I have been a lifelong hobbyist and an on demand craftsman. As a young child I built model cars with my dad and created all sorts of things with materials available to me. Having a dad that was a plumbing contractor and a mom that decorated our temple for parties exposed me to lots of materials and things that sparked my creative interest. I never liked making things that didn’t have a purpose. Crafting turned me off; making things that looked like real real products with a purpose was my motivation. As I matured and my responsibilities to family, home, and career grew my varied skills came in handy. Because of time, budget or need, some projects although purpose built did not meet my personal standards;today it’s a whole different story.
This past summer my granddaughter Raquel said “Poppy I want a dollhouse” and I replied after talking with Nanny “sure I remember building one for your Mommy” so a trip to Hobby Lobby was planned for one of our many weekend visits. Raquel showed such an interest in selecting the right one; we could not even consider a more basic one. Raquels choice was a 3 story “San Francisco style Painted Lady” a kit that weighed 75 pounds, requiring lots of time and skill to complete correctly. Raquel was thrilled; she and Nanny picked out a large selection of furniture and accessories and off to home we went.
Reality kicked in as I started the car for our drive home… this is not an easy project… I need lots of time…the garage will be tied up for a while…we need a color scheme inside and out…the last one I built some 25 years ago was a real pain…what did I get myself into…I have so many other things going on… OK I thought this is for Raquel and she wants it. Raquel and I had a serious discussion; we spoke about the time it would take, that I would keep her updated on my progress, that she needed to help with a color scheme, I had to finish some other projects before I started, and it would be done by her 7th birthday, she agreed without question.
The kit is by Real Good Toys a Vermont Company; they specialize in miniature houses for serious collectors to display their collections. These houses are not your typical toy dollhouses and are suggested for the more mature user; when completed correctly they can become a valuable possession or family heirloom. https://youtu.be/Y7glCtlrnas the kits are amazingly accurate with virtually no misfits or missing parts. As for the instructions they too are excellent and when and studied carefully leave little room for error. There were some things that I did because of my own experience as a hobbyist that made it easier for me and might help others. I created a photo video of the steps along the way and some small details. The video is meant as an aid not a cure all, it focuses on the whole project as it evolves not the actual parts and pieces.
I developed a cutting tool for the shingles, an easy way to lineup the shingles, a way to batch stain, and how to build a miniature mailbox; these are detailed at the end of the video. I spent about 150 hours to complete the project, having a dedicated work space is invaluable-pre-planning and study of instructions is a must- getor have a good quality razor saw, miter box, dremel, fine sandpaper, shop light before starting- painting the interior interior walls and floors to a Predetermined scheme should be considered- using high quality paint, Aleenes’ tacky glue a must- use suggested non water based liquid nails for roof shingles- I suggest adding sawdust to foundation paint- after batch staining is dry organize shingles neatly in a tray or pan- use tape on outside to hold windows in place when installing inside window frames- focus on each steps needs,requirements and test fit- paint main exterior colors before applying trim- use small good quality lettering brushes for molding and trim pieces- keep parts organized, check off as needed and used- read ahead of step your on before starting- DON’T RUSH ANYTHING…ENJOY RELAX HAVE FUN…for me it was a labor of love for Raquel.
I hope you enjoyed…don’t forget to watch the video https://youtu.be/Y7glCtlrna
alan b. meschkow
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