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Post by kdnorman on Apr 13, 2014 0:01:22 GMT -5
I started on my Glenrose yesterday. My best working hours are from 11:00 pm-3:30 am....everyone is fast asleep...including dogs, no telephone interruptions, etc. I had minor issues with the porch railings, and the three small walls all staying in place, while I was fitting the second floor. Finally decided to get out the masking tape, and it went together much quicker. Should have tried the tape earlier. I love the large roof and the second floor rooms. This will make a perfect Cape Cod style dollhouse.
Lesson learned - Use small pieces of masking tape for the dry fit.
I have chosen exterior colors, shingles, wallpaper, and floor covering. I will decide on furniture, curtains, and lighting as I work each floor separately.
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 17, 2014 18:44:46 GMT -5
I have the garage and main floor finished. I am not sure about the blue gray for the porch floor, but will wait to decide until I have some of the walls finished. I used wallpaper....looks like hardwood....for the kitchen flooring and a wall to wall carpet for the living room flooring. I painted the walls in the garage...now need to find the perfect car for the garage. Love the garage door, which opens.   I use Aleene's Turbo glue to for floor, sides, of the house etc. It is a little thinner than the other Aleene glues, but is very fast grabbing. It doesn't require lots of holding parts together and creates a very hard bond. It also dries clear. I use Yes glue for all wallpaper, including the rugs and carpet. I like the way it doesn't leave air bubbles. It is a dry paste type glue, so no moisture to create warping. The directions say to use a very thin coating, however I make it thicker around the outside edges, for a better bond. I apply it with a very stiff stencil brush. Next, are the walls for the main flooring, furniture, curtains, accessories, and finally lighting. |
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 26, 2014 12:09:06 GMT -5
I finally have the living area of the first floor finished. I decided to add a wall to make a defined kitchen, and living room. I also moved the spiral staircase closer to the outside wall to make a larger area for living room furniture. The staircase was painted with an airbrush. Again, not real pleased with the color of the staircase. I have trouble matching colors when using the airbrush. The paint needs to be thinned so much that it changes the actual color I am trying to achieve.   I use my ink jet printer to make the rugs and curtains, out of fabric. I have made my own bubble jet solution to set the ink, but this time purchased fabric made especially for ink jet printers. The fabric color is a closer match to the wallpaper. I pleat the curtains with Anne Ruff’s Pretty Pleaters. It makes perfect pleated curtains. I glue the fabric rugs to the floors using Yes glue, and Aleene’s Turbo glue for everything else. |
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 26, 2014 12:13:43 GMT -5
![]() I need to add the porch railings, and porch furniture to finish the rest of the first floor. Next, I will add the lighting, then move on to the second floor. Before I glue any of the walls to the first floor, I place the second floor on top of every section of wall to make sure it fits. This makes it easier to move on to the second floor. I don’t glue down the second floor until I have painted the flooring, or added rugs etc. Next, I add the lights, and finally glue the second floor in place. So far this has been the easiest house I have put together. The walls have fit perfectly, and everything lines up just right. I love the working garage door, and it was a breeze to insert, since it was already put together, also the working doors, and spiral staircase went in with ease. Thanks Leon for making it so easy!!!!   _  I have a total of 59.5 hours in this house. Oh, forgot to add pictures in the garage! Need to do this before moving on. |
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Post by polymermini on Apr 26, 2014 18:59:46 GMT -5
Looks great!
It must be so much easier to put furniture in as you go along. I've always built dollhouses and slowly added furniture over time, but with these tiny houses, it's gotta be harder. I thought about it with my Ashley, but since I don't yet have furniture, it was a moot point. I think I may built furniture as I go along with my next 1:48 build. You pix really inspire me!
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 27, 2014 0:08:58 GMT -5
My very first house was the Fairfield, 1/2 scale. I made all the furniture from scratch and also added lighting. Then I discovered the 144th scale, and of course I wanted to furnish and light them too. The only possible way was to add furnishings room by room. I love to see the houses come to life as each room is finished.
Thanks for your compliments!
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 29, 2014 22:35:52 GMT -5
First floor is finished, and ready for the lighting. I use 3 volt LED Lights. Since this is a small house, and will only have 4 lights on the first floor, and 3 lights on the second floor, I will use a Triple AAA battery case for the power supply. There are two wires for each light. One wire red, and one wire green. Step 1 – I need to decide where I am going to attach the wires to the battery pack. So I place the second floor on the house, and with a pencil mark where the lights will be placed. Now, I turn the 2nd floor upside down, which is the ceiling for the first floor, and decide where I will solder the lights together. The least amount of connections made, helps to make sure everything stays connected. After I decide where they will be connected, I tape the lights in their correct position. Sort of like working a puzzle, all pieces must go in the correct place.  Step 2 – This is the most important step. I try each light separately to make sure they are working correctly. After wiring the first set of lights together, I also test to make sure each light still works. I will have two sets of wires going down the side of the house. One set is the 3 lights from the main house, and the 2nd set is the garage lights. This will make more since, when I wire the second floor. Step 3 – Now I solder the set of 3 lights together with the main wire that will attach to the battery pack. First I solder the red wires together and after they are soldered, I use a shrink wrap to cover the solder. Then I solder the green wires together.  Step 2 - Test to make sure the 3 lights work. Step 4 – I use tape to secure the wires to the underneath side of the 2nd floor, ceiling of 1st floor, making sure the wires run where there are no walls connecting to the 2nd floor. These set of wires will eventually connect to the garage light.  Step 2 - Test again to make sure the 3 lights work. These are fragile wires, and you need to make sure they are still connected. |
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 29, 2014 22:38:28 GMT -5
Step 5, 6 – Carefully place the 2nd floor to the walls of the 1st floor, and check the lights to make sure everything is connected and working!!!! This is where the house comes to life!!!!   Step 7 – Carefully remove the 2nd floor. I use light-weight cardboard for the ceiling. It covers the wires, but isn’t to heavy to go above the floors. I place the cardboard over the ceiling and find the lights by pressing carefully around the sides of the light. Carefully, these are fragile lights. I also cut out the places where the side walls go, and the stair case, etc. Next, I glue the cardboard into place.  Step 2 - Test again to make sure the 3 lights work. Final step – Glue the second floor into place. When the second floor is finished, I will show how to attach the battery pack, etc. |
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Post by kdnorman on Apr 29, 2014 22:52:55 GMT -5
There are several websites that sell LED lights, and lighting systems.
I buy my lights from Evans Designs. I like the freedom of choosing where my lights can be placed, ceiling, lamps, etc. However, this does mean soldering longer wires together, and combining wires. Once you have learned a technique that works for you, it becomes easier. I would recommend lighting a roombox, before you begin on a house.
List of places to buy lighting for smaller scales:
Lighting Bug LTD
True to Scale Miniatures
Evans Designs Lighting
I sure there are more places if you do a search for LED lighting. This is becoming a popular way to light your dollhouses.
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Post by kdnorman on May 13, 2014 14:04:37 GMT -5
I have the Master Bedroom, and the girl’s bedroom finished on the 2nd floor. This has been a very easy floor to build. Everything went together quite smoothly. I carpeted the two bedrooms, and used “linoleum” for the bathroom. The carpet was made using a textured design and printed on fabric using my ink jet printer. The linoleum was a design printed on glossy photo paper.    I decided to light the floor lamps in each bedroom, instead of a ceiling light. The wires are along the center wall of each room. I won’t do any connecting of the wires, until I have the last room….the bathroom… is finished. I have tested both lights and they are working. When the bathroom has been finished, I will start on the dormers for the 2nd floor. So far, this has been a very easy house to build. No warping, all parts have lined up perfectly, including the porch railings. I used alcohol pads for laser burns in the past. However, I tried wipes this time. It took lots of alcohol pads and they left little pieces of lint. The wipes are larger, therefore took less to use, and they don’t leave as much lint. I tried all brands, Charmin, Cottonelle, and even the cheaper brands. They all worked perfectly. After I have cleaned the windows, porch railings, doors, and all trim, I paint these pieces use Creamcoat’s All Purpose Sealer. When have dried, I use either an airbrush or a small paint brush to paint the pieces. I have used both washable acrylics and washable enamel paints. I would much rather clean off laser burns, than individually sand every piece. Laser cut houses are a much easier and cleaner build. There is no splintering, no worry about punching out pieces, etc. Love laser cut houses!!!! |
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Post by kdnorman on May 15, 2014 14:30:35 GMT -5
At last the 2nd floor furnishings and accessories are done. The next step is to shingle the roof, then add the dormers.
 
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Post by polymermini on May 15, 2014 16:06:20 GMT -5
Great shower!
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Post by kdnorman on May 15, 2014 16:23:31 GMT -5
Thank for the compliment!!!
I decided not want to use a tub, so looked for different types of shower stalls, and found a perfect picture. It was really easy to recreate, however the shower curtain gave me fits. I just couldn't find light enough material to allow it to drape properly, so decided to pull it back like a curtain.
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Post by kdnorman on May 25, 2014 19:40:56 GMT -5
The second floor is finished and now to connect the lighting. I have two lamps, one in the master bedroom, off to the right...only a small part of room can be seen in the pic.....and one in the middle bed room. I drilled a small hole in the bottom front of the wall divider to the right. I ran the lamp wire from the farthest right bedroom close to the wall and through the hole. The middle bedroom lamp wire was also run along the wall between the two bedrooms. The bathroom has a light suspended from the ceiling. This wire runs across the top, and down the same wall divider as the other two lamp wires. Next I soldered these three wires together.
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Post by kdnorman on May 25, 2014 19:57:04 GMT -5
The next step....solder a final wire to the 3 wires on the second floor. I ran this last across the second floor, and down the outside left wall. This wire will eventually feed through the base and be soldered to the battery case.
I twisted all the wires together to make sure every light works.
Next, I made the base. I set the house on the base, and drill a small hole through the base, where the wires will connect to the battery case.
Base turned upside down. The wires will feed down through the base and be soldered to the battery case.
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Post by kdnorman on May 25, 2014 19:58:14 GMT -5
The front of the house is finally finished!!!!
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Post by Leonard on May 26, 2014 7:49:48 GMT -5
KD,
As always very nice job, you have an act for matching colors. Thanks also for the informative information on lighting in this scale.
Leonard
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Post by mark on May 26, 2014 8:23:22 GMT -5
you're a magician, kd, the front of this house is so clean; and like leonard said, the colors are so well matched.
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Post by kdnorman on May 26, 2014 9:32:20 GMT -5
Thank you!!
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Post by polymermini on May 26, 2014 15:38:31 GMT -5
Looks great, as usual.
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Post by kdnorman on May 28, 2014 19:25:04 GMT -5
My Glenrose is finished!!! It's new name is Grayson's Cape Cod.
Last few steps:
Covering the base with felt, glueing the house to the base, feeding all of the wires...now twisted into one set of red, and one set of green wires....into the tiny hole in the base, turn the house on its side, and soldering the wires together.
Finally, adding the landscaping. Total hours from start to finish 148 hours.
  _ 
   
This house was such an easy build. I would recommend this house to a any builder, from beginner to advanced.
Everything was square, each piece fit perfectly, the roof line matched etc. Love, Love Love, Leonard's houses.
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fov
New Member
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Post by fov on May 30, 2014 13:54:20 GMT -5
Very nice! I'm thinking about building this house in half scale (some day). Your pics have inspired me.  |
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Post by agavey on Sept 29, 2014 15:13:13 GMT -5
This may seem like a dumb question but since you add the furniture as you go, do you glue the pieces in place?
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Post by kdnorman on Sept 29, 2014 21:44:46 GMT -5
As I always told my students, taught for 25 years, no question is a "dumb" question. Instead, a question is "to seek" an answer.
The answer to you question:
Yes, I glue my furniture, when I am working on quarter scale. However, I don't always glue the furniture for 1:24 scale and very seldom for 1" scale. Instead of gluing, I use min-wax, or Dept. 56 wax, which you can buy at any Hallmark store, which they use for their villages.
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Post by agavey on Sept 30, 2014 10:05:30 GMT -5
Thank you for the response. Your answer is very helpful.
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pwhyt
New Member
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Post by pwhyt on Nov 22, 2015 10:10:57 GMT -5
This isn't about the Glen Rose - it is about a much larger kit - which I dearly love - the Lisa Painted Lady - but I am stuck on the first floor. It is finished, but I want to wire it before going on to the second. Any suggestions - and would love to hear from anyone who has done this wonderful kit.
Thanks,
Penny
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Post by kdnorman on Nov 22, 2015 19:32:18 GMT -5
Penny,
My experience with lighting is limited to quarter scale and 144th scales house kits. I wire with small LED lights, and coin cell, triple AAA, or double AA batteries to power the lights. However, individual battery operated lights would be one a way to light a house that has been finished. Usually, tape wiring is done before you wallpaper the individual rooms.
Sorry, I couldn't be of more help.
Kristie
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