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Support: The Orchid Dollhouse Instructions


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  • 3 months later...

This is my first dollhouse. I jumped in with both feet and bought two, one for each granddaughter. The detailed instructions won't download and I really could use some detailed drawings. "Santa" has to get these done for Christmas. Really great kit, but could use some insight into how the porch parts go together. Thanks.

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Grandpa, there are two building blogs for the Orchid, if that's any help. I dry fit first and do sanding/ shaving to get parts to fit properly.

When you get time, do introduce yourself in the Newcomers' Forum.

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  • 5 months later...

I finally started my second build, the wonderful Orchid. This is a big deal because I made it a reward for cleaning and rearranging my workshop! All the sweeter. 

 

First of all, thank you, thank you, thank you, to Dean for the awesome pdf. I bought my kit from eBay and it didn't have any schematics. What a lifesaver! Your work is much appreciated.

 

My question is about the windows. The are double hung, but do the windows actually work or are they glued in place? The directions and photo show putting them on the walls but don't say anything about gluing. 

 

Thanks,

 

Sarah

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In most Greenleaf kits the double hung windows are stamped into the kit walls and sashes are made by gluing the trim of the upper window to the exterior wall and the trim of the lower opening to the interior of the wall.  I always trace around the overall window frame over the openings and paint that to match the trims and frames.

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Sarah, I noticed in your gallery that you used hot glue to assemble your first dollhouse, which is made of cardboard. You do know NOT to use hot glue to assemble the Orchid, right? Over time the hot glue will shrink and lose its gripping power and the house will fall apart. Several members here have expressed delight in finding old houses put together with hot glue -- they were so easy to take apart for rebuilding! The instructions tell you to use hot glue but were written years ago when the glue sticks had a different chemical make-up. Today's glue sticks just won't do. Use a good quality white glue (not Elmer's school glue) or wood glue like Titebond or similar. You'll be much happier with the end result. :)

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...Several members here have expressed delight in finding old houses put together with hot glue -- they were so easy to take apart for rebuilding...Use a good quality white glue (not Elmer's school glue) or wood glue like Titebond or similar. You'll be much happier with the end result. :)

I am one of those members.  I have three houses waiting their turn on the workbench and a date with Mr B&D (the heat gun).

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  • 1 month later...

I think I want to do clapboard siding on my Orchid and wondered if any of you have any good tips for adding this kind of siding? I've read to put it on cardboard first, finish and add it that way. Or, add it right to the exterior. Any help would be great!

 

 

 

Sarah

 

 

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I glue my siding directly to the exterior, row by row; I hadn't heard of gluing it first to cardboard templates of the walls, but that sounds like another way to do it.  I'm with Kathie; go with whatever work for you.

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I've only done it directly to the house surface. I shy away from the water based glues for siding and shingles to help cut down on the warp factor.

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I glue my siding directly to the exterior, row by row; I hadn't heard of gluing it first to cardboard templates of the walls, but that sounds like another way to do it.  I'm with Kathie; go with whatever work for you.

What kind of glue do you use? Do you put your door/windows in first? Also, how do you address the corners? I haven't put the exterior trim on yet, so it's not too late to change. 

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What kind of glue do you use? Do you put your door/windows in first? Also, how do you address the corners? I haven't put the exterior trim on yet, so it's not too late to change. 

I use the same carpenter's wood glue I use for assembly.  Before the build I lay the door and window facings over their corresponding openings and trace around them and butt the siding strips up to my tracing line.  After the siding is on and primed and painted I when I install the windows and doors, because that's what works for me.  Sometimes I lay stripwood over the corners and sometimes I just butt the siding strips at the corners, depending on how good it looks.  I don't do a lot of clapboard sided houses, it depends on what the house wants.

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I don't do a lot of clapboard sided houses, it depends on what the house wants.

I appreciate your pointers about the siding; that's about what I thought I would do with it. Somehow this house is telling me clapboard siding. I have read other people's posts about doing the build in 2 weeks, but somehow I have been slowed down by how to address the siding. It's funny how you get a feeling of a personality emerging as the build progresses.

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  • 7 months later...
On Tuesday, September 08, 2009 12:40:33, pinkhare said:

I can't seem to download it . It tells me " Forum Rules This file has been reported as broken because: Keeps reporting that you need to be a member to download even though i am a member and am logged in"

Is it the browser i'm using ?

If you go to the Corona Concept Dollhouse sight...the instructions are easier to get...comes right up...no logging in is required!

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  • 4 months later...

I have been building the orchid now for a couple weeks and am at the part when i am to put on the front roof...however like an idiot I totally broke the darn thing in half at the peak of the gable cut out...I have glued it with aleene's and clamped it overnight. I'm worried its not going to be able to stand up to any force. I'm wondering if it will need reinforcement or if there is another solution someone has come up with. TIA

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If you were planning to side or shingle the exterior wall that will probably stabilize it well enough for an adult to play with it.  For a child you might want to cut 1/4" trim to glue around the interior opening.

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6 hours ago, havanaholly said:

If you were planning to side or shingle the exterior wall that will probably stabilize it well enough for an adult to play with it.  For a child you might want to cut 1/4" trim to glue around the interior opening.

Thanks! Very much appreciated. After checking it i still felt uncertain about the integrity so i did just that, added a couple small trim size pieces left over from the scrap and glued them on the backside. Should be much better ^.^

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 year later...

I just purchased the Orchid house. I am new to dollhouse building. I was wondering should I paint the inside walls, wallpaper and stain floors first before assembly? Or should I put it together first?  Also when I wallpaper, can I use regular craft paper with prints on them and use modpoge? Help! 

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Hi, Kristen.  Invest in a roll or two of masking tape (the beige stuff) or painters' tape (the blue stuff) and use the tape to hold the parts of your house together as you follow the instructions, before you build (we call this the "dry fit").  It will help you avoid problems later on, and you can sand or shave the tabs & slots for a perfect fit.  Once it's together it may begin to speak to you about what it wants.  While the house is in dry fit I take a pencil and trace along the interior walls where the edges overlap; when I take it all apart I will take piece of tape I have split into 1/4" widths and mask off all the places I will want to glue.  I also lay the door and window trims over the openings and trace around them and mask those openings, as well.  I stain the floor and prime the ceiling before assembly (masking off where any dividing walls will need gluing); I use carpenter's wood glue/ Probond and I prefer to glue bare wood to bare wood. 

Depending on how difficult it will be to reach the interiors (another benefit of dry fitting) I prime all the interior walls.  If I'm going to paint them I sand them, and if they don't look smooth enough I give them a skim coat of spackle and when that dries I sand it smooth and then prime.  You will want to prime or seal the wood because all wood contains natural acids and chemicals, and treated woods like plywood more so, that over time will leach out into your wallpaper or paint and turn it "interesting"  colors.  I start with the first floor and paper or paint the walls, then install the windows and doors and interior trims.  Then I prime the exterior walls (unless I use clapboard)and do whatever I'm going to do with them.  Then I remove the masking/ painters' tape and install the exterior window and door trims.  I install the roof and shingle last.  None of this is hard and fast, you may find working a different order works better for you.  The journey is fun and any results are secondary to the thrill of seeing something YOU make take shape.  Who will live in your Orchid?  Has it begun to speak to you yet?

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Wow thank you so much for replying with great information.  I feel like now I have a starting point. I did open everything up and laid it all out. I have to be truthful... it was overwhelming to see it all out of the box. I kept thinking did I pick a hobby I can't do?? Yikes!   I appreciate you explaining in detail what you do so i have some idea what to do. ;) i am excited now! 

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You can cover the walls with dollhouse wallpaper, regular wallpaper in tiny prints, scrapbook paper, fabric and I have also used giftwrap and wine bottle bags.  I use regular wallpaper paste from the hardware store (except for fabric, you can use laundry starch to hang that).  I test small snippets of whatever to see if the paste makes it run or bleed, otherwise I don't seal it; when I do,I use a matte acrylic artist's sealer.

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  • 10 months later...
On 12/6/2010, 12:39:09, MonixMia said:

I do not like that the stairs run right into the front wall. I would like to keep the stairs in the house- do you think I could cut them down a bit? It would make them steep... but it isn't like anyone is really going to be walking up them. I dont have to worry about "Aunt Susie" falling down them or anything, lol.

You do realize it's your kit? Do what ever you want with it. The placement of the stairs was the first thing that confused me about the Orchid kit. They have the staircase going right up the wall with a window in the way. I think it's a poor design. My daughter bought the Orchid for her sister but dad got the job of building it. So after I assembled the walls with upper and lower floor I hated where the stairs were going to be. So I ended up completing removing the upper floor and using it as a stencil in order to cut a new piece. So as soon as I redesign the stairway I'll try to upload a pictures of what I did... before its given to my daughter. 

But all in all, there shouldn't be any limits or rules to what anyone wants or decides to do. Just go with it. You don't HAVE to build it exactly like the Instructions say. And although I enjoy looking around HobbyLobby they are overpriced so you'd be surprised what you can build yourself from looking online. 

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Dan, spoken like a true miniaturist!  If I have ever built a dollhouse kit so it turns out like a cookie-cutter of the box picture, I don't remember it.  And if you don't like the stairs, put them in the invisible back half of the house!

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