GrandpaJeff

Thanks. I tend to agree with you. Am leaning more and more towards opening outwards, with or without removing the obstructing portion of railing. It is also the easier option to implement.

Thanks again Holly. Still have not decided which way to open the dining room doors. My wife likes the idea of opening to the interior but I'm leaning toward outwards and removing a small part of the railing there. Will think some more.

After a lot of shaving (*&*$#) I finally got the 2 sets of doors for the Pierce to fit into their respective openings with enough leeway for them to open and close when hinged. And amazingly they are still square! I have the little brass hinges and will use them on the outside for the front door because they look nice, but I am in a quandary about the dining room doors. If they are hinged to open outwards, they will not be able to fully open because they will hit the patio railing. So I am considering making the the dining room doors open inwards instead of outwards. But that has its own problems: a) they may later cause problems with the room's furniture b ) if they open inwards, I cannot use the hinges because I do not have sufficient access from the room side to put them on the inside and don't think their pins will hold to the door edges. So my questions are: 1) would anyone consider having the doors open inwards instead of outwards (where they can only open partly)? 2) remove part of the railing to permit their opening better and giving a fuller view of the interior? 3) where do I find the tutorials on using chamois, pin hinging, and similar for "hinging"? I searched and could not find them. Thanks. (almost there!) Jeff

It can be addictive and is fun, but unfortunately I am so busy with other things I'm involved in that I doubt I will build another dollhouse unless the next granddaughter (she's only nine months old now) asks me for one. By then I may have the time to do it but will probably have forgotten all I learned. ;-)

I know what you mean. There are so many things I would do differently if I had to redo this house.

Yes it is. About the glue question, for others that might read this thread: I have both Elmer's glue-all and wood glue. Both containers are half empty. Because I had to take a several month hiatus organizing a conference I am not sure which one I used where. So now I went back to the wood glue and here is my experience: As HavanaHolly indicated (she is always right) the wood glue is the preferable one in my limited experience. Yes, it has a slightly darker color when finishing drying, but it is not a major problem. On the other hand it has several advantages. It is stronger, dries faster (so less holding and clamping and gets tacky much faster).

I see. In other words as a second layer to create a criss-cross effect. Seems unnecessary .....

I'm at step "S" (Porch Lattice Trim) in the instructions and am confused. The instructions say: 2. Align lattice trim pieces in their proper locations with the slots going in the opposite direction of the slots in the foundation wall pieces. Glue in place. I can find no picture of the Pierce that shows this "lattice trim pieces in their proper locations with the slots going in the opposite direction of the slots in the foundation wall pieces". The available Pierce images all show the porch railing, on the porch floor, which is above the foundation slots -- but no image of these "slotted lattice trim pieces" that would go in the opposite direction. Does anyone have a picture of a finished Pierce showing these "lattice trim pieces" in place so I can figure out where to put them? Thank you.

Got it. Thanks.

Thanks for the explanation. I was thinking Havana, Cuba. Never knew there was a Havana, FL.

Thank you both. It does seen reasonably sturdy. Just a last minute panic attack. Will reinforce as you suggest Havanaholly. (Are you really in Havana?)

I've used Elmer's glue-all to glue the parts on the Pierce I am building--primarily because it dries clear and I think I read somewhere here that it was recommended. Now that I am 90% done (working on the porch roofs) I'm worried that maybe I should have used something stronger. I've read comments about some of you being concerned that if they sneezed too hard the whole house could come apart (!) and I'm having the same concerns even though I was very careful to glue everything firmly and minimize gaps. I'm looking for re-assurance ...... It's kind of late now but should I have used wood glue despite its yellow color? Is Elmer's glue-all strong enough? Should I add "nails" in strategic places? The dollhouse is to be used by a "mature and responsible" (she really is) 8 year old girl. Will it hold up? Etc.

Doesn't Spackle (or wood filler) chip away over time?

They are still loose. I went ahead and painted them. The reason I asked is that from previous experience I've seen the paint leak. Not really on to the stained surface itself, but the paint soaks sometimes onto the edges. So there develops a thin white line. I usually end up sanding it away, but it would have been nice to prevent it altogether. Anyway, t'is done and when dry I will add second careful coat - also carefully! My wife tells me no one will notice but as a retired surgeon I like to make it as perfect as possible.

Situation: One side is stained and covered with polyurethane and I need to paint the under (opposite) surface. Other than "carefully" is there a painting trick to prevent the paint from leaking over to the opposite stained surface either at the edges or the tab holes? I thought of using masking tape to protect the stained side but am afraid the paint might slip under the masking tape and I would not discover it unter the tape is removed which would be worse. Wonder if others have tricks for this.