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Step-by-Step Directions for first time builders?


debramt

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I came back for my 50th highschool reunion in 2010 and doubt I'll ever come back unless my buddy in Palm Beach Gardens invites us to visit. We stayed at Jonathan Dickenson State Park while we were there, so it wasn't too bad. We went by my old house and it has been cobbled and added onto over the years.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks so much for the link to the Warm Up page! I am new to dollhouses - just started building the Newport with my 9 year. She is helping paint, and we are getting the base assembled today. The warm up was just what we needed to help with decisions about the next step.

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Hi there,

Could you tell me if you dry fit before or after you prepare the pieces, i.e. sand and prime? Also, after you sand and prime how to you keep track of what is what?

I am hoping to jump in tomorrow with my first dollhouse.

Thank you.

I'm not aware of a You-Tube video, but I have posted a basic "getting started" list that you can do a search for here, that is basically what you have listed. To summarize:

Open the box, sniff and pet the wood.

Remove the instructions, the schematics sheet, the acetate sheet of window and door inserts, and the Warm-Up sheet; place the acetate inserts between the pages of the Warm-Up wheet, the basic message of the Warm Up sheet is "DON'T PANIC"

Read over the instructions. Place everything back in the box and go fix yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and start listening for the kit's voice.

The next time you open the box, set the Warm Up sheet with the acetate inserts aside, but where you can plainly see it. Read over the instructions again, using the schematics sheet to locate and identify the parts for each step. At this point I arrange all the plywood sheets into numerical order; this makes it easier for me to locate parts as I need them. (I used to remove and label the parts, but it's a whole lot easier for me to leave them in the sheets and use the schematics sheet to locate the parts; I cross them off of the instructions sheet as I put them into place).

At this point it's perfectly OK to put everything back into the box (leave the Warm Up sheet on top) and go have another cup of chocolate or a stiffer drink, perhaps.

Assemble your knife, several new, sharp blades, sanding block and sandpaper (emeryboards OK) and a roll (or two) of masking tape and start building according to the directions, sanding/ shaving your tabs & slots to get a good fit. Do NOT use any glue, this is your "dry fit". This is your opportunity to discover whether the instructions "work" for you as written, or if you need to change the order, or just ignore them altogether (probably not a good idea with the Beaumont); also, you can see what parts will be difficult to access for decoration after the build. I leave the house in dry fit as long as it takes to get it to start talking (although lately I can't shut them up as soon as the kit arrives!).

You might want to wait to install windows and doors and their trims until after the rest of the build and decoration has been done, unless you're a lot steadier of hand than I.

A gluing jig is nice to have for assembling stairs. Toothpicks are nice to have for applying glue.

If the instructions still say to seal the wood with shellac, you don't have do; clear sanding sealer works just as well for wood you aren't planning to stain or prime.

Ask questions, have fun, and enjoy the build.

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By all means, at least sand the pieces so that you don't get splinters! Except for the fine bits (staircase pieces, balcony railings, etc.), that's all the sanding that you'll need, since most edges will be glued to something else anyway. You can prime before or after a dry fit, but the sanding will allow a better fit. Although the directions say that "R & P" (Remove and Prepare) means remove and sand and prime, I think it really means (or should mean) remove, sand, prime and dry fit!

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Thank you so much for the reply. Do you have system for keeping track of the pieces after you prime them?

After you've primed and sanded, try penciling their labels on them again (assuming you penciled them on as you punched them out of their sheets)...

Another organization trick I've tried for multiples of the same piece, for example, is putting them all in a box or plastic container and labeling the container.

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I think I replied to this elsewhere. I sand or trim as I do the dry fit. I prime as I build. I don't mark the pieces, I keep them in their sheets until I need them. IF I need to mark them after they're out, I write the part name in INK on a small piece of masking tape and stick it to the part.

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I mark the pieces with black marker on the back, and usually keep all the ones from each board in a plastic zip-lock bag. I personally don't use the tape-on labels because I stain a good amount of my little bits and pieces and once that's done, there's no way to keep track of what they are if you've taken the labels off. Between priming, painting and/or staining, I've gone through at least a couple of dozen foam brushes. Even though I put those into a zip-lock bag, they harden and are unusable quickly -- especially those used for stain (or any oil-based substance); the ones I've used for latex paint or water-based primer last longer, surprisingly. I'd have thought the water would evaporate, leaving the residue to harden. Anyway, I might do all the steps and the balcony railings and the window trim in one sitting -- so that's why I use a marker or, if I'm not sure if it's gonna show, I'll just use pencil that can be erased.

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When I'm doing larger pieces one side is dry enough to stick the label to while I prep the other side. For small pieces (like stair parts or window trims) you can label a ziplock freezer bag and lay it with the parts whilst their paint or stain is drying, and pop them back in.

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  • 2 weeks later...

And, hopefully, they'll all be reading your blogs, Gina! I hadn't found this forum when I started my Garfield, and I would have been absolutely LOST without your help! So glad I have this opportunity to say thank you, so, "Thank you!"

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  • 9 years later...

Hi everyone, I think I am in over my head with this dollhouse. I have the green leaf Beacon hill dollhouse. The instructions are really frustrating the schematic sheet  instructions are no help!!I have only started with the first floor. Began labeling and I have absolutely no idea how to start the first floor walls .I have given up on the instructions, because I don’t understand them… what does flush mean? I don’t know how to start the first floor walls . I just about broke down trying to figure things out . But not even labeling helps. Why does Green leaf not include more pictures on the instructions? What is R&P? I am contemplating returning this and buying another product that does include picture instructions. Where do I find someone who can help me ? I don’t understand what to do ? Should I just give up and send it back? I have looked on YouTube but there is NOTHING!!!! 
 

please !! What to do?!?!?!? Thank you!!

Edited by gt3christy
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Take a deep breath, Mercedes.

1 hour ago, gt3christy said:

… what does flush mean?...

Flush means that the adjoining pieces meet evenly.  When you fold towels and bring two edges together so they match up, they are flush.

1 hour ago, gt3christy said:

...I don’t know how to start the first floor walls...

Invest in some masking tape or blue painters' tape and tape the pieces of the house together as you read through the instructions.  We call this dry fitting and I find it helps me to understand the instructions, or else find another way to get the same results.

1 hour ago, gt3christy said:

...Why does Green leaf not include more pictures on the instructions? What is R&P?...

R&P means remove the piece from the plywood sheet and prepare it by sanding, trimming tabs to fit the slots they go into and other things the piece might need before you glue it.  If you look at members' blogs who have built the Beacon Hill you will find lots of pictures.  Gina/ More Minis has an excellent blog and has built several of the Greenleaf kits, including the Beacon Hill.

1 hour ago, gt3christy said:

...Where do I find someone who can help me ?...

On this forum.  Some questions and posts about the Beacon Hill are here:  https://forum.greenleafdollhouses.com/forum/27-greenleaf-dollhouses/ and you can do a search for blogs about building the Beacon Hill in the Blogs section of the Forum by clicking on the fourth heading from the left at the top of the page, under the Greenleaf logo.

I am a visual and tactile learner, even though I am also a reasonably good reader, which is why I do an awful lot of dry fitting and ask tons of questions, even after thirty years of building dollhouse kits.

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Mercedes, all of Holly's suggestions are spot on. Building a dollhouse can seem daunting at first. but try to look at it one step at a time. Keep in mind Minis on the Edge's mantra: It may be hard by the yard, but it is a cinch by the inch. 

When you are challenged -- and we all are at one time or another -- take a deep breath and step away for a while. For photos, see More Minis's blog for building the Beacon Hill here. She takes us through the process step-by-step.

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  • 4 months later...

i am just starting and got a beacon hill to begin with

but it was "started"   but how they started it turned out to be a great help 

they had gone through many of the steps, R&P all parts for a step ,numbered and neatly  folded in a paper grocery bag

seems like doing this in the beginning would save time over all and familiarize with all parts and steps before actually starting    

Edited by Steve A
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44 minutes ago, Steve A said:

seems like doing this in the beginning would save time over all and familiarize with all parts and steps before actually starting 

Another tip is to do the first assembly in dry fit --- that is, hold the pieces together with masking or painter's tape rather than gluing. That will let you check to see if any parts need adjusting for a better fit and let you see what areas you may want to decorate before gluing, as they may be difficult to reach once everything is fixed in place permanently.  

Check the link in my post just above yours for More Minis blog of the Beacon Hill. Her step-by-step record with suggestions can be helpful.

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3 hours ago, KathieB said:

Another tip is to do the first assembly in dry fit --- that is, hold the pieces together with masking or painter's tape rather than gluing. That will let you check to see if any parts need adjusting for a better fit and let you see what areas you may want to decorate before gluing, as they may be difficult to reach once everything is fixed in place permanently.  

Check the link in my post just above yours for More Minis blog of the Beacon Hill. Her step-by-step record with suggestions can be helpful.

Where is it ? I can't find 

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Steve, the link is the underlined word "here" in Kathie's post just above your first post:

On 1/18/2022 at 5:06 AM, KathieB said:

...For photos, see More Minis's blog for building the Beacon Hill here. She takes us through the process step-by-step.

 

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  • 10 months later...

The most important thing to do, when constructing a dollhouse, ANY dollhouse, is to do the interior walls, window frames, etc, AND the exterior walls, siding, windows, etc, BEFORE you put it together. Once assembled, most dollhouses are not finished with decor, because, once assembled, it is very difficult to paint walls, put up wallpaper, curtains, etc. Roof and shingles go on last.

Secondly, I recommend using craft woods for baseboards and crown molding, as these two things add a lot of sturdiness, when gluing up the walls and floor. No need to spend a ton of money on dollhouse wood trim, Lowe’s, Menards, Home Depot have nice quality moldings in smaller dimensions, 8 foot lengths, much more reasonable in price. Basswood is sold at Hobby Lobby or online in 24 inch lengths, many sizes, great for baseboards and window frames. An X-acto saw with small mitre box is a must-have to cut all the trims.

The hardest part of the job is planning how to do it. The instruction sheets provided with most dollhouses are poorly planned, and no methods of reinforcement are offered.

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1 hour ago, MaryT1942 said:

The most important thing to do, when constructing a dollhouse, ANY dollhouse, is to do the interior walls, window frames, etc, AND the exterior walls, siding, windows, etc, BEFORE you put it together. Once assembled, most dollhouses are not finished with decor, because, once assembled, it is very difficult to paint walls, put up wallpaper, curtains, etc. Roof and shingles go on last.

The hardest part of the job is planning how to do it. The instruction sheets provided with most dollhouses are poorly planned, and no methods of reinforcement are offered.

I completely disagree!  Each house has its own challenges and is different.  I build the house first, add the siding, trim, and shingles.  Then I attack the interior by priming, wiring and then wallpaper.  Then windows are glued in place and then the window trim on the interior is added.

Each of us have our own way of building and decorating.  It is part of the hobby to figure out what is best for you and the house.  Some areas of houses do need some decorating prior to assembly because they are difficult to reach.  This is why dry fitting of the kit is best before gluing to acknowledge the challenging areas.

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I'm with Matt, I build first and then do the interiors (unless there's an area that will be too hard to reach once the house is built), but everyone has their own process. The first house I built as a kit, I did finish the walls before assembling and didn't like that there were then wallpaper seams where the pieces met. With die-cut houses, painting before assembling can also cause the wood to warp.

But I do agree that the planning often takes way longer than the execution! (I'm glad I'm not the only person who feels that way!)

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The first thing I do is to put the shell into dry fit (build it with masking tape, no glue) to see what areas will be impossible to decorate once it's together, like interior halls with stairs.  Then I mask off all the surfaces that will receive glue. prime what I'm not going to stain and stain what gets stained, build it and finish decorating it, floor by floor.

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  • 4 months later...
On 11/29/2011 at 10:28 PM, havanaholly said:

I'm not aware of a You-Tube video, but I have posted a basic "getting started" list that you can do a search for here, that is basically what you have listed. To summarize:

Open the box, sniff and pet the wood.

Remove the instructions, the schematics sheet, the acetate sheet of window and door inserts, and the Warm-Up sheet; place the acetate inserts between the pages of the Warm-Up wheet, the basic message of the Warm Up sheet is "DON'T PANIC"

Read over the instructions. Place everything back in the box and go fix yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and start listening for the kit's voice.

The next time you open the box, set the Warm Up sheet with the acetate inserts aside, but where you can plainly see it. Read over the instructions again, using the schematics sheet to locate and identify the parts for each step. At this point I arrange all the plywood sheets into numerical order; this makes it easier for me to locate parts as I need them. (I used to remove and label the parts, but it's a whole lot easier for me to leave them in the sheets and use the schematics sheet to locate the parts; I cross them off of the instructions sheet as I put them into place).

At this point it's perfectly OK to put everything back into the box (leave the Warm Up sheet on top) and go have another cup of chocolate or a stiffer drink, perhaps.

Assemble your knife, several new, sharp blades, sanding block and sandpaper (emeryboards OK) and a roll (or two) of masking tape and start building according to the directions, sanding/ shaving your tabs & slots to get a good fit. Do NOT use any glue, this is your "dry fit". This is your opportunity to discover whether the instructions "work" for you as written, or if you need to change the order, or just ignore them altogether (probably not a good idea with the Beaumont); also, you can see what parts will be difficult to access for decoration after the build. I leave the house in dry fit as long as it takes to get it to start talking (although lately I can't shut them up as soon as the kit arrives!).

You might want to wait to install windows and doors and their trims until after the rest of the build and decoration has been done, unless you're a lot steadier of hand than I.

A gluing jig is nice to have for assembling stairs. Toothpicks are nice to have for applying glue.

If the instructions still say to seal the wood with shellac, you don't have do; clear sanding sealer works just as well for wood you aren't planning to stain or prime.

Ask questions, have fun, and enjoy the build.

The help and the humor are both appreciated, and Greenleaf should hire you if they haven't already. 

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