Metsavana Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hi There, I wanted to know how other people assembled their miniature houses? I have just started on my first mini home The Orchid. Sorry if I am asking a dumb question or two here but should I sand, prime and then paint my pieces before assembling them. I will be painting the outside of the house not staining it. I understand that I shouldn't paint the tabs or the slots but is it necessary to prime the wood first. I guess the paint would be absorbed into the wood of the house otherwise. I am so new to this experience. Any help will be appreciated. Thank you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Primer seals the wood so that the natural acids contained in the wood, as well as any treatment chemicals, don't leach out and damage the wallpaper or paint that you put over it. The first coat of paint will serve the same function. I wit to prime or pint until AFTER the dry fit, usually after I have begun to glue the house together; if it's an area I won't be able to fit my hands into after its glued I cut strips of masking or painters' tape 1/4" wide and mask off the places where I need to glue things (having traced along both sides whilst it was in dry fit). The two consideration for this are that bare wood adheres to bare wood better (I used carpenters' wood glue) and depending on the primer and paint, a couple of coats might make a difference between the way thing fit in dry fit and the way they'd fit with all the combined coats of paint and primer. Since building is recreational for me, I don't mind taking time for fiddly, tedious prep work that make my finished results look better. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metsavana Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 Thank you for this quick helpful response! I appreciate it. This is my first miniature house and I am very excited about this project. Hella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathi17 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I do what Holly does. It's much easier to prime and paint before the house is finished. You can always touch up anything that needs it later when you fill and touch up the tab and slot stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I guess I wasn't clear; unless I can't fit my hands in once the house is glued together I wait until I have begun assembling the house with glue before I prime and paint or paper. I begin by finishing the floors (unless I'm installing floorboards) and ceilings. I assemble the foundation and outer walls (unless manhandling them to put in the second floor is too much) and then I prime and paint or paper the insides. Once the inside is together and painted/ papered/ stained I mask off the doorways and window openings and prime and paint or otherwise finish the outside. I finish the doors and windows and their trims separately and install them, interior and exterior, at this time. Lastly I install the roof and shingle or put whatever finishing treatment on it. Then I fiddle with floorboards, baseboards, cornices, whatever. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy C Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Like Kathi, I find it easier to prime and sand the pieces before assembly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suej Posted January 26, 2016 Share Posted January 26, 2016 Hi Hella, welcome to the forum! Don't prime your pieces while they are still within the sheets. Somehow it seals around the cutouts and makes it extremely difficult to remove the pieces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlybees Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 On 1/23/2016, 2:03:43, havanaholly said: Primer seals the wood so that the natural acids contained in the wood, as well as any treatment chemicals, don't leach out and damage the wallpaper or paint that you put over it. The first coat of paint will serve the same function. I wit to prime or pint until AFTER the dry fit, usually after I have begun to glue the house together; if it's an area I won't be able to fit my hands into after its glued I cut strips of masking or painters' tape 1/4" wide and mask off the places where I need to glue things (having traced along both sides whilst it was in dry fit). The two consideration for this are that bare wood adheres to bare wood better (I used carpenters' wood glue) and depending on the primer and paint, a couple of coats might make a difference between the way thing fit in dry fit and the way they'd fit with all the combined coats of paint and primer. Since building is recreational for me, I don't mind taking time for fiddly, tedious prep work that make my finished results look better. Holly, so you notice if the wood glue is sturdier than aleene's? I went over all my seams with aleene's and then i used some super glue after that dries. I'm hoping its strong enough for a kiddo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 I only put one house kit together with white all-purpose glue, the SF555, my first one; during that build I discovered carpenter's wood glue & never looked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlybees Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Just now, havanaholly said: I only put one house kit together with white all-purpose glue, the SF555, my first one; during that build I discovered carpenter's wood glue & never looked back. So i just picked up some harbor freight wood glue, is that going to do the trick? Thanks! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 3 hours ago, Scarlybees said: So i just picked up some harbor freight wood glue, is that going to do the trick? Thanks! :) I normally go with Titebond or Probond (Elmer's/ Borden) because it's what the hardware store has. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesp2k Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Titebond recently came out with a white glue called Quick & Thick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 4 hours ago, mesp2k said: Titebond recently came out with a white glue called Quick & Thick. Mike, have you tried it? Does it dry clear, like Elmer's all-purpose white glue? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesp2k Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I 4 minutes ago, havanaholly said: Mike, have you tried it? Does it dry clear, like Elmer's all-purpose white glue? No I haven't tried it yet - they say it does dry clear. Compared to other white glues it dries twice as fast & its 3x as thick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Mike, I'm gonna look for this! Thanks for posting because I use titebond (the yellow wood glue) religiously and love it! I'm gonna buy this one and give it a whirl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesp2k Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 18 minutes ago, Minis On The Edge said: Mike, I'm gonna look for this! Thanks for posting because I use titebond (the yellow wood glue) religiously and love it! I'm gonna buy this one and give it a whirl! Please give us all a review Tracy hehehe... Yeah I've used their yellow wood glue forever & I love it. I was think'n of weather'n a dollhouse outside in the elements (let mother nature do all the work) so I bought Titebond's (submersible) waterproof glue...haven't tried that yet tho... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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