Planning and Doing........

Okay, I've read the assembly instructions multiple times, I've sealed and sanded each piece, and I'm still nervous about commiting to the assembly. I finally decide that I can go ahead and assemble the base. It's basically a rectangle that has crossbraces running between the sides in kind of a W fashion. I glue, I square, I adjust, I clamp, I square again, I glue again, I use the brad gun, I hammer, I square again, OMG! I've built human size outbuildings easier than this! I managed to get it square (as evidenced by it lining up with the floor base that appears to have squared corners). I leave it to dry...

Tick, tick, tick....

Trying to get a feel for how everything fits..

Next day - The base seems to be pretty solid so on to the next step. Before I add my flooring, I need to start wiring the first level because I want it all hidden and under the floor is an excellent place to hide it. Basically I'll have hybrid wiring with wiring from the transformer and flat tape running down each wall and through the interior doors. I will then run tape from the upstairs walls over the 2nd level floor to supply the ceiling lights for the 1st level. Just a small hole drilled through the 2nd level to the ceiling of the 1st level.  The most difficult thing about dollhouse wiring (to me) is handling the tiny tiny brass nails that are used to splice the wires.  After that, it's all gravy.

It's time to add the flooring on the 1st level. My plan is to have (from left to right) dining room, formal parlor, kitchen. I'd love to have the kitchen next to the dining room but since the front door opens to the staircase in the middle and I don't want to walk in to the kitchen and I do want to add a fake wall with french doors in the back the dining room...this the way it has to be. I temporarily add the room dividers and arrange the furniture I have. I need to see how much floor space to give each room.  That done, I mark the floors, ceiling, and back wall with pencil so that I can remember where they go.  I can then glue my hardwood floors down. I used Houseworks Dark Walnut in the dining room and formal parlor. After multiple sandings and gloss sprayings (word?) they look like plastic. Crap! I was going for glass.  Later I read that satin finish works better in a dollhouse. Lesson learned, but I think I'll move on..  I opted for the Hobby Lobby Mayberry Oak in the kitchen. I sanded down the kitchen floor to make it smoother and thinner.  It sands nicely, so nicely that when I paint it, the individual boards disappear.   I paint it white, then gray, then streak it, antique it, I tweak, okay I'll stop. I then decide to stencil it with red stencil paint. I've had some for about 10 years, I need to use it anyway. Stencil is perfect!!   Wrong.... after 24 hours the paint is still not dry.  I immediately set about getting that paint off. Of course, it leaves a red stain. So, sanding down to the grain, I apply Golden Oak Danish Rubbing Oil. Done, don't touch it!