I have a Dremel hand tool as well, and have used it to make or to enlarge openings in already assembled houses.

A note about the jagged edge that is left by cutting: if you put a layer of wide masking tape over the lines you want to cut on (you can see the lines through the tape usually), you will minimize the splintering. I do this when cutting plywood on my table saw too. It really helps.

Kathy Moore

I bought a buzzsaw for my dremel to widen a stairway opening, It worked very well except it left a jagged edge on the wood (molding hid that) and I have an electric Dremel which runs at a higher speed than the battery powered one.


Carol, S P Miniatures

Antique Houses: Please, if you want to restore a dollhouse yourself, PLEASE wear a respirator. If this is a turn-of-the-century dh, you may want to give this some thought...1. It may have LEAD PAINT. You would not know this for sure, unless you have a paint chip analyzed. 2. It could have some sort of historical significance. In either case, I would wear a respirator when handling. I have several items I suspect have had lead paint. If this were my house, I would (respirator on) use a soft animal hair paint brush to 'clean house', over a disposable drop cloth. Then seal the heck out of the dh. I would NOT allow a child to play with it because of unknown paint products. Just a display. I don't mean to scare anyone out of purchasing an antique anything. The paint could very well be Milk paint. So please, be very careful.

Rita

new doors and windows: I rebuilt my exe's dollhouse that her father made for her when she was a little girl. He just cut holes in the walls for windows and doors. We glued pieces of wood the same dimensions as each wall to the existing wall, having first marked out new windows and doors where we wanted them, and of the size that would take manufactured ones. We then cut out the new holes in both walls with a jig saw. We filled in the old holes with the same thickness of wood of the original walls and used wood filler for the gaps and sanded smooth before painting. By adding additional pieces of walls you will make them look thicker, just like the old Spanish buildings. As for the "stucco", you might want to try some lightweight spackling compound, used to repair cracks in wallboard. This is available at any paint store, hardware store or Wal-Mart. Try it on some scrap wood first to get the look you want. A one inch putty knife should work OK as an applicator. You can then paint it the color you want.


Spencer

I have gussied up a scratched and dented Petite Princess Treasure View cabinet and buffet chest to look better than new. Found architectural clipart the same dimensions as the drawer fronts, cut to fit, and decoupaged them to replace the original stained, ripped red velvet paper. Looks fabulous if I do say so; always thought that red velvet was PP's one design flaw anyway.

Fine artist and miniaturist Natasha Beshenkovsky has even designed a line of decoupage patterns sized to fit kit furniture, so those of us who are impoverished paint klutzes can still own a Natasha "original" miniature with a little effort!

Loretta.Sniarowski

Steve and Kara build a lot and are great about giving advice. My current project is the Buttercup Cottage kit. We decided to use first floor and roof provided with the kit, but covered the upper side of the floor and the under side of the roof with boards cut from 1/32" x 3/8" strip wood. We're also using this size, which can be cut with scissors BTW, for the shingles.

Chrissy

Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004


I would like to thank all of you for responding to my soldering question.
The first thing I was doing wrong was using aluminum, equally wrong was heating the solder instead of the actual piece. An Ahaa! moment.

I went to the hardware store yesterday to buy some brass or copper tubing to replace the aluminum, and the helpful folks suggested I forget the solder and
bond using epoxy putty. Another Ahaa! moment. I don't care about the colors because I'm planning to paint the thing anyway, using the same paint I used to paint an old metal full size-chair, which has held up beautifully. It's great to have a small old-time hardware store where there are actually people in
each department trying to help you - they also carry stuff I've never seen at the big chains. They have stainless steel sheets and strips too. Too cool.

Mercy Arrate
Naples, Florida

You SCRUB copper with salt and vinegar to polish it.

You SOAK copper in a solution of salt and vinegar to age it.

I know this is a true fact because I've done it LOTS! Honest it is, unless
American vinegar is very different from ours. Could be...

[Editor's note: acetic acid works the same on either side of "the pond".]

From: Helen from York, England
Date: January 23, 2004

I recently had to remove a lot of wallpaper from my dollhouse. I sponged the walls with vinegar and warm water and it came right off.

Helen in Watertown, MA
07 Jan 2004

My cousin gave me her old doll house over the summer. She wanted it redone for her daughter, and I had a few rooms with double paper that I had to remove. I know this works with wood, can't make any recommendation on MDF. Your best bet is A LOT of patience, warm water, and a sponge. Just wet the paper, not sopping, she does not want it drippy. After it sets a few minutes, she will find she will be able to start pulling it off. It is really a time and patience job. Once she gets through both coats of paper, she might find, when it is all dried, that she might have to sand the walls a bit to get it smooth.

Debbie, NY
07 Jan 2004