Nonnie

I agree that manufacturer's should plan a better way for porch posts to attach! Gluing just isn't enough. Most of the houses I build are for children, so I have to be very careful that the porch posts and railings are sturdy. If possible, I turn the house upside down and screw through the bottom of the porch into the posts. Then, right side up, nail through the porch roof into the post. I'm going to try the dowel idea next time. I do what Muriel does on the railings - glue with wood glue & super glue, then dry flat on a grid to keep straight. Also, don't try to glue posts if the porch is painted. I put a piece of masking tape in the shape of the post end where I want it to sit on the porch, then paint right over it. It can be loosened with an exacto knife, then lifted off to glue the posts.

Hi Monique. Are you the same person that wrote to me asking for a donation of a dollhouse for your great niece Bella? It’s nice to see you on the forum. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a dollhouse – it was so sad to hear about her Beacon Hill being burned up in the fire. But it looks like you took my advice to build one with her and look what a great new hobby it’s turned into! You did a good job to build her dollhouse in only 3 months and already be working on your second! I hope Bella is doing better now. It sounds like your mom is doing better, too. How cool that she’s cross-stitching rugs for the dollhouses. Welcome to the forum. Nonnie

You and your nephew are in my prayers. Nonnie

Would these work? http://store.dollhousecollectables.com/lt5002.html Whenever I'm looking for something, I go to the Handley House website to search for it. They have everything. They don't sell retail, but when you find what you want, you can then search the web for sellers by using the part number. That's a wonderful dollhouse! It's so nice that it found it's way home! Nonnie

That's great, Crystal! And definitely electrify. I just electrified an already assembled Duracraft Linfield, and would be glad to answer any questions if you plan to use tapewire. Just go for it! Nonnie

I swear, we had a couch and chair just like that when I was a kid in the 60s! Even the upholstery pattern looks the same! I agree, below the border is pretty dark. I think papering over it would be easier than painting as long as it's well adhered. Just give it a quick coat of white paint so it doesn't show through the new paper, then paper right over it. You can carefully butt it up to the border and, if needed, put up a chair rail to hide the seam.

I've built 6 or 7 of the RGT MDF models and 4 of the Duracraft ones and I personally like working with the MDF. It doesn't seem to warp like the plywood does. My toughest house was the milled plywood Montpelier. Every part was warped! I, too, give it a coat of paint then sand to get rid of the "fuzzies", and it gives a smoother surface for painting if you choose not to use wallpaper. Down side is that it does make electrical installation a little harder. My husband does the electrical work for me and says that it's hard to get the eyelets into the MDF. On the other hand, they stay put! I read the posts about "The lights AREN'T on..." and have had the same problem with other plywood houses. Fortunately, it only takes pressing on the connections. Biggest drawback to MDF, I think, is it's weight. Nonnie

I'm so impressed with your work, Ron. I'm frequently asked to build dollhouse replicas of peoples houses which would require stick building. All I can say is, You couldn't pay me enough money to do that! I'm really looking forward to following your progress! Nonnie

Oh, Mary! I am so, so sorry. My heart goes out to you and your family. Life can change in an instant. Love and prayers to you. Nonnie

O.K. I'll chime in...I've had a dollhouse building business for about 3 years now. Here's the reality. It's a good thing I love what I do, because I don't make a lot of money doing it! If I were to add up the hours that I have in a dollhouse, I probably make pennies an hour. But I can't think of anything more satisfying for me to do! It's wonderful to have a job that makes people so happy. There's no such thing as an unhappy customer in my business. And, I feel like Santa Claus at Christmas time! I'm fortunate to have the space - we converted our garage to a shop 2 years ago - and the time - I'm retired and enjoy staying home with step-kids and grandkids - and I love being able to set my own schedule. The bottom line is that I make enough extra money to be able to take some nice vacations, and have the time to do so! Hope this helps answer some questions. I'll be glad to answer any others. :thumb:

Thanks, Sherry. I asked and got a quick reply. The chimneys do indeed support the roof, and in my case, will need to be screwed in for added strength. Thanks again, Nonnie

Hello, I'm new to the forum and need help with my first (and probably last) front-opening dollhouse. I'm building the front-opening Montpelier and would appreciate some advise regarding the opening roof and the chimneys. I installed three dormers and the roof is pretty heavy. As I see it, the two chimneys won't support the roof when it's open and I'm afraid they'll just come off under the weight -- the chimneys touch the back roof before the dormers . Does anyone know if the chimneys are supposed to support the roof when open? Any ideas (short of leaving them unglued and only putting them on when the roof is closed)? Thanks a bunch, Nonnie Nonnie's Dollhouses

Wow! What a nice bunch! Thanks to all for that warm welcome. We build 1" scale dollhouses, and have tried our hand at a few Dura-Craft kits, which we sell assembled. We will be building other kits from RGT and Greenleaf next year (which is upon quickly us). Already took some advice from the site on electrifying and other stuff. Thanks! See you around,

Hello, We are Ruth and Luis from Nonnie's Dollhouses, a new company selling assembled dollhouses. Glad to join this group and hope to contribute to the hobby. Sincerely, Ruth & Luis