Another Scratch Build

After some soul searching, and finally admitting I'm in a touch over my head with my first scratch-build, I decided that perhaps it would be prudent to start with something a touch more ... basic until my long unused carpentry skills are sharpened.

I had ordered a few books off Amazon.ca weeks back, and they're filled with projects that are primarily done in the European style (front opening) rather than the North American open backed style.  I've never really been fond of these, they tend to look like boxes with windows, and I'm still wrestling with that - unaided by the fact that I do literally have a 24 x 17 box that I'm currently cutting window holes into.

The project I chose as a learning exercise is the second project in the book, a seven room Georgian townhouse with faux basement.  Although seven sounds mighty large, three of the rooms are located in the attic and at best guess will be too small to function as much other than a bathroom.  I didn't realize the depth of the house until I was dry fitting the panels together, this thing is ridiculously deep and seems to not be making efficient use of space.

The author's goal with this project was to build a "home of a well-to-do family and that the rooms should be large enough to fit quite a few impressive pieces of furniture...".  Fair enough I say, but when you have a 17 x 10 dining room and not a thing to put into it, plus you have to walk upstairs to find a sofa to plunk your tiny butt on after eating, that just seems ridiculous (I currently live in a townhouse - not georgian - and it's nothing but stairs, this is a serious consideration in my mind).

Now that I have the panels cut, I don't want to go putting access doors everywhere on my very sturdy box, so I am tossing around ideas for a visual division of the ground floor room so it can be both salon and dining room.  My first attempt is pictured, the second option will be pillars .  I like that the division travels across the ceiling but I don't think I'm entirely sold on this idea yet either.

Yesterday I started with the base.  The one thing I do like about the front-opening style is that the structure is incredibly sound.  This is the first house that hasn't creaked when I pick it up - in fact there's no give to this thing at all.  Constructed out of 1/4" pine plywood it should stay relatively stable through the years.  The base tucks in between the exterior walls, and has a 1.5" recess at the front where I plan on putting my electrical panel for ease of access.

If anyone has built anything out of this book I'd love to hear your thoughts on the process.  I find I'm having difficulty following the instructions and images provided, they seem out of order somehow, and the author comes across as smug somehow (this is the only true way to do something or other...), but his designs are quite sharp.  The book is "Making Georgian Dolls' Houses" by Derek Rowbottom.  If you see a copy around definitely thumb through it!

Day 2 - Beacon HIll

After a week of procrastination I decided it was high time to tackle the 2nd floor staircase, which of course meant tackling the wallpapering as well.

The second floor is a much plainer room, less room for furnishings and only one light, it couldn't handle the floral wallpaper of the ground floor.  I opted for a stylized yet relatively simple fabric which was again mod-podge'd onto the walls.  I will be able to carry the single square around to the front wall, which means I only have to match one seam on this wall (score!)

Before the front wall goes on I also decided it would be a good idea to get the flooring started as my head doesn't fit in this house what-so-ever.  I'm going with coffee stirrers again, I liked the grain that comes out when you stain them, they are fairly cheap, and you can say it's real hardwood that's been installed!

The flooring is possibly my favourite tedious part of a house, it's just mindless enough that you can watch TV or listen to the radio while doing it, but not so tedious that your hands cramp and eyes cross after the first ten minutes. I may find it so easy solely because of my easy-cutter, I really can't imagine doing it without.

Scratch build - Day 4

Dear readers I am ashamed to say that in my haste to build this next house I ignored two cardinal rules.  The first of these rules was "measure twice, cut once" - the second, and possibly the most important - dry fit.  With my front walls glued firmly in place I came to realize that the measurements on my hallway were all wrong.  Nothing about these measurements was at all correct.  Had i completed my foam core dryfit I would have realized this.

My hallway was supposed to be 7.5" wide, this allowed room for the stair kit I have which is 2.5" wide.  I'm not sure why something didn't trigger when I realized that my double door kit was too wide - regardless my beloved front wall had to come off tonight and now I have to figure out how to cut my base without taking down all the other glued and nailed walls so that I can add a spacer of three inches.

I wrestled with putting a "tower" on the back of the house but in the end I knew that I wanted to have visibility of the hallway, and if it was only 4" across it wouldn't be very impressive at all.  Two steps forward and one step back it seems!

I will have further news once I figure out the best way to cut my base!

Scratch build - Days 1 -- 3

 Now that I've had some practice on three kit builds I have decided it's time to put that humongous bundle of windows and doors to good use and make my own house from scratch.  To the right is my inspiration photo from a set of blueprints dated in the early 1900's.

I have no idea how I'm going to do the roof on the tower yet, or how to tackle the bay windows (mainly because I have to fashion my existing windows into skinnier versions of themselves) but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Day 1 was spent making a pattern out of foam core in an attempt to conceptualize the house.  Now that I'm in the middle of the build however all this has gone out the window - at this point I find myself winging it and I have no idea where to put the stairs!  There have been a couple of points where I found myself longing for a kit build so I could feel like I was making some progress - but today I got a table saw and it's sped things up considerably - I am now making straight cuts and not spending hours sanding the wood down to square up corners.

Access to the two "tower" rooms will be from a side opening much like in the Lily kit.  If I get truly adventurous / confident I will hinge a wall there so when the lights are on it doesn't cast strange light all over the place.

So far I think it's managed to avoid making "a box with windows" - that's the one type of little house I can't stand.  I'm not sure what it is about them that drives me mental - maybe because I think anyone can build a box.  I love the Greenleaf kits because none of them, even the colonials, have such a boxy look.

A House in 22 days - Day 13 - Christmas Eve Eve

 The elves are thoroughly whipped and the house is thoroughly done!  The house wasn't quite 22 days, we actually did it in 13... with an average of 10 hours per day... each... so 260 hours all said and done.  I feel like I've run the Boston marathon!

The final trim bits have been glued in place, the paperclay is done on the chimney, and the cap is on (not pictured).  Ben and I came close to killing each other only once during the whole process which is pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

Things I would have done differently on this build - more time.  I hate a rush build, I like to agonize over placement of everything, this is a hobby that definitely appeals to my OCD tendencies.  I would have used a saw to cut the siding rather than a utility knife to get cleaner edges, and I would have added plexi glass to the sunroom rather than the GL plastic window.  I definitely wish we had taken the few extra hours to electrify the house.  I wouldn't use the wooden shingles again, I would go with paper clay and simulated the terra cotta shngles.

 Things I love about this house, I love the front entrance bash.  As much as some light was lost taking out the floor to ceiling windows I think the functioning doors and steps / planters more than make up for it.  The pink is growing on me, at first I really hated it but as everything came together I think it actually suits the house pretty well.

I really like the lay out of the kit, it's different than your standard four room box, I'm quite pleased with the stairway and we're already planning on getting some appliances for a kitchen set and finding a smaller dining room table for the "dining hall" (blue room).

I will actually be sad to see this house go in spite of my aggression towards it earlier today when I thought it might not be done in time for christmas :)

A House in 22 days - Day 10 & 11

Day 10 was siding and stonework.  Ben tackled the MDF siding boards while I slaved away at the pasta machine.  After the clay was secured to the wall I wet it down and scrubbed the pieces of clay together.  The slick surface is easier to work with I find - and often spritz it with a plant mister to keep things moist.  The lines were pressed in with the lever on a set of nail clippers, and then the wet clay drug back up over to create raised edges / texture.

The MDF siding appears to be extremely difficult to cut, I have to say I'm quite glad i'm not working with it :)

 The sunroom tip out has been a quandary - I really didn't know how to approach this one.  I had cut out a room sized rectangle of foamcore and was prepared to do the floor on this to keep it all on one level.  This involved bringing the paper clay foundation up higher however as the foamcore was visible through the windows.  In the end I used the foamcore as a pattern for a lino tile.  I then finished off the ledge between rooms with thin slices of lino tile.


The paper clay foundation was then ready to go on, I really like the look it gives to the sunroom, it makes it look more substantial!











The paper clay stone work which went on in day 10 was painted today with layers of watercolour paints.  I filled in the lines between the stones first and then applied different layers of yellow, brown, and grey over top.

 The next segment of paper clay to be done is the front entrance.  I have glued together the planters which came with the kit (pardon the tape) - the plan is to paperclay the planters and steps into one piece which can then be glued to the deck

I really wish we had electrified this house, I think it would be one of the neater ones to see lit up!  With 2 days to go until christmas, I'm beginning to think we just may make it (as you can see the roof is going up currently)

A House in 22 Days - Day 7 & 8

I have to say this kit goes together pretty darned easy, I haven't had near the fight with it I did with the Chantilly and Glencroft.  After pulling 14 hour days on Saturday and Sunday, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The floors are down and the walls are up.  The two wings have been glued into place (this house is freaking huge) and the roof should be going on today.  The house was reinforced with corner moulding on the corners and the siding will be fitted between.  The only thing i'm not happy with is the ladder to the loft - I don't like the look of it.  I don't think I will have time to build a new ladder however.

 We also started the furniture from a Greenleaf kit as a hold over until better pieces can be found - at least christmas shopping will be easier for H for the next couple of years!

The only downfall I see to these kits is the room sizes are so strange, they are either far too big or uselessly small.  I really can't wait to start a scratch build so everything is exactly how I want it - as you can see the temporary occupant feels the same way!

A House in 22 Days - Day 6

Naturally, as tends to happen, when you have a short time frame a million things come up which eat into your time.  I got shipped off for a conference this week and last week there was a rash of people quitting!  It's now December 17th at 12:30 am and the panic is settling in firmly.  The walls are starting to go up but there's still a solarium to build, wood to be stained and windows to install!

Overall, it looks like a bit of progress is being made, that is the benefit to blogging - you can see how far you've come!  In addition to what's in the photo, i have the front door stained, baseboards are drying, and the glue is setting on all the major parts of the structure.  Tomorrow the mantles will go in and the remaining outer walls will be complete before lunch - then I start on the solarium while Ben tackles the kitchen (bathroom "tip out" in the kit).  The plan is to use the left room as a dining area if we can ever find a set for his niece.

The lino tiles are holding up well to the twisting that comes with construction, and the spackle grout hasn't chipped at all which is rather surprising.  As you can see I have the wall braced with scrap wood and a small box, four clamps, tape, and positive thoughts!

The fireplace mantles are stained and will be ready to go in tomorrow.  We picked up some beads at Walmart tonight to make a sculpture to hang over the mantle, as well as a sun plaque to hang on the other side of the chimney to break up the white a bit.  The trim work has been cut/stained and should be able to go in tomorrow as well.

Glencroft - Day 22

I've been terribly busy with work so the house has gone on the back burner so to speak.  I think I needed a break from it regardless, the interior work was dragging on terribly and after being left alone for a week or so, the house seems to almost be putting itself together!.

Since my last post I have finished wallpapering.  The smaller upstairs room is becoming a study and was papered with fabric swatches.  The larger room has been paneled, papered, and stucco'd using the TP Stucco method.  The bashed window in the now dining room has also been finished.  The leadwork was done with silver jewelers tape and transparency film - with a coat of clear nail polish over the finished product to give a glass look.

I had a bit of difficulty with the roof on this kit, I think that's the one part of every house that causes the most grief.  After several gluings however, it seems to now be sticking.

Tonight I tackled the paperclay exterior.  Riverstone for the chimney and flagstone for the main house structure.  I'll attach pictures but there will be another wash or two of colour to go on before the stone work can be called completed.

I've also hung the front door and started the interior doors.  These are by far the smallest "nails" I have ever encountered.  I got around the size issue by driving pilot holes with finishing nails, and then filling the holes with super glue.  Then I put the tiny nails into the hinge and lowered the hinge/nails into the pilot holes and clamped them in with pliers.  I've been swinging the door all evening and everything seems to be holding so I think this approach will work.

Glencroft - Day 17

Happy thanksgiving everyone!  Now that my gut is full of turkey, I figured rather than cleaning up the kitchen I'd put some work into this ever-growing house that is the Glencroft.  I really can't believe how big this house is, and it just seems to be getting more massive daily!

I've been working mostly on the cantilevered window casing for the dining room.  I have the case built and have started on the windows themselves.  I picked up some silver jewelers tape and cut it down to a size which may still be too big, I have to sit on this one window and try to make my decision from there.  The centre window will be open while the other two will be closed.  I'm thinking the upper portions of the window will have some sort of stained glass effect.

I've also papered the upper floors.  I will continue with the paneling on the larger room and stucco on the lower portion of the library room.  The library is "papered" with fabric and mod-podge (matte) so seepage isn't an issue. lol I will never use mod-podge again for hanging paper however, it's only good for fabric.

I've also picked up some fabric bags from the dollar store which will be used to make seat cushions and possibly draping for the lower floors.  That's still up in the air however.

Glencroft - Day 14

Well the move is finally over and the boxes are rapidly approaching "unpacked".  I even have the place to myself tonight so I dove head first into the miniature land and worked on my Glencroft with fervor for the first time in weeks.

I had been debating the idea of making larger, oriel windows in the smaller main floor room of the house because I want to use it as a dining room.  With a sample dining set in there the windows are far too high for the room to function at all in this capacity.  I had been debating building a larger window before I got the kit, and this approach is far out of my comfort zone, but I knew I wouldn't be happy with the finished product if I didn't try.

The trusty dremel eventually made it through the wood and I ripped the window opening on the right hand side down an additional two inches, and thus became committed to figuring out how to build windows from scratch.  Tonight I started building the oriel casement but soon realized that it was a bit much to take on considering I have no idea how to build scratch windows.  Instead I am building a cantilevered window with a tall exterior casing.  I want to add carving detail to the upper "cabinet" of the structure, or possibly just stucco the upper portion and frame it in Jacobean stained wood.

I am happy with the results so far, it's really opened up the room.  I briefly toyed with expanding the front window slot to allow for two smaller windows to be installed to centre them more from the interior.  It may still happen, nothing has been ruled out yet :)


I then wanted to feel like I got something done so I started on the stucco for the outside of the house.  I knew I didn't want to use the spackle and paint method because of the small spaces between the 2nd floor brackets, plus I find the texture is too "big" for this scale I'm working in.  I went with the toilet paper stucco approach and I think it's pretty bang on - not to mention easy!

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Glencroft - Day 10

Day 10 is something I haven't attempted before, plasterwork.  I picked up Poly spackling compound and thinned it out with white latex paint, it mixes to about the consistency of oatmeal and not much smoother than that it seems.  I started out dabbing it on with a brush but I really really hate stucco.  after doing two walls in bumpy stucco I decided "to hell with this" and grabbed a discard piece of wood, loaded it up, and started smooshing the plaster on to the wall.

The photo is the first coat, I will put a second on, sand lightly, seal, and add timbering trim / beams.  Plastering is actually a helluva lot of fun, I have to say it's been my favourite wall effect to date.

Glencroft - Day 4 through 6

I've been working sporadically on Glencroft while I was sick this last week, mostly because everything I need to finish off the Chantilly is still in a box, somewhere, probably wrapped in paper and dust.

I have the second floor installed and glued.  I put white cardstock up in the living room rather than try to plaster, and I was very sure I didn't want stucco on all the walls.  I then undertook the paperclay fireplace.

First off, Paperclay is vastly superior to the DAS modelling clay I used in the Chantilly.  It has virtually no odour, isn't sticky, and takes longer to dry so it is far easier to work with.  Also it goes through the pasta machine much slicker which is again because it isn't sticky.

I rolled out numerous strips of paper clay and glued them to the bare plywood, then with a moist paper towel I smoothed the pieces together and built up some texture.  Next the stones were shaped by pressing the lines in and pulling the clay towards the centre of the stone to add depth.

After the clay dried I added black watercolours to the cracks in the stone and blocked in stone colours with the left over paint on my watercolour palette.  A few dirty washes of grey with a bit of yellow or red and the tones were evened out quite nicely.

The wiring was a touch trickier than I thought, i dug out a channel for the right wall sconce with my dremel and built the clay up over top.  the left sconce and the candles on the second floor have individual holes for the wires to run through, at this point I know the power strip is either going in the chimney or in the foundation,either way the wires are traveling through the chimney to get to their destination.

When I built the baseboard in the living room I left them high enough to accomodate hardwood flooring, they will also accommodate the roundwire should I decide to add table or floor lamps.  The dining room / kitchen will have ceiling fixtures.The hardest part of the wiring so far has been the planning by a long shot.  It's hard to know where you will want lighting when all you have built is a portion of a large box!