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Instructions for Special Edition Kit #JM-44
Assembly Tips:
A large, clutter-free, well-lighted work area is helpful
during assembly, but a flat work surface is essential.
Read the instructions
carefully; look at each of the illus-
trations. !With the parts in your hands!, think the assembly
through before you proceed.
Test fit
each time you are ready to glue a piece in place...
then you'll know you have it right.
If more tape or a helper is needed, it's good to know that
before the parts have glue on them.
Don't be stingy with glue
Always wipe off excess glue immediately.
Keep one damp rag and one dry rag handy all the time.
Have weights available
joints dry (stacks of books, gallons of pure Vermont Maple
Syrup - anything heavy).
Glue the body of your dollhouse together
water clean-up glue that dries clear. Do not use instant-
bond (super glue), fast-tack, rubber cement, silicone, or hot
melt glues. They are all used in some wood applications,
but they all have some characteristic that makes them un-
desirable for the body of your dollhouse. Carpenter Glue
works well, but glue-smear dries yellow or tan; many of
the things you glue onto the house are pre-painted – extra
glue will show. I use Aleene's Tacky Glue® for all house
body assembly.
Make sure everything is straight and flat as glue dries...
That's the shape that will be permanent.
Glue shingles on
with glue that doesn't have any water
in it! If the glue says "water clean-up", it will curl the
wooden shingles. Look carefully at the glue you intend to
use to be sure it is solvent-based, or use hot-melt glue (and
watch out for the burns). Check ingredients and warnings!
Solvent-based glues say "Caution, Flammable".
If you Wallpaper
, use pre-mixed Roman's "Border" paste.
Brush paste on the wallpaper, then the wall, and finally
smooth the wallpaper into position.
Taking things apart:
Heat softens glue. If you have to take
things apart, warm the part in the oven at 170
hour to let the heat get into the joint where the glue is. Don't
let it get hotter than you can touch or the paint may scorch.
Don't heat window panes.
When glue is drying,
skip ahead to up-coming assembly
steps and prepare the parts that will be used.
Slideshows, demos, useful links, details, and photos are all at:
www.RealGoodToys.help
or tape; use generous amounts.
for holding things tight as glue
with white,
o
for up to a half
Overview of the Build:
Details of each step will be expanded along the way, but lots of
folks like to see how it all fits together before they start
Identify and label all of the parts
Paint everything one coat
Stain the Shingles
Sand everything until the paint is smooth, transparent, and
some of the wood is showing through
Clean the grooves
Wiring? Cut electrification slots in the floors
Build the housebody (walls and floors)
Second-coat the outside of the Walls
Draw shingle guidelines
Wiring? Do some of the wiring now.
Paint and attach the Roofs
Optional: finish the wiring
Assemble and finish painting everything else
Finish the outside
Finish the inside
Can I do it differently? These instructions are offered as
"best practices" advice, and it is what we do when we build
this addition. But if you are customizing or have some-
thing else in mind, test-ahead to make sure your planning
includes everything!
Q: Can I wallpaper before I assemble the doll house?
A: Yes you can (it's your house!) Many experienced builders
are advocates of papering before construction - I am not.
My biggest objection to papering first is that you are always
too skimpy with glue so none will squeeze out and get on
the paper. I try to use the amount of glue that fills the joint,
so some will squeeze out in every joint and be wiped up.
But wiping glue off of wallpaper leaves a streak, so the
temptation is to go skimpy, and the joints aren't as strong.
Second, I can always tell a house that was pre-papered
because the corners show a void instead of being continuous
(see www.realgoodtoys.help for slideshows about how to
crowd the papers together in the corner... you can't do that
with pre-papered walls).
Third, I have had to replace paper too often that has gotten
damaged by glue or tape during construction... that wastes
time and paper ($) and can make it so you are left decid-
ing whether to replace a damaged paper or letting it slide
because you don't have any more of that pattern and you'll
have to order it and that takes too much time (running out
but then needing another piece is a distressing moment).
Finally, I don't find pre-papering to be faster. By the time I
have done all of the extra planning that getting the papers in
the right place requires, I have used up any potential advan-
tage. I have great big blacksmith's hands, and papering in a
finished house is easy for me.
Assembly Notes page 3
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