Half Clocked – recessed lighting

There isn’t a lot of space for lighting now that I’ve cut down the structure, so I’m opting for recessed ceiling lights alone for the interior. I’ve put NovaLyte can lights in past houses, but they require a 3/8″ thick board to sit flush. In this instance, I will fake it with LEDs from Evan Designs and nylon washers.

I am planning eight for the ceiling. It might seem like a lot, but the vaulted ceiling is high above the living space and I want to be sure there is plenty of light. If they are too overwhelming once in place, there are methods for addressing the color and brightness.  I will run these wires along the roof to the enclosed gable and down through the small front room to the landscaping board. They won’t be easily replaceable, so let’s hope they last a long time. Hence, the reason to use long-lasting LEDs.

I will add two new old stock ceiling light kits by Illinois Hobbycraft to the front alcove as well. As you can see, I had some flooring issues. I’m finishing a patch for the flooring separately.

The only other light I have in mind right now is the front porch light, which will be a coach lamp.

I had a long weekend taking some vacation days, so I got some extra work done. With the structure out of dry fit, I could start tackling the roof. First up was making templates of all the roof pieces onto drawing paper. This will make for easier shingling later.

I then made my wiring channels for the recessed ceiling lights using a Dremel Trio. After, I taped the two roof boards while flat, added glue and then folded the boards. I used my carpenter’s square and a triangle to hold the boards in position while the glue dried. I left the tape in place on the exterior for stability and will remove it once I’ve installed the board onto the structure. The two smaller roof boards are still in dry fit.

I installed the LEDs in the ceiling on the roof side.

I taped over the channels on the outside to protect the wires and to keep them in place.

On the inside, I added nylon washers to serve as the recessed light rings.

I previously marked where the walls would need to connect, then painted the interior and eaves White Birch by Americana, using the same stucco stippling effect from the outside. I had a little trouble covering the joins where I filled in the one board, but it’s not very noticeable. The eaves should be a nice contrast with the dark chocolate trims.

I painted the front gable portion black. You can also see the wiring for the ceiling lights curled and clamped for later work.

I have some of the wires that will extend to the power strip in place. These have been bundled under the structure for later use when I attach the building to the landscaping board.

I’ve painted the exterior of the roof black to move on to the next steps.

Categories: Half Clocked
November 4, 2018 | 0 comments

Half Clocked – starting the dovecote

There’s a lovely space in the Three Gables House that is perfect for a built-in dovecote (just ask Sheila). I did some scouting around online, and found a great site for inspiration and instruction. I started by measuring the entire space available. The popholes need to be scaled from 4″ by 6″ (approximately 21/64″ x 1/2″ in 1:12 scale) and roughly 1/2″ apart (in scale). This gives me room for nine birds. I drew this template in Word.

Originally, I was going to cut a triangle and then cut the popholes, but I wasn’t getting good results. So, I re-engineered my approach. I cut 24/32″ wide strips of 3/32″ thick basswood and cut them to fit. I used strips of 1/16″ thick basswood to make each floor’s landing platforms. It also works well as a design element separating the levels. This might seem like a bit of over-engineering, but it just seemed the best way to get cleaner cuts without pulling my hair out.

I marked then cut one pophole with my Proxxon scroll saw. I used that pophole as a template for the rest.

I didn’t get as good a result as I wanted. The holes varied too much for my liking. Yes, I know…time for a laser cutter. I edited an arch in Illustrator, imported it into Cricut Design Space and then used my Cricut to cut out cardstock trim for the popholes.

Now the holes are more uniform, and fancy to boot!  :D

I marked the landing platform locations onto the floor boards and then cut those. I could have left the floors intact all the way across, but I wanted some pizzazz.  :D

Time for construction. You can see I sanded the platform corners into curves.

I added vertical insert boards to make the interior compartments, but mainly for stability.

The upper compartment has small braces for the front wall.

I used spackling to even out any gaps.

I had to trim and slide the middle section over to line up the sections properly, but the final trims on the outer edges will disguise these issues.

Categories: Half Clocked
November 1, 2018 | 0 comments

Half Clocked – insert wall, part 2

Here is how the insert wall looked when I left it last. I’m planning to modify the trim one more time, which I’ll get to later….

With the side and porch walls glued in place, I could continue on the insert wall. First, I traced the outer portion onto drawing paper to have a good wallpaper template.

No dollhouse is square no matter how hard you try (regular houses aren’t either, for that matter) and my hand cut wall is not precise by any means. To that end, the outer portion of the insert wall is snug in one place and loose in another. It’s also not tall enough on one side, but that’s the beauty of wallpaper covering! To make gluing the outer portion more stable, I added strip wood guides on the side that will not be seen.

The planned trim around the inner portion will keep it from falling into the open space in front, but I still added some wood stops for good measure.

I primed both parts and tested the fit with the door, which will serve as the handle to remove the inner portion. So far, so good.  :]

A major/minor setback: I didn’t leave myself enough room behind the removable wall.  :\  So, I chiseled out the wall frame. Yeah, it’s as scary as it sounds.

I didn’t have the wallpaper glued in, which was why I opted for demolition. The other solution would have been to make the front wall removable, which I thought was much harder to do with the brick bottom and planned landscaping. It came out relatively easily without damage. I had to cut away the flooring as well…also scary.

I put the wall back in and stabilized it. I didn’t bother removing the first stabilizing columns; I just glued in additional ones.

Like it never happened. Whew. The lesson here is don’t panic! Go ahead and swear, but don’t panic. :D

The insert fits a little tighter than it did before, but I’ll take it. Just need to shave a bit off the top.  :]

Categories: Half Clocked
October 3, 2018 | 0 comments

Half Clocked – timber walls

With the brickwork mostly done, it was time to finish the upper portions of the exterior walls. I have yet to tackle the hinged back wall other than to cut a new board, but that should likely be added at the end for the best fit. Since I’ve been taking the building in and out of dry fit, I had many errant pencil marks for trim placement. To make my final markings, I used colored lead for my mechanical pencil so I could differentiate the final lines from the previous mess. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

I used yellow frog tape for the lower edge since I thought it would be easier on the brickwork. Masking tape might lift the finish on the brick, but there was no reason not to use it around the remaining areas. I wasn’t worried about crisp paint lines, but I did want some bare mdf for better trim adhesion later.

No process pics, but the stucco is a relatively easy though fickle finish. I spread spackling over the two walls where I filled in openings; the other two I left plain. After it dried, I sanded the areas smooth. The walls didn’t have to be completely flat. I just needed to mask the window outlines so their halos wouldn’t be seen later. Next up was a coat of Americana White Birch. This is a satin paint, so it has a lovely sheen once dry. I tapped the paint on with the flat side of a foam brush to achieve a light stucco finish. Once dry, I touched up any areas that needed it and removed the tape.

While working on the stucco, I stained the trim pieces Minwax Jacobean. I love this rich, dark chocolate brown. I’m usually a white trim gal. It was then time to get out of dry fit!!! Always a momentous occasion with all the worry that I’ve not done something I should have while the walls were flat. Of course, I’ve left the new front wall unattached since I do need to work on that one flat.

After gluing the main trims in place came the task of measuring and cutting the upright timbers. I had a pattern in mind, but I wanted to see the uprights alone before making any final decisions. I evenly spaced the boards on the short side, opting for narrow spaces.

On the long side, I trimmed above the window for uniformity but followed a similar look as the short side for the rest of the wall.

I will try out a few patterns to see if I want anything beyond this, though I already love the look and will most likely leave it as is.

I left the porch simple so it doesn’t get lost and will be easier to decorate. The door frame has been stained to match the trims, but I am still deciding on a door color. I painted the porch ceiling stucco white so it would brighten the space.

Categories: Half Clocked
September 17, 2018 | 0 comments

Half Clocked – casting call

I need a rabbit for Half Clocked. I have this lovely wood rabbit I bought back in 2012 from artbase, but I don’t want to alter the original for my purpose.

Using EasyMold Silicone Putty, I made a mold of the rabbit and let it be for a long time while working on other aspects of the build (as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases). 

I’m using Alumilite Amazing Casting Resin, my first time using an opaque resin (as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases). I followed the directions exactly, though I did mix too much for the pour. I wasn’t sure how to gauge the amount needed. Watching it cure was fun.  :D

The result? It turned out well considering my original mold was not that great. You often can’t tell you have a bad mold until you cast something in it. But, the resin is sandable, and I did not want to start over. This cast would work well for my purpose since it looked more hand carved than the original. Here’s one of the flaws from the mold before I sanded it smooth.

The instructions recommended painting right away, but the acrylic brown I used did not want to stick. I washed the paint off and then used a spray primer. The paint adhered to the primer without issue.  Pretty great for a maiden voyage, and it works well for my purposes.  :]

Hmm…I kinda want a chocolate bunny now. haaaaaaaaaa

Categories: Half Clocked
September 16, 2018 | 0 comments