bubbie Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 I am new to the dollhouse world of building and I have a very, should I say "dumb" question! Do you punch the pieces out of the boards and then shellac them or do you shellac the entire board? help!!! bubbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Welcome Bubbie! I don't shellac anything, so I can't answer you on that one. Which house are you building? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishMist Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Welcome to the forum Bubbie! First of all... the only dumb question is the one you don't ask! 2nd - The more you ask, the more there is to talk about... And, I don't shellac anything either.... but I do punch out, sand and dry fit before I prime with a GOOD primer (I like Kilz). Carol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 I also like to use kilz spray primer...after the punching and the sanding but before the dryfit and I like to stain my floors with minwax stains before the dry fit. WELCOME to the forum! and what house are you punching and sanding and primering?? hmmmmmm?? nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Welcome to the community!! I also use Kiltz spray paint to prime the house. I do this after I have sanded and assembled it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Welcome, Bubbie! I would also punch, sand, dry fit and then prime all the pieces with a good quality primer. There are those though that prime the entire wood piece and then punch out their pieces. I think it's a matter of personal preference. I'm wondering . . . are shellac and primer meant to do the same thing? Basically you're just sealing the wood right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Hi bubbie, Welcome to the forum. I do shellac all the wood pieces before punching them out (front and backs) and the reason I do this is because if I should want to cut out a piece to use for something that isn't called for then it is already primed. Once I put the shellac away, I don't want to use it anymore. The only thing when I punch out the pieces, I make sure to have lots of sharp blades for the exacto knife. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Welcome to the forum, bubbie ! First of all... the only dumb question is the one you don't ask! Carol took the words right out of my mouth. I do my floor treatments before removing them from the plywood sheets. I use sanding sealer or primer, NOT shellac (which to me is messier), this is only a personal preference, and I stain/ seal/ prime both sides of the sheet, letting each sheet dry flat on each side. I do this to minimize warping of 1/8" plywood. I use carpenter's wood glue (the yellow-beige stuff) to adhere the pieces, so there is a very miniscule risk of warping, I read somewhere, so that's why I treat first. To answer Teresa, yes, when you seal the wood first it takes much less paint/ primer to cover. I stain whatever I'm going to stain first and then use clear sanding sealer (Deft is what our hardware store carries). I prime with flat or semigloss white interior latex (emulsion) paint. Once you get comfortable building you will figure out the order that works best for you. Read over the kit instructions several times first, and study the schematics sheet, so you can understand which piece is what & where it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Welcome Bubbie! I'm in the "punch, sand, seal" category as my prebuilding technique. As HavanaHolly pointed out (and a wise woman she is too!), use whatever sealant you choose on both sides to prevent warping. It will save you a lot of frustration later. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 Do you punch the pieces out of the boards and then shellac them or do you shellac the entire board? This is not at all a dumb question! I've met one very skilled builder who shellacked the entire sheet of plywood, then cut out the pieces, with the help of a power saw where needed. He felt he got smoother wood that way. That's sure not the usual procedure, though, and I don't have the equipment to try it myself. Having cheerily gone through life NOT sealing or sanding or priming because I generally cover surfaces completely with textured finishes or wallpaper... I'm about to become a big fan of spray primer. Next time I start a GL kit from scratch, I may just prime everything first. It's bad for the environment -- but darn, it gives a smoother finish to work with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 HavanaHolly pointed out (and a wise woman she is too!) Rotflmbo! That's not "wisdom", that's "been there, done that"! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 It's bad for the environment -- but darn, it gives a smoother finish to work with! hey there is always paint on primer kilz makes that as well. and Linda likes to use white paintfor her primer...not sure the type. so many choices for primering. nutti :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Yep, I use white semi-gloss paint as my primer, the paint on kind, not the spray on kind. But I don't prime anything until the base shell is together. Jimmy likes to glue wood to wood, not primer to primer. He says it's a better hold that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Rotflmbo! That's not "wisdom", that's "been there, done that"! :lol: :o Ah, but wisdom is all about "been there, done that". And your advice on sealing both sides when I first started out saved me a lot of warping-frustration later! Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbie Posted December 16, 2005 Author Share Posted December 16, 2005 this forum is great! thank you for all your suggestions. I will use KILZ primer. I'm going to get my tools today...glue gun, scissors, exacto knife, more glue! Can't wait to get started this weekend! quote=MiniMadWoman,Dec 15 2005, 09:32 AM] Welcome, Bubbie! I would also punch, sand, dry fit and then prime all the pieces with a good quality primer. There are those though that prime the entire wood piece and then punch out their pieces. I think it's a matter of personal preference. I'm wondering . . . are shellac and primer meant to do the same thing? Basically you're just sealing the wood right? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 All right! Way to go, bubbie! Which house are you building? Don't forget to take pictures as you go along, both to share with us and for your own archives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Bubbie: Congratulation on your first build. It is fun but at times it can be frustrating so be prepared to walk away for awhile when that happens LOL. I noticed on your list of supplies to get was a glue gun, there has been much discussion on this board about using a glue gun to put the house together. Unless you live where the humidity is low, the general consensus is not to use a glue gun but a wood or tacky glue. Over time the glue from the gun can deterioate in high humidity climates. In fact very few here use it for this reason. Don't forget to add sanding paper to your list and wood filler--they are essential for most houses. Which house are you building? As Nutti says we love "eye candy" so take plenty of pics as you go. Pics also help if you hit a snag and need help, easier to visualize what is needed. Welcome to the forum! Peggi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 on your list of supplies to get was a glue gun, Thanks for pointing that out, Peggi :lol: I am one who reads the instructions and then does my own thing. I have seen dollhouses put together with a glue gun sitting in store windows falling apart. I use carpenter's wood glue (the yellow kind) and hold the parts together with masking tape until it cures. With tab & slot construction I also use a heavy-duty Stanley stapler to reinforce juntions & corners since I sell many of the houses I build to be played with. Also the Exacto knife is what many people use (I use one making mini furniture, sometimes), my personal preference is a utility knife with retractable blade. You'll discover what works best for you as you go along. "Listen" to the house as you build it, often it'll "tell" you what it wants to look like. Have fun, that's what it's all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Oh, good point! I use Elmer's pro bond glue. It sets up fairly quickly and is very strong. I wouldn't use a glue gun simply because I'm a putzer and the glue would dry before I got it together! :lol: And besides, once the house is together, I don't want it coming apart!! :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nameless1 Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 Yes, shellac and primer are both sealers. And if you're going to stain wood, make sure you stain before putting anything like shellac on! Unless you need a clear finish, one advantage of primer is that, while it makes the surface more even and less absorbent, it still has a "tooth" for additional paint or wallpaper glue to hold to. I'm a Tacky Glue girl. Even a mini-glue gun turns out to leave you with lumps of glue just where you don't want them. However, it can be useful if the bottom of the foundation just won't go together, since the glue lumps would be hidden underneath the house. I used hot glue on the Westville because the dry fit was so tight that I couldn't get it apart to use regular glue... and I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it holds the house together. On the other hand, there are bits where I'm not 100% confident that the full surfaces are bonded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyStarz Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 With tab & slot construction I also use a heavy-duty Stanley stapler to reinforce juntions & corners since I sell many of the houses I build to be played with. Hi Havanholly. When you use a heavy duty stapler. Are you talking about the type that you sqeeze by hand rather then push. The type you would staple roll roofing on a real house with? Or a sign to a wooden utility pole? Thanks! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 16, 2005 Share Posted December 16, 2005 I don't think I could staple 1:1 roofing felt to the subrook with it, but it drives a fairly hefty gauge wire staple though 1/8" plywood without my breathing hard. Yes, I squeeze the handle. On the curved part of the Glencroft roof I had to follow up on a couple of those staples with the hammer... :o :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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