Morjem911 Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I've slowly, but surely been making progress on my first house. I've found out I have pretty awesome carpentry skills that I didn't know I had lol! Everything is looking so good that I'm surprised I'm the one who did it!My problem I'm running into, however, is painting my shingles. I made templates of each side of the roof and sprayed them very lightly with stencil adhesive and laid my shingles out on that. Then I used a paper cutter to cut the overhanging shingles. Worked like a charm. When I test colors for them though, it all looks horrible. I've tried paint, which just looks gloopy and then there is no contrast in the shingles and it looks weird. I've tried 50/50 paint and water mixture. I liked this, but it looked too weathered for the house. I tried stain last night, a pecan that left the shingles looking exactly the same, and a gray, that again looked really weathered, like abandoned house weathered. What could I be doing wrong? I'm using the Greenleaf shingle strips.Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 You could try mixing acrylic paint colors to get the shingle color you like, then water it down to a wash and try that. I did that with the Laurel I rehabbed and the wash allows the grain of the wood to show: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Thanks Holly! I liked the wash effect the best, but I worry it will look too weathered for the rest of the house?Maybe that's my problem, I'm using house paint, should I try acrylics instead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Thanks Holly! I liked the wash effect the best, but I worry it will look too weathered for the rest of the house?Maybe that's my problem, I'm using house paint, should I try acrylics instead?Interior latex or oil-based? If oil-based, thin to a wash using turps (outside; turps stink and are also flammable). I used a latex emulsion paint that could be thinned with water, but I have also used thinned acrylic paints to tone down my sandpaper bricks. I suggest next time you are running errands around town you slow down and take a good, hard look at the shingles on the roofs of the houses you pass and see how pristine and new they look. Shingles are exposed to the weather, so over time they do look "weathered.. Try a wash over your weathered shingles and see how they look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 I've never painted shingles on the house or on templates so not sure if that's a factor or not.I've used the dip and dry method, then attaching them on the roof afterwards. I mix the stain or bug juice (weathering mix) in a foil baking pan, put the shingles in a second pan with holes punched in it. Then stick the shingle pan into the stain pan. You can keep dipping and draining to check the color until it's the color you want - remembering that they always dry lighter than when they are wet. You can go back and redo if still not satisfied after drying them flat on paper towel.They sometimes curl when wet but will usually flatten back out when dry. I attach to the prepainted roof with a solvent glue and tape down until dry, working in smaller sections. It's the longer way around but it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Hi Jona.....I have shingles on a Tudor Shop I'm on right now.........I've painted them grey with a standard house paint and then I brush them with oil based pastel to get a variation and the moss of a weathered roof..........You say you're not sure about weathering because the rest of the house isn't but a newly decorated real life house still has a weathered roof! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 I figured out what it is I'm not liking about the weathered look. I love how it looks on other houses, but mine just isn't turning out. I did a test on a strip and half of it looked exactly like I wanted, but the other half looked terrible. It's the roughness on some of the shingles. I feel like it just looks more like a bad paint job than weathered... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) that's why I use real slate tiles. I could never get the wood shingles to look right (in my mind). However, I think the gray looks fine. Look at Robin Carey's Dollhouses. She uses a flat gray paint.http://robincarey.blogspot.com/?m=1 Edited October 25, 2015 by Sable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Try drybrushing another color, or use pastels as Mike suggests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 26, 2015 Author Share Posted October 26, 2015 Thanks everyone!! I just sucked it up and started painting my real shingles... I went with gray. I really liked the suggestion of doing a wash over it. Now, whether or not I can accomplish that and not ruin it we will have to see lol! For all my new found carpentry skills, my painting still stinks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 26, 2015 Author Share Posted October 26, 2015 Yay! Front shingles are done and I like them just as is. It made a big difference seeing a larger section as opposed to a single strip. We're getting there... I bought this at a garage sale and what was already done was done really bad and with hot glue. So I spent a couple weeks with the hairdryer taking it apart and scraping glue. Except for breaking the bottom windows trying to put them back together after I painted them, I'm really happy with how it's turning out! Everyone on this forum has been such a great help!Thanks again!! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debra from Olde Cape Cod Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 This is coming along great! Are you going to put the legs back on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 Very nice. I like the upper window change too. That's a happy house:-)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 26, 2015 Author Share Posted October 26, 2015 Thanks y'all! Oh definitely putting the legs back on! When I first started I wasn't sure what color direction I wanted to go, so I left the legs alone in case I decided to stain them, but looking at it, I'm thinking of painting then white. I'm afraid it's going to look real boring because I'm scared to use another color, but I got black porch lights and black window railing for in front of the second floor windows and for around the top of the roof. Hoping that breaks it up some. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 26, 2015 Author Share Posted October 26, 2015 Oh! And I'm happy with the attic windows, but I only changed them because as I was ungluing everything I was setting the pieces in groups on the floor to keep them together. My daughter was visiting with her new schnauzer puppy and he actually ate one of the sides to one of the dormers! So no dormers was plan B lol! I like it though, so I guess I should thank Winston! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 26, 2015 Share Posted October 26, 2015 The leg might also look pretty with a pickling stain on them, rather than straight paint... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My Miniature Madness Posted October 27, 2015 Share Posted October 27, 2015 Just adorable! I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickyfingers Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 Cute, cute house!! I remember when you first posted this, and what a cool find it was. I think the black trims and accessories you have planned will be perfect! Have you finished the inside yet? Would love to see that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 I've slowly, but surely been making progress on my first house. I've found out I have pretty awesome carpentry skills that I didn't know I had lol! Everything is looking so good that I'm surprised ...... Since you enjoyed the carpentry part of it, may I suggest looking into a night wood shop class at your local high school. I took one of these classes and will never regret it. I learned so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 Thanks everyone!! I hadn't thought about taking a class!I'm so surprised that I've been able to do something like this. I normally mess up and/or just quit every project I start, but I can't wait to get home from work every day to work on this. I think what I like most, is seeing something that was unloved and unwanted turning into something so pretty! So, I think that's what I want to start doing. I really don't feel like I have an interest in building a kit from the ground up, but I love the idea of taking old, unwanted and uncared for houses and fixing them up. I've found a couple on CL that I'm looking at and one on Ebay, all in the somewhat local area. I wanted to get your opinions on if you thought they'd be worth it or not? I of course can't keep a dozen doll houses, but I'm so enjoying working on them, I thought I could fix them up and then sell them? I'm not concerned with making a profit, since I like doing it so much, but I wouldn't mind it lol!The first house I found is on Ebay, it's a horrible, tiny little pic of one side of the inside, and the seller has no feedback, but it's a local pick-up and with PayPal I think you're covered on purchases. Anyway, I asked if they had any more pics and they said they don't have a camera on their phone.... But, it's listed as a 6 room Victorian that needs some work on the outside for $65 or best offer. I was about to write it off, but then I discovered it's actually The Pierce, which I think is gorgeous. So, is that a good deal?Here are the other two I'm looking at driving up to get:http://tulsa.craigslist.org/art/5247675011.htmlhttp://tulsa.craigslist.org/art/5264279311.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbingha Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 (edited) That first craig's list dollhouse looks like a real winner to get going on. That second one, not so much! Definitely doesn't seem worth $60. It appears to have water damaged MDF/particle board. Edited October 28, 2015 by fbingha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sable Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 The second house also looks like it has dry rot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morjem911 Posted October 28, 2015 Author Share Posted October 28, 2015 See, glad I asked! I liked the 2nd one more, because it looked more messed up and needed more love! lol! Took me a minute to get it resized, but here is the last picture I took of the inside of my house. I've put in the wainscoting in the living room, and crown molding in all the rooms since I took this pic. I've also got tables and other furniture for the living room and still need to hang my bathroom mirror and all my other wall hangings for the other rooms, and put my lights in. Since I'd never done it before, I just went with the cell battery lights, instead of 12v. I might try 12v as I get more experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 The second dollhouse definitely looks pathetic; I would offer to take it off their hands for what they're asking, but not if it's really MDF, since I dislike working with MDF. You could always donate your rehabs to charity; Where I lived before I went to former coworkers who were active in their churches and did Christmas gifts for their needy parishioners. One of our members, Anne from New York, builds houses to donate to children with cancer. You might also check with your local women's shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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