liamlunchtray Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Hi All - I am in the process of building my first Dollhouse - a RGT Painted Lady that I bought my daughter for Christmas. We have planned to put an extra window and door on the right side wall to eventually lead to a deck, and we also want to install a dormer to give the small slanted ceiling room on the 3rd floor a little more useable space. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for cutting openings in 3/8" mdf. My plan is to drill a hole and then use a fine tooth jigsaw blade, but I was wondering if there are any other tips? I had been hoping to find a shed dormer kit that would allow for a couple windows, but I havent found anything at all. My current plan is to use the RGT Gable Dormer kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 MDF eats saw blades, due to the glue & resin content. Also don't forget to wear safety goggles and breathing mask, as the particles raised by sawing/ power sanding are toxic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shannonc60 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Drilling holes and jigsaw is exactly how I cut MDF. It's so hard, there aren't a lot of other (quick) options, but if it's thin MDF, maybe a Dremel. I know others hate MDF, but I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I don't hate MDF, I just love wood. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 I'd use a jig saw too. I use mine for all kinds of unusual projects. It does take some time to get thru the MDF and have a clean cut afterwards though. I'd start with a new blade. Don't try to hurry it, as it will, like Holly said, chew it up a bit. Putting some blue painters tape on either side of the cutting line - top and bottom, can help with that a bit but it's no insurance. As to the dormers, they are fairly easy to make on your own. Draw it up on a paper or cardboard template and then make some cardboard pieces so you can double-check the fit and slant of the roof-line, etc. Then cut it out of foamcore, thin plywood or particle board, etc. It doesn't have to match the MDF necessarily. Once it is all built and trimmed out, no one will be able to see the difference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 Maybe I will give building my own a shot. I was thinking that once it is all together it would look OK. My main concern was getting the bevel cut on the dormer roof where it matches the house roof line. Obviously with foamcore it would be easy, but plywood or MDF would be a bit of a challenge. I will go the painters tape and jig saw route for the door/window. Hopefully we will get to that this weekend. We are needing to put that wall up soon, so I need to get my holes done first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 And now that I think about it, maybe this is the perfect excuse to buy a little router table. Hrmm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 When I bash extra walls in my houses foamcore is the material I use oftenest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minicatmom Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Like they said above use a mask for sure as MDF makes a ton of dust and it will make you cough for days not to mention flies everywhere. . . . trust me on that one. Have fun though, sounds like a good project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 Ok, so fast forward a bit - I got my door and windo hole cut no problem with a drill and a jig saw. They arent as smooth as I would like, but everything fits and with the trim in you cant see any wobbly lines, so thats a success in my book. I also started on a scratch built a shed dormer for the roof. I have it about 80% done and it looks great. I picked up a cheap $100 router table combo at lowes and used it to cut my bevels and match the two end triangles to each other using a flush cut router bit, which was fantastic. Its my new favorite tool. By the end of this weekend I should have the dormer complete minus the siding, which brings me to my next task - figuring out what to use for siding.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 When it's painted up after it's on the build I've seen siding done from strips of posterboard that I wouldn't have guessed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 I think I will end up buying mdf milled clapboards so it matches the rest of the house. I just wish I didnt have to buy a whole bundle of it as I really need vary little. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris P. Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 That sounds like the perfect siding solution, Liam. The MDF siding on my RGT dollhouse was annoying. It soaked up paint and needed a lot of sanding between coats. That said, it looked fantastic after I took the time to do it right. Yours will look lovely with matching siding. I can't wait to see your photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrchob Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I think I will end up buying mdf milled clapboards so it matches the rest of the house. I just wish I didnt have to buy a whole bundle of it as I really need vary little. Have you called RGT to see if they would sell you a small amt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonzo Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Liam...Real Good Toys (who manufactures your Painted Lady) is running a special right now on stripwood bundles. It might be a good way for you to get what you need. http://www.realgoodtoys.com/products/stripwood-bundle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 Doh - I didn't see this until now. I ended up buying some MDF clapboards from miniatures.com. I got it all cut to fit last night and have the first couple coats of paint on it. With any luck I should have it all together and the roof on the house later this week. I'll post a pic when I get it in place. I think my custom dormer came out really nice. There are a few things I would do differently if I were doing it again, but I am very pleased with it for a first attempt at a custom modification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 Here is my scratch built dormer on my Painted Lady. I also added the window and door on the 1st floor that will eventually open out to a deck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liamlunchtray Posted April 15, 2013 Author Share Posted April 15, 2013 I got the peak of the tower dry fit today and my daughter and I both realized that it needs a window and dormer too, so back to the design board.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patsea Posted April 15, 2013 Share Posted April 15, 2013 Awesome! Love what you have done on this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLI Designs Posted May 5, 2016 Share Posted May 5, 2016 Love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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