martincheck Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 My wife wanted a dollhouse and bought a Garfield for me to put together for her and I've been hooked ever since. Now I can't imagine not having a dollhouse to work on. I finished the foundation and both staircases and am at the part where you put the trim on the partitions. I see many people use a regular sealer rather than the wood alcohol-shellac mixture. Is it ok to seal surfaces that will be glued together or should I spare the surface that will be glued? Are there any tricks for painting these small trim pieces and setting them to dry? The warm-up sheet mentions laying them on spaghetti but I was wondering if anyone had found anything better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Med Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Hello Louis, welcome to the group. One tip for painting trim is to roll a bit of masking tape round your fingers to make a circle - sticky side out and then stick one of these under each bit of trim. Stick all your bits on an old plastic bag or something similar and spray paint the trim. The masking tape support raises them off the plastic so you can get at the edges without them sticking to the plastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin1056 Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Louis :yes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Welcome to the little family, Louis. I used Deft clear sanding sealer to seal my pieces back when I started. I no longer bother with sealer, since I either prime or stain the surfaces. I wouldn't seal or prime your pieces until after you've assembled them, to keep it off the edges you're going to glue together. At one point I used masking tape along the edges that were to be glued, when the house was in dry fit I'd mark the edges with a pencil and mask them as I took it apart for building to paint the pieces first. After a while I've gotten better at priming and painting after it's together. Absolutely I still trace around and mask trims & window frames & doors; no way my hands are steady enough for doing those once they're on the house, I apply them dead last! When you make five posts you can share pictures of your build in a Gallery album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minifan Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 I see many people use a regular sealer rather than the wood alcohol-shellac mixture. Is it ok to seal surfaces that will be glued together or should I spare the surface that will be glued? Are there any tricks for painting these small trim pieces and setting them to dry? The warm-up sheet mentions laying them on spaghetti but I was wondering if anyone had found anything better. I've never sealed anything...so far, no problems... I use wax paper for everything...a sheet of wax paper underneath everything you paint works fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 I've never sealed anything...so far, no problems... How much time has passed in "so far"? This is what happened to white-on-white ceiling paper when stuck to a surface that was not primed or sealed. The chemicals in the plywood leach into the paper over time. This house was built in the 1950s. Anything that's going to be wallpapered really needs to be sealed with sealer or primer. Even a coat of regular house paint will seal it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marivigano Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Hi and welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monica_the_haunted Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Hi and :wub: to the group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMarieCarlson Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 Hi and welcome to the group! I have a dream of owning a Garfield one day. I can't wait to see your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbelc Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 I bought a cheap plastic table cloth at Wal-mart (one of those with the felt lining), spread it on the floor, and put the painted trim pieces on it. The plastic on the table cloth keeps the pieces from sticking when they are wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Day Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Welcome Louis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janet Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Hello, and welcome! :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shy Spirit Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Hello Louis, welcome to the community! :wub: I use primer, after I've assembled the shell. Oh, and hot glue is a big NO-NO! It can soften in heat and humidity, and we've heard about dollhouses that were put together with hot glue, falling apart years later! :throw: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLyn M. Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Hi Louis,and welcome to Greenleaf!!So much stuff to learn/share here and SOOOOO much fun!!Glad to meet you!! PS..I've used Mod-Podge as a sealer without any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzy Posted May 2, 2010 Share Posted May 2, 2010 Welcome, you are brave starting with the Garfield! I agree with the priming after assembly approach, I also tend to bash and renovate after assembily...not such a good idea but I can't seem to help myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheckMouse Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 WELCOME to the Greenleaf mini-family, Louis – so glad you joined us! As you've already noticed, we love to share news and ideas on all things miniature! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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