Hopefully you all had a happy new year and your new years resolution is to get started in this marvelous hobby!
I said I would talk about types of houses next. I will start with the die cut house kits first. Die cut houses are often the ones that people pick out when they are just starting in the hobby for one of several reasons;
One of the larger manufacturers of these houses is Greenleaf Dollhouses . You can buy them in all types of places or off of their website. I have dealt with them for years and have been very pleased with the way they treat their customers. But, to be honest, I have never had dealings yet with any dollhouse manufacturer that I could not say that about. I have never had a problem with anyone. Check out their website if you are curious. They have a fairly active forum if you want someone to talk to and it seems like a good place.
Die cut houses are cut from 1/8" lauan plywood. Sometimes they are listed as 3.6mm plywood, but that is really only 1/64" difference, so it doesn't really seem to matter which they call it.
When you open the box, you will see sheets of wood that are partially cut through. Normally all it takes to get them out of the sheet is to give them a little push in the middle of the sheet and it pops right out. It helps to have a good X-acto or craft knife with several blades around though!
One trick that I have found with these houses is, before you start, go to the hardware or paint store and get some sanding sealer. There are several different kinds. Get the one that fits how you want to finish your house and paint the full sheets on both sides before you do anything else with them. Then, after they are very dry, I take my rotary sander, but you can sand any way you are comfortable with, and sand both sides of the sheets until they are smooth. This way you avoid splinters and they seem to pop out better. Believe me, the time you spend in this step will save you frustration down the road!
One thing that will save you frustration is to make sure that you only remove the pieces from the sheets as you need them. Keep the sheets in their box. If you are not using them immediately, or if one pops out on it's own, clearly mark what it is with pencil and put it back in the box. Keep the instructions there also! And follow them in order!
Personally I like using regular yellow carpenters glue to glue these houses together because it holds so tightly without being thick, but it does take longer to dry, so I use clamps and masking tape to hold it together and have patience. It has a great look that way but there are as many ways to glue houses together as there are people. If you are comfortable with it and it will hold without slipping, go for it!
Reading this, it seems that I am finding fault with these houses. Believe me, I am not. These were the first houses I built and I still love working with them. They have a character and personality that houses that come with standardized doors and windows and room sizes do not have. I have not done as many, because when I was assembling houses for people, it costs so much more in labor that most people went with the heavier weight houses if they were paying me to put it together. They felt like they were getting a better deal by spending more on the kit than on labor. If you have more time than money, like the styles, have room and are good with your hands, they are so much more fun that the bigger ones!
My favorite house that I ever did was a modified Beacon Hill that ended up at Disney in the Beach Club reception area, where this picture was taken. I closed in the back after putting lace curtains in all the windows and it was landscaped with grass, sidewalk, plants and kids toys, which you cannot see here and put in an exact fitting acrylic sealed cube. The hardest part was getting the mansard roof at exactly the right angle and to get the exact colors she wanted, I had to order them delivered from Atlanta. You cannot get this delicate look from any other type house. I am sorry this is not a better picture, but this was years ago and this is the only one that I could find of it.
I said I would talk about types of houses next. I will start with the die cut house kits first. Die cut houses are often the ones that people pick out when they are just starting in the hobby for one of several reasons;
- They are cheaper.
- They often have cuter designs.
- They are ones that are smaller, so they don't need as much space or look so intimidating if you are nervous about things.
- They are lighter weight and seem more moveable if you do not have a dedicated place to display your house yet.
Some of the disadvantages are though;
- They take many hours to construct and you still have to finish them.
- You need to read and follow the instructions.
- You need a dedicated work space.
- If you want to upgrade or change your house, it is usually difficult. There are no standardized sizes, that's why they look so unique compared to some of the others.
- They are not generally good for smaller children to play with.
One of the larger manufacturers of these houses is Greenleaf Dollhouses . You can buy them in all types of places or off of their website. I have dealt with them for years and have been very pleased with the way they treat their customers. But, to be honest, I have never had dealings yet with any dollhouse manufacturer that I could not say that about. I have never had a problem with anyone. Check out their website if you are curious. They have a fairly active forum if you want someone to talk to and it seems like a good place.
Die cut houses are cut from 1/8" lauan plywood. Sometimes they are listed as 3.6mm plywood, but that is really only 1/64" difference, so it doesn't really seem to matter which they call it.
When you open the box, you will see sheets of wood that are partially cut through. Normally all it takes to get them out of the sheet is to give them a little push in the middle of the sheet and it pops right out. It helps to have a good X-acto or craft knife with several blades around though!
One trick that I have found with these houses is, before you start, go to the hardware or paint store and get some sanding sealer. There are several different kinds. Get the one that fits how you want to finish your house and paint the full sheets on both sides before you do anything else with them. Then, after they are very dry, I take my rotary sander, but you can sand any way you are comfortable with, and sand both sides of the sheets until they are smooth. This way you avoid splinters and they seem to pop out better. Believe me, the time you spend in this step will save you frustration down the road!
One thing that will save you frustration is to make sure that you only remove the pieces from the sheets as you need them. Keep the sheets in their box. If you are not using them immediately, or if one pops out on it's own, clearly mark what it is with pencil and put it back in the box. Keep the instructions there also! And follow them in order!
Personally I like using regular yellow carpenters glue to glue these houses together because it holds so tightly without being thick, but it does take longer to dry, so I use clamps and masking tape to hold it together and have patience. It has a great look that way but there are as many ways to glue houses together as there are people. If you are comfortable with it and it will hold without slipping, go for it!
Reading this, it seems that I am finding fault with these houses. Believe me, I am not. These were the first houses I built and I still love working with them. They have a character and personality that houses that come with standardized doors and windows and room sizes do not have. I have not done as many, because when I was assembling houses for people, it costs so much more in labor that most people went with the heavier weight houses if they were paying me to put it together. They felt like they were getting a better deal by spending more on the kit than on labor. If you have more time than money, like the styles, have room and are good with your hands, they are so much more fun that the bigger ones!
My favorite house that I ever did was a modified Beacon Hill that ended up at Disney in the Beach Club reception area, where this picture was taken. I closed in the back after putting lace curtains in all the windows and it was landscaped with grass, sidewalk, plants and kids toys, which you cannot see here and put in an exact fitting acrylic sealed cube. The hardest part was getting the mansard roof at exactly the right angle and to get the exact colors she wanted, I had to order them delivered from Atlanta. You cannot get this delicate look from any other type house. I am sorry this is not a better picture, but this was years ago and this is the only one that I could find of it.
Next time I will talk about 3/8" plywood houses.
Comments
Post a Comment