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First Build - Princess Anne - Am I Crazy?


Pivot

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I've always wanted to build a dollhouse and finally decided to take the leap and just do it. I fell in love with the Beacon Hill dollhouse from Greenleaf and the Princess Anne from RGT. I've read lots of comments that the Beacon Hill dollhouse was a tough build so I thought I'd try the Princess Anne first. I bought the plywood version reading that it is lighter. Hope that wasn't a mistake.

Now, it's arrived and I am starting to panic and I've made myself crazy with all my google searches. I've been lurking at this site for ages admiring all of your work and expertise. It made me feel like I could do this project. 

I am hoping if I break this down into workable steps it won't seem overwhelming. And having the supplies/work area set-up would make me less stressed. However, every website has different lists of the general supplies I'll need but these seem to be the common items:

Plastic tarp to protect desk

Masking Tape, wood glue, tacky glue, wallpaper paste

Paint brushes, primer and exterior paint

Emery boards, tweezers, toothpicks, Sand Paper, rubber bands, waxed paper

Exacto knife, blades, and gridded green cutting mat

Metal ruler, carpenter's square, and scale ruler

latex gloves, wipes, rags and eye protection

Wood putty, clamps

Fine pliers, wire cutters (nippers??), EZ cutter

Gray shingle dye

If I do electricity - test probe, pilot hole punch, Brad holder

Is that everything or do I need anything else?

And for exterior paint, it seems like I should use regular paint and not craft paint. And to use a satin finish. Other than that, there isn't anything special I need to use right? Can I use a paint with the primer mixed right in? That's what I did at my actual house.

 

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The basics I began with were a Stanley utility knife with retractable blades (cheap), a cork-backed steel straight edge, the self-healing cutting mat and lots of masking tape.  Also wood glue, white glue and sandpaper.  And lots of clamps.  You can't have too many clamps.  As you build different houses you'll add other things you find helpful.  There' no reason not to begin with the Beacon Hill, if that's the one that calls your name.

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I have not built this house, but I did just finish another RGT house.  I believe they recommend tacky glue for putting the parts together.  Holly is right that a ruler, clamps, a utility knife or Xacto knife and a mat (plus tape for holding together things that don't clamp well) are all pretty essential.  I used regular house paint on my exterior, and it was fine.  I don't know why you couldn't use paint and primer in one.  You don't necessarily need shingle dye.  You can create your own dye from steel wool and vinegar, and it works really well.  Waxed paper is good for painting and gluing on, and tweezers always come in handy.  You don't need to buy everything now, because you won't be using everything now. 

The first time you see instructions that go on for pages, it really can be a bit overwhelming.  Just take it one step at a time.  Make sure that each step is completed, and that everything that needs to be is straight and true, before moving on to the next step, and remember that it doesn't all have to get done today.  :-)  Taking your time on a build can be part of the fun.  (And be sure to take pictures along the way!)  You absolutely can do this, and you will feel so accomplished when you are done. 

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Don't freak out, would be my advice. Also, unless you set fire to it, it's just wood, and most everything can be repaired or improved if you make a mistake. It seems very intimidating to see this pile of little wood bits and pages and pages of sometimes cryptic instructions, but you can do it! Read the instructions through at least several times before you do anything. I find it helpful to have pieces laid out while I'm reading, so I can actually see what they're describing.

I always make up a folder for the build. Buy a cheap school folder or a binder. I put instructions in the front pocket, notebook paper in the brads, and paint chips, stain samples, and any other loose bits (HBS catalogue, magazine clippings, etc.) in the back pocket. I make notes about construction, to-do lists, shopping lists, room measurements, random ideas, etc. on the notebook paper.

I really like the paint sample pots from the hardware store. It's better quality than craft paint, costs less, and you can get any color you want. The "paint plus primer" is a marketing gimmick. They add things to improve adhesion and extra pigments for better coverage, but you really do still need to use a proper primer, especially on bare wood. Thorough sanding and careful painting makes a huge difference in the final product, so take your time. If you haven't done much sanding and painting before, practice on some scrap wood first.

I'm not a fan of the shingle dye. I have bought both colors, and the brown turned my shingles Cheeto orange. It took a lot of rinsing, soaking and finally bleach to get them back to a useable color. I actually just dumped the whole lot of my shingles in the dye without doing a test piece. I was going to use the gray for the Orchid, but it gave a weird purple cast to the wood, so I didn't use it, either. $20 worth of dye down the drain...Minwax makes a water based stain that comes in lots of colors, so I would use that instead. When I used the gray, I cut it in half with water to get the look I was after. There's pics of my shingles in my Orchid album. Always test any kind of dye or stain on a scrap of your wood first, before you commit to the whole thing.   

Good luck, and come back to ask questions any time!

 

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Interior not exterior paint. Primer separate. Sometimes you need to sand in between primer before painting. Sanding after painting doesn't sand the raised wood, it just sands paint. 

You need to prime the walls under wallpaper so you need to buy primer anyway.

Dont use brads! Use eyelets.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've finally started moving on this house. I got the corners squared and figured out where I am going to paint/stain/wallpaper and am doing the first primer and/or paint coat now.

After putting the house together with a dry fit (which I sucked at), I am realizing I need to make sure this house is very stable after it is finished because I am moving it from my house to my niece's house. I am thinking about attaching a plywood foundation to the base of the house and using that to help with moving so we don't have to actually hold on to the house when moving it.

Has anyone moved their dollhouses after completion and have any suggestions on what to do ahead of time?

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Thanks for the suggestions on everything guys. I really appreciate it. 

I've decided to just concentrate on one thing at a time so I get less overwhelmed. Right now that is going to be getting the exterior painted properly.

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All of the Real Good Toy Houses I have built, including the Princess Anne are very stable when completed. Putting it on a base would let you do some landscaping. I drove Victoria's Farmhouse from Grand Rapids to Syracuse without doing anything special and it arrived all intact. I did make sure it could not slide around.

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Thanks that is a big sigh of relief. I am not going to rush out and buy plywood for the base then. I did decide to make it a bit easier by assembling the house on the main level instead of the top floor of my house. I live in a townhouse with narrow staircases that make carrying stuff up and down them difficult.

I got the first layer of exterior paint up. My niece wanted a pink house and boy is it pink. It was fun and much easier than I expected. 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

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Amy, this is only my opinion but the houses with ⅜" walls are much easier to build the the thin walled doll houses.  There is so much more work to get the ⅛"wood ready on these houses. My very first house was a thin walled house and it was was 3 story, L-shaped monster.  I think the only reason I got through it was, I was in my 20's, no children yet and my eyesight was 20/10.  

I've done some of each over these many  years.  I just finished the Newport and am working on the Orchid.  I am glad it is a little house and it will turn out nice in the end.  

But mostly, don"t panic.  Read and reread the instructions and keep things organized. If I could get the Princess Anne, I'd be thrilled.  Good Luck and I know it will be amazing when  finished.

Pam

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I have built the front opening version of this houseI a few times. I put the RGT houses together with glue and tiny brands (I used a nail gun). They are extremely durable and don't really need to be mounted. I do recommend that you prime and paint (or paper) as you go. 

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Amy - lots of good advice from fellow members here - best is to take your time, and that 'mistakes' can be fixed.

For the first time ever, I've painted cedar shingles once they were attached to the house. I used a watered down version of grey paint, did a first coat, and decided I still wanted to go darker, so did a second coat - grey, some black paint and then watered it down. I love the final effect. I've never tried the dye or stain. 

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Thanks for all the good advice guys.

It is coming along slowly. I am planning on assembling the house next weekend after I finish the sanding/painting the exterior. Once it actually looks like a house and not a million pieces I'll feel so much better. 

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I had a really bad day today in dollhouse land. I wrecked my shingles trying to dye them using the toss them in stain method. It was a disaster. They stuck together and started breaking. Had to trash the whole bunch and order more. Which isn't the end of the world, but more money than I wanted to spend. For the next batch, I am planning on glueing them on first and then painting. 

Then, I started painting the first layer of paint on the interior and had a complete brain fart and painted the wrong end of two different pieces. The paint is a darker peach. One of the pieces was supposed to be painted a light blue. The other piece was supposed to be wallpapered. 

Any suggestions on how to fix my paint mistake? For the wallpaper side, I think I can sand it down and cover it in primer so the wallpaper will stick (or I hope). For the other side, I am not sure if I should paint all the rest of the pieces that will be blue with the dark peach and then sand it down and cover it with white paint and then light blue paint. Not sure if I need to do that or if I can just fix the problem piece and then paint all the rest white and then peach.

I am so frustrated with this mistake. I was working too fast and not thinking.

Lastly, how the heck do you paint the porch rails? They keep rolling around on me and look horrible. Do I just sand them down and wait until I put the porch together to paint? 

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Pivot - I completely understand your frustration. We have all been there. First, take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is fun. Everything can be fixed.

I have never been very successful with using wood stain and dredging my shingles either. I have come to use paint washes in the color tone that I want my roof to be. Just water down your acrylic paint and test pieces until you get the right shade. Let it dry completely, as it changes a lot from wet to dry. You can always apply more washes, so it is better to start with more water than less (a couple teaspoons of water to a couple tablespoons of paint). Be sure that your shingle glue is completely dry - like overnight, before you begin your color washes.

If you prime the painted mistake pieces, you will be able to paint and wallpaper over them as planned. Just be sure to use a good wallpaper glue, such as Yes, Grandmother Stover's, or Wallpaper Mucilage. I always prime my walls before I wallpaper, so that the wood tone of the wall does not darken it.

For the porch rails - stick the ends in Styrofoam to paint them. I find Krylon spray paint gives the best finish on fiddly little wood parts. The acrylic paints can sometimes leave "hairs" which you then have to sand and re-coat. Pain in the backside.

Sometimes I get in a hurry and make mistakes, too. I have made some whoppers in my time, and you just learn to make lemonade and laugh. 

Good luck!

Hugs

Jodi

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Thanks for the encouragement and ideas.

The styrofoam cup is a great idea. Definitely going to use that. 

I'll use primer to fix the paint mistakes too. 

And I would never have thought of watering down my acrylic paint. I was just going to buy stain and paint that on. I, of course, already painted the roof to match the stain I thought I'd be using. But, as long as I get an acrylic paint close to that color I should be fine. 

Thanks again.

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If you're going to install your shingles first, I have done that and the problem I ran into was getting the wash up under the lower courses   If I were to do it again I would install a row and wash or stain it before the next row.

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I started assembly on the house today. It's about 1/2 of the way done with only one minor mistake (that we caught in time) so far. Pretty proud of myself I have to say. It isn't perfect, but it looks better than I expected. Tomorrow we are doing the bay portion and the foundation. Followed by the roof. 

I should be able to get it finished by my niece's birthday which I didn't think was possible before assembly today. So relieved that it is standing.

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So, I made a massive mistake in the dollhouse (so much for feeling good about myself). I flipped the middle floor around so the stair opening is in the wrong spot. I measured it like 15 times and must have flipped it at the last minute. 

So the top floor is in the right spot but the middle floor isn't. So, neither staircase fits. Is there any way to fix this?  I was going to try to do split level stairs instead. But am not sure if that would work.

Ugh, I am such a moron.

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