax, but I am not sure they make it anymore. It was a big fat thing like a sharpie.  The bathroom floor is from miniatures.com. it's just a piece of cardstock thick paper. As I remember I got the baseboards from Real Good Toys; they are made of MDF just like the house. The floors are one of the things I am most proud of. The original kit floors were grooved and finished to a very light pine color which was not at all the look I wanted.  I sanded them just enough to break the finish and then used stain and polyurethane to get the look I wanted.

[Whereforart]

Thank you!  

[Phyllis Stewart]

I'm not sure if anyone still looks at this forum but I hope. I just bought the Vermont Jr. The floors, side walls and the front are taped waiting for the glue to dry.  My urgent question is,  how long will this take? Will leaving the tape on too long mess up the siding? I really how someone sees this quick.  It's 8:15 eastern standard time,  December 22, 2023. 

[J_Sea]

Hi Phyllis! If you painted and sealed the walls then tape won’t affect them. If it’s just paint it’s probably ok but you can paint over any spots where the paint comes off. Once the tape is on (painters tape right?) then it doesn’t matter how long it’s on for. Hope this helps! I’m browsing for a bit so happy to answer any questions as best I can! 

[Phyllis Stewart]

Hi, thank you for answering.  No the directions said to use masking tape. This is my first dollhouse, and trying to get it done before Christmas.  I started it yesterday.  

[Phyllis Stewart]

Sealed the walls? One thing I didn't do was put the urethane on the floors. I stained them and thought that was good enough.  I learned it wasn't.  I scratched the floor with the divider. Hopefully  I can fix it. 

[J_Sea]

Maslking tape should be perfect! If any paint comes off you can touch it up. It’s probably good though!

[Charli]

Hi Phyllis!

I just wanted to say I also decided to build this for Christmas so am trying to cram it all in last minute! I got started two days ago but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to glue it all together until tomorrow. I'm also really hoping it doesn't have to stay taped together very long to completely dry. Best of luck to you!! Know that someone else is tackling this crazy task right before Christmas as well! 😁 

[havanaholly]

Unless you really glopped on the glue, a good carpenter's wood glue should be set enough to un-tape after 12 hours, especially if you are building this indoors with central heat.

[Charli]

Thank you so very much for that info!! Twelve hours it is! 😁

Is it okay to paint everything two coats of paint before gluing it together? The directions say not to do that but I don't understand why not? 

[havanaholly]

Bare wood sticks to bare wood a whole lot better that paint to paint.