Greenleaf Sugarplum - pre-assembly questions

[Jenny1979]

Hi!  I just started working on the Greenleaf Sugarplum, my first dollhouse, and have some pre-assembly questions:

I would like to seal and paint the 3 interior walls as well as seal the floors PRIOR to assembling/gluing it.  Can this be done?  And if so, can I still use wood glue or do I need to use a different kind?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!  

   

[KathieB]

Sure, Jenn. Wood glue works best on raw wood. You may want to do a dry fit first and mark with a pencil where the sections will be glued. Then take it apart and paint and prime, but not the areas that will be glued. Cover it with painters tape or paint very carefully.

"Dry fit" refers to assembly using tape and/or clamps to hold pieces in place. Useful if slots and tabs need adjusting for a perfect fit.

[havanaholly]

Jenn, KathieB is straight on!  Once you do your dry fit and tape off the areas you'll want to glue you can do whatever prep work you wish.  Rarely the plywood might have a flaw that won't sand away.  A skim coat of spackling compound or drywall "mud"  sanded smooth once it dries will give a lovely surface for paint or wall covering.  If I want wood floors I go ahead and stain the floor side whatever color I want my floors to be.  Then I cut the iron-on wood veneer into 6" lengths and split them into 1/4" widths and iron them onto my floors, staggering them to look like floor boards, then give them their stain and a final "sanding" with a crumpled piece of brown paper bag.  I have also scribed floor boards onto the bare floor piece first and then stained it.

[Jenny1979]

Thank you!