Instructions for kit #HB 1900
page 12
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7. Now you are ready to mark everything for painting.
Make sure each thing that is being marked is properly posi-
tioned - straight and tight - so the marks will be in the right
place.
Check then mark the Dormer Roof inside and out. Mark the
inside of the Dormer Front. Remove the Dormer.
Check that the Roofs are centered side-to-side and that the
Attic Endwalls and Attic Dividers are straight up-and-down.
Mark the under-side of the Roofs inside and out.
Check that the Attic Endwalls are lined up with the outside of
the Mid Floor and that the Attic Dividers are straight front-
to-back. Mark the top of the Mid Floor and Top Front, and
note where you will paint the Porch Triangles. Remove the
roofs, Porch Triangles, and attic walls.
There are special considerations about the Porch Posts, Postbases,
and Railings. Now is a good time to look them over again to see
how they work together. When the time comes to re-assemble the
Porch Posts, they will be built before the Mid Floor is attached.
Notice that there are many layers between the Porch Floor and the
bottom of the Mid Floor. There is clearance built in to the parts
for some paint, but not enough for
many
coats of paint on every
piece. You must pay attention to how these parts stack up as you
choose your painting procedure, and you must test them before
everything has glue in it to be sure they still fi t... if not, you will
have to scrape some of the paint away. I fi rst-coat and sand every-
thing, then glue together anything that is the same color (usually
the Posts, PostCaps, and the Postbase Caps - but not the Porch
Beam) so the layers of paint don’t become too thick. After they
are glued together, I second coat the set.
Many of the show models we build here at Real Good Toys have
Stucco Grit mixed with the second coat of paint that is used on
the Foundation, the Front Step blocks (not the Treads), and on the
Postbases, but that textured paint must not be between the Foun-
dation and the Postbases or between the Postbases and the Rail-
ings, or the parts won’t fi t. Do not put on Stucco or textured paint
before assembly.
Locate and straighten the Divider using the Handy Squares.
Mark the floor, ceiling and inside of the Front for painting.
Finish marking and taking the test assembly apart.
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8. Paint the Dollhouse parts now, just-barely covering the
tracings (see the “tips” on page 4). High-quality interior semi-
gloss latex enamel is recommended for a surface that can be
cleaned but is not so shiny that the fi nish looks un-natural and
harsh. The primary colors may use a quart of paint each. Craft
paints often have less solids than house paint, and may require
more coats to get good coverage, but they are available in small
quantities so they can be a good choice for details that don’t
use much paint. Avoid old gloppy paint and poor quality paint
brushes (we use disposable foam brushes for most painting).
The Porch can be built with two Posts or four, and
with any con
fi
guration of Arches you wish. Look
at the photos, test different arrangements, and
decide which look you prefer.