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First house - RGT Country Victorian


Luci

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Hello everyone,

I am in the middle of building my first house and I'm stoked! I'm retired and finally have the time and patience to make a dollhouse. I've got the outside almost completed - just need to shingle the roof. I'm waiting for warmer weather so I can stain the shingles.

i am super lucky to have a crafty husband who has been providing guidance, ideas, extra pair of hands and muscle when needed. He is also willing to listen to me go on and on about my project (now that is something! :-). Not only that, he has had many hobbies over the years and still possesses small-scaled tools and various supplies that he kindly donated to my workshop.  I was planning to make hardwood floors with Popsicle sticks and spent the better part of an evening cutting the tips off a pile. It was hard work and I didn't even have enough for one room! My husband remembered that he has a pile of veneers left over from marquetry work he did in the '70s! He them made a jig to cut them in perfect 1/2" strips.  My house will have the most beautiful maple floors. 

I'm on my way to Toronto for the weekend and plan to stop in at The Little Dollhouse Company for a lighting kit and misc building supplies. I love the front-opening aspect of the model but didn't like the fact that the back had no windows. So I cut some out, big bay for the living room, small ones for the kitchen and bathroom, and one for each bedroom.  The dining room is going in the central room and I realize that I should have cut one out for that room also.  The exterior is finished so I will have to be careful cutting it out

I've  decided to go with the round wiring instead of the tape but I'm worried about future troubleshooting if part of the system fails and has to be repaired or replaced. I understand that the installation is pretty permanent. I'd be interested in hearing your experiences in using round wiring vs tape and the pros and cons especially from those of you who have done both.

I would also like to hear your advice on the glue to use to install the veneer on the floors. I've done some testing with No More Nails glue and find it impossible to avoid getting glue on top, to which the stain won't take. 

Thank you all in advance for your feedback.

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Welcome to the forum.  Last August I bought one (filled with furniture minus a kitchen and a toilet) in need of rehab.  Not all the electrical was working, so my husband (who has rewired our real life house twice over the years) redid the wiring for me.  The original builder used Cir-Kit round wire, but did not hide it very well.  We replaced what didn't work and continued with the round wire.  We did have to cut some new openings and grooves for the wiring and hid some ceiling wires with heavy paper.

I am learning more about this house.  I did not realize the house came without back windows.  Looking more closely at mine, I am beginning to think the builder of my house made it from plans from the book "The Houseworks Dollhouse Plan Book Build 3".  My house has 7 windows and a door (out the dining room) in the back.  One of the windows is crooked (will hide with curtain from inside and not too horribly noticeable out back).

I like the look of your steps better.  Your house looks like only two steps.  Mine has three steps and railings and looks like a little person would run into the bay if not careful.  I am almost thinking about moving the steps to the other side of the porch.  I like your outside color choice.

I posted some pictures when I got my house, but there was a glitch in the upload at that time and the pictures are not with my albums.  I can find them and others if I do a search for RGT Country Victorian in the gallery.  I really should upload my pictures again correctly to get them with my other albums.

You have enough posts on the forum so you can post pictures in the Member's Gallery.  I look forward to see the progress you make on this house.

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Thank you thriftymini for your feedback.

I've got a sting of mini lights from the dollar store that would make perfect pot lights in the living room. If I use them I'm afraid that I won't be able to replace them if something goes wrong with them. But on the other hand, I could go out and buy a more exp naive set somewhere else and there's no guarantee it's  not made by the same company that made the dollar store one ;-).

Was just talking to DH and it occurred to me that I could glue the veneer strips of the floor above the living room on a subfloor that can be removed to get at the wiring.  What would be the best material to use for a subfloor? 

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7 hours ago, Luci said:

...a subfloor that can be removed to get at the wiring.  What would be the best material to use for a subfloor? 

A piece of good, sturdy cardstock, like poster board.  If you glue your baseboards  to the wall and not to the floor you can slide the floor in & out for troubleshooting the wiring.

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