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I am new to this site and have enjoyed reading someof the helpful hints.

I am also new to dollhousing and desperately need help. Having followed the directions (and I never follow directions- so now I am being punishd) in the Greenleaf Garfield kit, I put on all the windows before approaching the siding. I have been able to get the interior windows off to facilitate wallpapering, but the outside window frames are on too firmly to remove. Now I am having a heck of a time trying to cut the siding to fit around the window moldings, and a heck of an expensive time too as the siding is too fragile to bear much of my manipulation. I've tried cutting out tracing paper templates but they're just not exact enough with the bulk of the windows.

What can I do?

1. give up the idea of clapboard siding (I am using 3/8" Houseworks 3 1/2' high siding) ?

2. Order and use Greenleaf's single strips and cut each one? (This seems asking for tedious disaster and poorly aligned strips)

3. rip off all the windows, throw the broken pieces out and put in new ones?

Better ideas would be warmly welcomed. And while you are in helping mode- directions suggest staining or painting after applying siding. is this correct?

Thank you all in advance for your time and help.

PM

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Hi, I also have the garfield. (my 1st dollhouse) I only have the foundation and two walls up and was scared at it's size so I built the willowcrest. (it was 50% off, so I choose that one)It went together easily. I put on the siding first. Anyway, to get to my point... I just finished the fairfield (yes, pics are coming :D :lol: ). I bought stucco at Michaels arts and crafts. It was so easy to put on...before windows and such. I put it on a little too thick in areas so it cracked, but I think I like it now, gives it character. Stucco may be an idea for you. It might be easier to get around the windows. Hope that helps

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:D Hi! I haven't done a Garfield, but I'm working on a dollhouse that I put the windows on first and then put on the same siding that you are using. I know that frustration that you are feeling! Here are a few tips that I picked up:

1. Yes the paper templates are the way to go. Keep working with the template until it is a perfect fit and then trace it onto the siding. Go ahead and cut out a whole bunch of paper strips the same width as your siding so you don't have to keep cutting them out along the way.

2. When you are cutting the holes out of the siding for the windows, cut them slightly smaller than you think you need. You can always cut off a little more, but you can't put a little back. Sandpaper works great to shave just a little off to make the fit perfect.

3. No matter how careful you are, you are going to end up with some gaps around the windows. This is easy to fix with wood putty. Wood putty is your friend! Get lots of it! I prefer the kind that squirts out of a tube instead of the kind in a tub. This may not work as well if you were planning on staining the siding but if you plan on painting, it covers up very nicely.

4. Speaking of painting, I painted my strips before glueing them on and then just touched up where I had used wood putty when things were dry. You could probably just wait until you are completely done if you wanted to.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your Garfield and let us know how things are going!

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If you used white glue to put your window on, you may be able to use a mixture of warm water and vinegar to remove it. This hint was on the old forum and helped me with some of my mistakes along the way. I hope this helps.

If you used a glue gun, try holding a hair dryer over it to melt it enough to remove the windows.

Peggi

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Welcome Phyllis to the Community!

What type of glue was used? If hot glue was used you can use a blow dryer and the heat will soften the glue so you can take the windows apart. The only other thing I can think of is to purchase new window frames and glue them on top of the other ones to make them larger or you could create new ones from clay and do the same thing (add them on top of the ones in place to give the added depth you need). :D

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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow! That's beautifully finished.

The Garfield has some similarities to the Fairfield (but bigger, obviously). I wonder if it would be possible to bash it into a 1" Fairfield? (I was wondering the other day why the Fairfield isn't available in 1" scale...)

I don't really like how the Garfield is kind of asymmetrical. It's also way bigger than I have space for. But f I ever get my hands on a Garfield kit, I might consider turning it into something a little smaller...

(NO! STOP IT! TOO MANY PROJECTS ALREADY!!! :D)

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Emily, You really got my mind spinning with the thought of turning the Garfield into a 1" fairfield. MMmmmm :D There realy may be a way to do this! Please tell us some ideas. I LOVE Love LOVE your Fairfield and really like looking along as you progress.

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I'd have to look at the Garfield in pieces to know if it would work or not. Just seems like there are a lot of similarities in the shapes of the walls (but the Garfield has more of them!) If you look at the Garfield picture on Greenleaf's site, the left part of the porch is like the Fairfield's. On the Fairfield it cuts off to the right of the stairs, though. Also the tower on the Garfield is not square, like the Fairfield's, but I don't see why that would be a problem.

I've noticed in pictures of the Westville that the staircase is essentially the same as the one in the Fairfield (including the closet part! But the Fairfield's is a bookshelf.)

It might be more trouble than it's worth. But the Garfield has always seemed kind of sprawling and unruly to me, and the Fairfield has a nice symmetrical shape. I also love how the Fairfield can be looked at from two sides.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, gee, I was gone for awhile and come back to a whole new place! I'm glad I still had a key to get in here!! :D

Hadda stop working on my Garfield for awhile...company, illness, cat problems, storm damage...but am getting ready to glue on the roof,

and the next step will be siding. How do I figure out how much siding I need? I tend to overestimate and now have this box of "extras" which I'll have to sell on eBay or something.. :lol: but I'd really like to know how to "guesstimate" more accurately on a purchase this large.

Thanks1

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I tend to overestimate and now have this box of "extras" which I'll have to sell on eBay or something..

something trying to get you ready for your next project. :D

nutti :lol:

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re amount of siding for garfield- i used 2 packages of the long siding (24"?) 3.5 " high and one package of 12". But i wasted a lot becasue I had great difficulty fitting around window frames glued on tightly enough to resist any method of removal- and lots of touble with fitting angles. next time i'll side the house before the windows, roof, doors, everything! I'm sure someone with a better sense of 3-D could piece better and use less.

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I have the Garfield See the pictures this was a basket case had to fabricate three wall I used 1"x36" 1/16" strips it took 40 strips to go around the house set at 3/4" spaceing its about 2yards around the house I also used jumbo popsicls sticks for the gables , All the other siding I seen seamed to small for the portion of the house

I have not put the Windows in I can't decide if I want them inside, or under the siding or something tolal diffrent

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Thank you for the compelment on the floor and staircase :

Yes they are from scratch I used a axto knife until " hydroped " suggested a (Easy cutter) found one at the hobby shop and I love it used on all the angle cuts I needed from floor, to shingles, to siding, its a great tool . I think the siding was easy just took my time. Draw a line at the the 3/4 " to get the right amount that you want to be the revile, I used a mixture of tackty glue and tightbond III wood glue to make sure that it would not shift used pins to hold it till it dryed.

Hope this helped :p

My next thing is the windows. Another member had a comment on a router table for the dermal to do molding. I just finish making the table now I need the bits for the dermal .

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Donnalee, Check out www.widgetsupply.com for Dremel bits, I got a half dozen 1/8" router bits from them for >$3 (plus shipping) to rout the table tops for stringers for the kitchen tables I make.

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