House of Miniature kits:

I would suggest the following:

1. Identify all the parts in your kit.
2. Dry fit your pieces together, so you know by looking which is which.
3. Mark an 'X' with a pencil on any joint that will be glued. That way you don't stain it and it will hold better.
4. Stain each area not marked by an 'X'.
5. After drying thoroughly, lightly sand again to smooth the surface.
6. When it is as smooth as you want it, now is when you put the clear coat on, whether it be high gloss or matte.
7. Lightly sand using a crumpled up brown grocery sack.
8. Glue in place. A toothpick comes in handy here, as does a fishing line tapedto a toothpick.

I found that if you stain and seal after you glue there will be many places thatyou will miss getting the finish you desire, and you risk leaving glue residue on that will not take the stain.

Many projects can be worked on at once, as my coffee table was proof of that. I kept a separate tray for each ongoing kit, with the box on each so I could see at a glance which was which. The only 'human' in the house that didn't like my taking over table with all these projects was the cats. (any horizontal surface is their territory!). The kids liked it, cause they didn't have to fetch so many things for me, and didn't hear me WHINE as long as I had something to do with my hands and mind!

Lisa Lynn