weezah Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Sanding wood might appear to make it smooth, but in reality the ends of the wood fibers are just "abused" like a split end on a hair and are laying down. Any application of a stain or topcoat (water based much more than oil based) cause those fibers to swell and stand up off the surface of the wood again. The best way to handle it is to just accept that it will happen to some extent and not worry about sanding too smoothly at first. Apply your paint and then go over it again with a light sanding to remove those stray fibers and then paint again. If you are staining, sanding after staining may start to remove some of the color. Wait until your first coat of topcoat is on (Shellac is great cause it dries so quickly) then give it a buff with 320 stearated sandpaper or 0000 steel wool to remove those stray fibers then apply another coat of shellac. This also helps to eliminate any surface contamination caused by dust settling as the paint or topcoat dries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezah Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Green painters tape will stick quite well if the wood surface is free of dust. I keep an old paintbrush handy to give things a quick swipe before I try to use the tape. Stick one side and rub it with the edge of your fingernail then stretch it around the corner and do the same on the other side. The fingernail rub is the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Joanne, why are you using a foam brush? If you don't overload a regular bristled paintbrush and just lay nice, smooth, even strokes, you'll get a lovely finish without snagging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Holly, I was using a foam brush because I had read that there are often fewer streaks / obvious paint strokes in the finish. Plus it seemed to cover faster. I had considered switching to a brush to see if I still had the same problem, but just hadn't gotten there yet. Unfortunately, I'm moving at a snail's pace (which is super frustrating, but it is what it is - never should have tried to make my own doors on my first house!!) I will switch to a brush for what's left - most of the painting is done, I will just need to do touch ups and final details, really. Thanks for chiming in!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 ... Unfortunately, I'm moving at a snail's pace (which is super frustrating, but it is what it is - never should have tried to make my own doors on my first house!!) ... Well, snails pace goes with the saying slow and steady wins the race. I'm probably the worlds slowest builder and I mean in forever!! You are almost finished your first house and my first house was purchased in the 1980's and it's not done yet!! Not trying to have a competition - just saying, slow is not bad. Sometimes the journey is the best part - for real !! Once you are done with it, you'll either be starting another or renovating what you built with new ideas you just came up with. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 I'm laughing a little, Selkie... I have a Coventry kit, a Primrose kit, an Arthur to rehab....I guess I could always just give in and have 4 projects going at once.... LOL I already decided I need some sort of inventory system for keeping track all the little do-dads I've picked up. Thanks for the support =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I tried a foam brush once because I was getting brush strokes when I painted the Westville's livingroom walls; I was STILL getting brush strokes! It turned out the paint I was using didn't like the primer. I sanded two of the walls and painted them again more successfully, and papered a mural onto the third. Back when we were still doing team builds I got fairly good at building fast, but after over three years of nowhere to build I've slowed 'way back down to a snail' pace myself, and I'm much happier with the results.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 For posterity's sake: More progress!!! In the last few days, I have : - created french doors for the connection between the dining room and kitchen. They are ready to install, just waiting for a little space on the work table. - created an interior door for the bathroom. Just waiting for paint to dry, then will be able to sandwich the 2 halves together, and that will be ready to install. - glued the interior window frame and trim and sill, so that I can judge how tall the paneling I plan to put in needs to be. I think I may need to dry fit the floor and baseboards for this decision, too... - finished painting the staircase, I think. 3 coats of paint should be good...we'll see when it dries!! So... progress is progress, right? There is still nothing together to speak of, but more things are ready or about to be ready to put together... I keep saying "next weekend I can start gluing"... one of these weeks, it will be true!! I'm excited about starting on furnishings for the house. I have a lot of do-dads and small finishing touches, and even some actual furniture, but some of the rest of it will be a little longer to come together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted April 12, 2015 Author Share Posted April 12, 2015 I keep making little steps of progress that don't FEEL like progress because there is STILL nearly nothing glued together. I've made and installed an interior door upstairs and french door downstairs. I've made paneling for 2 of the 3 bathroom walls, and will be working on the 3rd soon. I'm torn about installing it - clearly it would be easier to install while the walls can still be flat, so that I can weight it down and get a good seal all the way across, BUT I may need to have the walls together to make sure the sizing is correct. Just one more of those things that I will figure out as I go!! One step backwards to keep track of...when I installed the wallpaper for the living room, I had to piece it together (printables from the internet printed on cardstock). Sometime in either the installation or the drying, the paper seems to have either shifted or shrunk a little, and now there are gaps. SO, I plan to remove the paper I have in there now and replace it the printable on legal size cardstock instead, so the entire wall will be one piece of paper instead of pieces. There's a picture of the paneling I made for the bathroom in my Orchid gallery - it's skinny sticks alternating with round toothpicks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Your paneling looks perfect! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Always love a good paneling like that. It's fresh and clean. Great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I keep making little steps of progress that don't FEEL like progress because there is STILL nearly nothing glued together. .... I've made paneling for 2 of the 3 bathroom walls, and will be working on the 3rd soon. I'm torn about installing it - clearly it would be easier to install while the walls can still be flat, so that I can weight it down and get a good seal all the way across, BUT I may need to have the walls together to make sure the sizing is correct. Just one more of those things that I will figure out as I go!! ... There's a picture of the paneling I made for the bathroom in my Orchid gallery - it's skinny sticks alternating with round toothpicks. Joanne, draw on the patience you seem to have in abundance. All of the little steps you are taking have a cumulative effect. One morning you'll wake up and be astounded at how beautiful your house is. As for wanting the walls together to adjust sizing for the lovely paneling, this is where dry fit is your friend. You'll have the house or parts of it in and out of dry fit several times before you hit the glue bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 I posted a few pictures, one with a question.... I am stuck as to what to do with the wall in the bathroom that connects to the roof.... paneling on part, all, or just paint?? This newbie has no clue what the answer may be!!! I'm pretty happy with how it's coming together, but I'm realizing that I may have to be happy with "good enough" instead of ACTUALLY good...LOL Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 I posted this reply in your gallery but decided to duplicate it here for those that do not go to the albums. "Just to throw out another thought ... Maybe it would make more visual sense to you if you use up some of the eaves area and made a straight kneewall that matched the height of the paneling you've built. Then it will go around the room symmetrically. The space you "loose" isn't really that functional anyway,,,. Just a thought. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 ...I am stuck as to what to do with the wall in the bathroom that connects to the roof....paneling on part, all, or just paint?? This newbie has no clue what the answer may be!!!....I may have to be happy with "good enough" instead of ACTUALLY good... What does the house want? Ask it, listen to the answer and go with it. The knee wall is a thought. You aren't in a race, it's OK to change your mind and do over. By the way, your door looks very nice, why not give it some door hardware to dress it up (where does the door go? she asks). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 On my first build, an Orchid of course, I dealt with the upstairs roof wall by building two false walls. In the sewing room I "build in" some cupboard space behind a knee wall. The doors are just glued on the wall, don't open. In the center section I made a false wall that is removable to hint at a bathroom in the gable area. There is an old fashioned tub (resin) and a shelf with towels, etc. that came from the scrap booking section at Michaels. See cupboard & wall installed here. See the bedroom with the "beaded doorway". It's actually a novelty yarn. Detail: False cupboard doors. Detail: False wall under construction. Detail: Hip bath Detail: shelf unit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted April 22, 2015 Author Share Posted April 22, 2015 What does the house want? Ask it, listen to the answer and go with it. The knee wall is a thought. You aren't in a race, it's OK to change your mind and do over. By the way, your door looks very nice, why not give it some door hardware to dress it up (where does the door go? she asks). The knee wall that was suggested was honestly my first thought. I didn't know what it was called or if it was a real thing or if it would work...so I didn't list it in my ideas, because I wasn't sure how to describe it. I'm going to keep playing and see what happens....but I'm really leaning toward the knee wall. I plan to do a doorknob for sure!!! And maybe even a hook for a robe!! I need to find hardware for the french doors in the dining room, too...I think I have some, somewhere - I've picked up so many bits and pieces, and I don't have a good method for keeping track of them all so far!! This door leads into an area that can't decide if it wants to be a closet or a dressing room or a combination of the two... all I know right now is that it is a turquoise blue-ish green color (there is a picture somewhere of the wallpaper it matches...it's a diamond pattern with red accents) and has a skinny-stick wood floor stained like the kitchen floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 Oh goody. Can't wait to see what you come up with. Sounds like it will be some work but will be worth it. Graph paper helps a lot when you are trying to make patterns. I have one of those cheap composition notebooks that has graph paper in it instead of writing lines. I lug it around in a small cloth bag with a little pencil case for moments of inspiration (you know, like when the dentist is running late and you are all irritated. - tee hee hee) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 The good(ish) news.... I have officially glued walls and floors. It's a structure instead of pieces. I haven't glued the front on, because I want to finish wallpaper for the living room - I'm hoping that will be finished tomorrow. The bad(ish) news... it seems a little wonky. We (meaning mostly my father-in-law, but at my instruction) created new walls and floors, and I'm thinking maybe not everything was 100% square. So, I think there will be some tinkering. I'm just crossing my fingers at this point that it will not mean taking EVERYTHING apart. Time will tell!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Oh, Joanne. Sounds like it's time to bring on the smoke and mirrors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Joanne, DH has cut new walls and floors for me that I have had to use my utility knife and many new blades and my cork-backed steel ruler to straighten out. I have begged him to use fence when he cuts, but nowadays I just grab a push stick and cut the parts myself, or let him do it for me and fix them afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weezah Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 JoAz.... if you forgot to do nail holes, you can do them now. Piercing the wood with a sharp awl will break the topcoat and then just dab some stain on the areas. The stain will soak into the wood where the holes are but won't affect the color of the rest of it because the varnish is already cured. FYI... amber shellac is a great substitute for varnish. It has a lovely warm glow and dries almost as fast as you can apply it. Since it uses methyl hydrate (alcohol) as a solvent instead of mineral spirits like most stain, it won't lift any of the color if you want to apply it before the stain has completely dried (after all, its not fine furniture we are making). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PepperJoAz Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Adding a comment to track progresss - New roof pieces have been created, including adding a dormer to the Primrose portion to match the Orchid portion. Living room is nearly complete. Trim is installed, carpet is installed. Separating wall is not glued, stairs are not glued. I need to add the sash under the window, create a small wood floor patch for in front of the front door, and touch up some paint. But progress, and I think it looks pretty =) Making a floor for the dining room now, with balsa wood strips (Michael's was out of skinny sticks...). Considering staining it Golden Oak instead of Cherry like the other floors in the house... not sure how it will look to have a different color floor, though. I am thinking of remaking the wainscotting for the bathroom. The pieces I've made just look more and more crooked and bleh the longer I look at it. I think the skinny sticks I used were not very regular with their width, and it shows. I think using balsa wood will make it easier to make it all very even and it will look much better. It's a lot of work, though!! I have the summer off, so I'm hoping to get a lot done. I'd love to have this finished before August!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Joanne, test the stain and whatever finish you plan to put on on the balsa before you put in the whole floor. You may find that the soft balsa does not make for smooth flooring. Sometimes staining or painting and sanding raises more fibers than it tames. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Joanne, I find basswood in the same mini lumber displays at hobby shops as the balsa, and its lot more satisfactory for making mini wood items. I don't use skinny ssticks for flooring I use the iron-on wood veneer that I cut into board" lengths and split into widths more in scale with regular flooring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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