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Instructions for Kit #DH77K
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 that will be painted* one coat
Option: Faux-wood floor finish on the floors
Sand everything until the paint is smooth, transparent,
and some of the wood is showing through
Second-coat the outside Walls and outside of the floors
Build the house up to the Top Floor
Mark and paint the Top Floor; attach the Tower and Roofs
Shingles, Window and Door, Trim - Finish the outside
Optional: Start the wiring
Install some of the Dividers
Optional: Finish the wiring
Assemble and finish painting everything else
Finish the inside
*Avoid painting edges, grooves, or surfaces that will be glued: for instance
do not paint the outside of the Roofs or the bottom of the Base Floor
Wiring? www.realgoodtoys.help
Assembly Tips:
A large, clutter-free, well-lighted work area is helpful dur-
ing assembly, but a flat work surface is essential.
Read the instructions
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 or tape;
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, milk jugs full of sand, 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 housebody assembly.
Make sure everything is straight and flat as glue dries...
That's the shape that will be permanent.
carefully; look at each of the illus-
use generous amounts.
for holding things tight as glue
with white,
Slideshows, demos, useful links, details, and photos are all at:
www.realgoodtoys.help
Glue the 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 (use the high
temp version and watch out for the burns). I use a "Sub-Floor
Adhesive" glue which comes in a caulking-gun tube at the
hardware or building supply store. It says "Caution: Flamma-
ble" on the front, and that's how I am sure it is solvent based.
Check ingredients and warnings!
, use pre-mixed Roman's "Border" paste
If you Wallpaper
or Grandmother Stover's
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. www.realgoodtoys.help has more info.
When glue is drying, skip ahead to up-coming assembly
steps and prepare the parts that will be used.
Before you begin, read the "Finish the Inside" section at
the end of these instructions.
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 the 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 deciding
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 ad-
vantage. I have big blacksmith's hands, and papering in a
finished house is easy for me.
All that having been said, I do pre-cut the papers used in the
attic before attaching the Roofs.
Assembly tips page 4
www.realgoodtoys.com
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for up to a half
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