MrJeeper55 Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Hi, I just registered with this forum after buying The Garfield for my wife for Christmas. She really loves it... now I have to build it for her...This is my first attempt at dollhouse construction. I'm in the process of glueing up the foundation now. I can see that I'll be on this site alot since this is all new to me... I was looking at some of the pictures up on the website, and noticed the varnished floors on a few of the Garfield dollhouses. I'm wondering how that was done, especially since they look like actual floor planking. I'd appreciate advice on that. I'm thinking that the floor finishing has to be done once the main floor is put down prior to the walls or 2nd floor. Also, can anyone give me some websites that I can check out for electrification kits? My wife would like to have her house electrified.... I'll be watching this site daily for advice and info.... Thanks, MrJeeper55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Welcome to our community and to the wonderful world of dollhouses! A lot of us shop at HBS they have electrical & flooring items plus furniture and even upgraded windows for the Garfield. A lot of people here stain the floors before they assemble the house by using regular stain & varnish. I like to use greenleaf siding strips and I apply each strip sand, stain then sand it again to give it the effect of real planks. Hope this is enough info to get you started and again, welcome!! What a fortunate wife you have and what a wonderful husband she has to buy & build this dream house for her. You both will have wondeful memories to cherish! Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Welcome nuwbby Garfield person You will love the garfield To stain my floors I just used a good quality stain that hubby had in the wood shop here at home as for the wood floors I used (you would never guess) popcicle sticks and did a inlaid floor .As for your Lighting go to web type in miniatures or dollhouses and have fun Donna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 27, 2005 Share Posted December 27, 2005 Welcome, MrJeeper55, As you read the many topics & posts you'll get some ideas, also the blogs have some good information. If I want the look of hardwood floors I will mark the board width intervals on the plywood floor sheet before punching it out; I mask off whatever I don't want to be hardwood floor. Then using a steel straight edge and the back tip of my utility knifeblade I scribe lines the length of the floorboards. I then go back & stagger the board ends 1" to 2" apart from row to row. Then I take an awl & punch two small holes together near each "board" end. Then I wipe on the stain with a rag to get the depth of color I want and when I like it, off comes the masking tape & I seal the whole sheet with clear sanding sealer & let it dry flat. When it's dry I flip it over & seal the other side, this minimizes warping (as in, I haven't had any occur) and it doesn't seem to affect the bond I get when gluing (I use carpenter's wood glue). If I want a glossy wood floor I sand it lightly and then hit it with light coats of clear lacquer varnish, letting it dry at least 24 hours between each coat & giving it a light sanding if it looks uneven anywhere. finally I hit it with the 0000 steel wool & a piece of brown paper grocery sack. Lucky wife! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fov Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Welcome to the forum. ;) I agree with everyone else... your wife is very lucky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis T Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Sounds like we are in the same boat, I just bought my wife a Garfield for Christmas too. Construction commences this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Two lucky wives then, and husbands who might get hooked themselves in th mini building phase??? For me the building is such a joy and DH helps out when I need it so that is always a good thing! Good luck to both of you and please share pics as you go along with the building, the Garfield is a lovley h ouse! Mini-hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 TravisT have you built a house before? will your wife be helping you? you found the right place to comeserate during the building and decorating process. looking forward to hearing about your progress and view any photos you want to share. nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I nearly forgot, wooden coffee stirrer sticks also make acceptable floorboards, I think Darrell & Melissa had acquired an entire box from Starbuck's, don't know if they were able to divest themselves of all the excess. If you go with popsicle sticks or coffee stirrers you might want to make a paper pattern of the room floor to cut a cardboard template & lay your floor on that, especially if you want to electrify and run wires for ceiling fixtures along the upper floor. This can also work for wall treatments, and the finished templates can be installed using doublesided tape, makes for ease of troublshooting or just plain redecorating on down the road Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 This is what holly is talking about it was done with popsicle stick and a (easycutter). I getting ready to start another floor that will be a little diffrent in design using a templet as she suggested. someone gave me 2 boxex of sticks so almost every room includeding the deck has them.also the gable ends too have the jumbo sticks as scalop siding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 This is what holly is talking about it was done with popsicle stick and a (easycutter). I getting ready to start another floor that will be a little diffrent in design using a templet as she suggested. someone gave me 2 boxex of sticks so almost every room includeding the deck has them.also the gable ends too have the jumbo sticks as scalop siding <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wowser!!! That was a beautiful floor, and it was all done with popsicle sticks??? Really, really great floor!!! That is something that is readily avaliable even over here And I have an easy cuter as well... Hugs from someone who has wayyy to many ideas buzzing around right now ;) I think I might go into oveload mood soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I'm one of the persons who stains and polyeurethanes floors, which I do prior to the house being assembled. I like the look of it, it's easy, it's cheap, and if I want to carpet or lay "linoleum" over it, I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I'm one of the persons who stains and polyeurethanes floors, which I do prior to the house being assembled. I like the look of it, it's easy, it's cheap, and if I want to carpet or lay "linoleum" over it, I can. me tooo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Awesome marquetry, Donna! What color stains did you use? The lozenge pattern around the sides looks like you must have split the sticks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMadWoman Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Wow! That's a totally awesome floor! Do you hire out?!! I used black walnut flooring I bought from www.miniatures.com. You cut it and lay it in. I also used urethane over it to give it some shine. You can also get electric supplies there or at www.cir-kitconcepts.com And you thought this was going to be easy, didn't you?!!! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJeeper55 Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 Well, TravisT, it looks like construction ahead for the both of us... I've ordered a sheet of flooring from Miniatures last evening, but I'm definitely going to try the coffee stirer as well... I imagine that if they're glued down to a paper backing, then that makes installation so much easier... I'm just not sure if I should put in the flooring before the walls go up or wait until later... I'm not planning to do any re-decorating once the house is complete... I'll post pictures once I've gotten a further down the road in the construction process. This is quite similar to building a regular house less the heating and plumbing pipes... MrJeeper55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 if they're glued down to a paper backing, then that makes installation so much easier... I'm just not sure if I should put in the flooring before the walls go up or wait until laterIf you make your pattern & template during the dry-fit or after assembly your floor will fit perfectly. Meanwhile you can tackle your wall treatments with impunity (and possibly also with the template method), knowing you aren't messing up your impeccaby gorgeous floors (the fatal flaw in my basic method). Install your baseboards/ wainscots/ panelling/ whatever last and then add drapes, rugs, furnishings, accessories & little people, if desired. This is quite similar to building a regular house less the heating and plumbing pipes.. You can add plumbing & heating pipes using the plastic straw-type coffee stirrers; I made exposed pllumbng fixtures for the Dublin sink in my Glencroft pub out of polyclay. One of the mini magazines a few years ago had a DIY for making a water heater out of a small Ragu jar. You could use a small pimento jar to make a furnace and bash a basement to put a washer & string clotheslines, I've seen itty bitty wooden spring-type clothespins at Hobby Lobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJeeper55 Posted December 29, 2005 Author Share Posted December 29, 2005 Hi MiniMadWoman- I viewed your album and the Beacon Hill is amazing...especially the stained windows... I have a question, did you use popsicle stick ends for the shingles or did you buy bags of shingles for the roofing? They look great.... MrJeeper55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gemlady Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 Holly I found a article in the dhm maz. date march 1998 by Bill march. I as a go by and used mimwax stain color is provincal for the dark and used a semi-gloss polyurethan I did at least 4 coats to fill in spaces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 I'll have to see if I saved that article, if not, I think you've jogged my memory. It turned out absolutely awesome! I love the richness of color you get with Minwax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis T Posted December 29, 2005 Share Posted December 29, 2005 TravisT have you built a house before? will your wife be helping you? you found the right place to comeserate during the building and decorating process. looking forward to hearing about your progress and view any photos you want to share. nutti <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This will be the first, and I'm only playing contractor on it, lol. She's picking out flooring and all of the colors and furnishings. I'm really looking forward to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPCullen Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 Well, TravisT, it looks like construction ahead for the both of us... MrJeeper55 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Mr Jeeper & TravisT, you two will love it! My husband bought me the Victorian Townhouse by Real Good Toys for Christmas in 2002, and it was one of the greatest gifts he has ever bought me! Considering his and my busy schedules, building dollhouses together has been a wonderful way for us to spend time together! I hope that the both of you will post pictures for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 Hi, I thought I would show you the flooring I made using popsicle sticks for the Jefferson. It is a very inexpensive way to do your floors. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 Hi, I thought I would show you the flooring I made using popsicle sticks for the Jefferson. It is a very inexpensive way to do your floors. Wendy <{POST_SNAPBACK}> But ever so effective looking, another wowser moment here Wendy!!! It sure looks great, and truly inspirational! I have a bag of popsicle somewhere in my craftroom, I know that and since I also have an Easy cutter, there is no excuse for me not using them any more is there? Well back to the painting of trims that will go into my Aster. Slowly but steadily progess now, feels great, if I can get that "finished" I can start up tha haunted house sooner... Hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wenlaine Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 Thanks Anna, I didn't purchase the Easy Cutter until after those floors were done. I used the mitre box and saw but never again. Good luck with finishing your Aster. I'm off to look at your pictures. Ohhh, I wanted to thank you for the idea to purchase Angie Scarr's book on Fimo foods which I did purchase from ebay. I would never have attempted making foods without it. Thanks again. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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