Pargeting: 'Pargeting' is decorative plasterwork, in Britain often seen on the outsides of timber framed houses dating from the 16th century. It is very pretty. Your early 18th century houses were simply carrying on a great tradition of handsome plasterwork.

Helen from York, England

Thatched roofing: Patty asked for some assistance in constructing a thatched roof in 1-inch scale. I have never seen this done in miniature, but actual thatched roofs are amazing! This site should give you a start on your project: http://www.thatching.com/at.html Beth's Aunt and Uncle live in Klaswaal, not far out of Rotterdam. We were visiting there this Spring with them. He mentioned that he was considering a thatched roof for his barn. I asked him, Does anyone still do that? He said, "oh, yes- but the workmen that know the process are hard to find. And besides, it is a little expensive. About 250,000 guilder" That's for a barn roof! I'm sure that a thatched roof done to scale in miniature will be spectacular, Good luck with your project!

Brian

Shaking houses: I've noticed that a lot of you hate the "task" of shaking your houses. For me this was actually a very relaxing and satisfying experience. Since I live right in the middle of Red Cedar Heaven, I just could not justify buying shakes. DH cut me some mini shake blocks (he used to cut life-size blocks in the woods for a living) 2 inches long as 24" is the standard length of a shake in this part of the country (14" for shingles). The ones that come in kits are always Shorter it seems by an inch. I split my own shakes out of these blocks with an old thin sturdy bladed knife for the fro and my jewelers Chasing hammer as the mallet turning the block with each split. This bevels the shake (thin on one end and thicker at the other. They turned out so pretty and I did it all by mylittle lonesome. The splitting went very quickly and just like when doing my beadwork the more rows I added the more beautiful it became. Once I got going I just couldn't stop. I have to shake the porch roof still, but the handsplit effect and the fact that the shakes were the right length really made a difference in the realism. Can't wait to get done with my next house cause I know I will get to shake it.

Brooke, Wa

Weatherboards/Clapboards/Siding: "weatherboards" do you mean Clapboards, or lap siding? If so, the width of the boards can be anywhere from about 3" to 5". (Showing, I mean; another inch or so is hidden by the board above.) The oldest style is the narrow.

Hilda Hardcastle

Strip Shingles: I assume you are referring to the What's Next strip shingles. I just got through using them on my granddaughter's Alison, Jr. LOVE them! They went on so fast and can be cut with scissors. This roof had lots of angles and I just put the strip in position and then marked the back of it against the angle with a pencil. Then, just cut with scissors. They sure do go fast! They sure do look like real shingles. The quarter scale strip paper shingles are great, too. I painted them with my window trim color, then sponged on a cream color very lightly - aged them nicely.

Carole Pierce in TN

Strip Shingles: The asphalt strip shingles are fabulously easy to apply. You can cover a roof in a couple of hours. The wooden strip shingles are ever so slightly thicker than single wooden shingles; to get them to lay down properly you need to place them in closer rows -- instead of 1" intervals, 3/4" spacing looks better.

Sally Cook-Thomas

Corrugated Metal Roofing: You can make a nice press for creating corrugated metal roofing by gluing a row of 3/32" dowels spaced 3/32" apart. When glue is dry, overlay a piece of extra heavy aluminum freezer wrap them, starting at one end, press between bottom dowels with similar dowels from the top. Remove top dowels and tip up to drop out a nice piece of roofing. Practice a bit to get desired sizes right so you do not need to re-cut after pressing.

Mel Koplin - Las Vegas

Corrugated Metal Roofing: I think you could probably use corrugated cardboard (flap from a cardboard box?) for that roof if the cardboard is corrugated on only one side, as some cardboard is made. I'd begin by cutting out the roof to the shape/size you want. Then paint it with white glue (Elmers) to strengthen it. When glue is dry, spray paint with silver paint.

Viola

Corrugated roofing: Take some corrugated cardboard from a box and remove one side of the cardboard paper. Sandpaper the remaining bits of paper off and you are looking at brown corrugated "metal" roofing. Paint it rust Or it can stand in for bamboo.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Plaster moldings: This would be very authentic for Victorian architecture. Many of the "wood" cornices and such were "wood grained" plaster. For miniatures, Hydrocal is finer and retains more detail than ordinary plaster of Paris. In the USA it is usually available through model railroad suppliers. Look into purchasing in quantity - it is much more affordable than the small bags which are simply repackaged and marked up ridiculously.

For molds, RTV works well if poured carefully over patterns well coated with mold release. Everybody has their own favorites so check your local art supply and (again) look at commercial quantities as a possible way of saving over the long run though most RTV does have a relatively short shelf life even unmixed.

For my plaster moldings, I "paint" the first layer into the molds to assure no surface bubbles, pour about half way and then add a strip of precut gauze for added strength before pouring the remainder. Slightly overfill the molds and then sandpaper away the excess after all is very-very thoroughly cured. Do not use wood or metal stiffeners as the widely different coefficients of climatic expansion and recession will cause cracking and separation with time.

Installing plaster cornices (for example) I usually glue to the wood shell or right over wallpaper with Elmer's white glue. Cope and overlap/underlap at corners rather than mitering. Paint AFTER all is in place but allow at least a month of cure time after casting prior to any glue or paint.

Mel K. Las Vegas

Plaster moldings: I think Fimo or air-dry clay would be better for the method I use: Roll out your clay into a long flat strip; in scale. On a piece of scrap wood, draw your design for the molding (remember your design will be reproduced backwards). Paint the surface of the wood with Elmers glue and place string, or thread on the penciled design. What we are making is a stamp. When the glue dries the thread or string will be raised and firmly held in place. Now press the design into the Fimo or air dry clay. If the strip of molding is too long for the oven you use. (in the case of Fimo), use a sharp razor and cut it into sections. These can be glued together later.That is how I make molding with a repeat design.

Dr. Bob, Delray Beach, FL

Plaster mouldings: I happened to flip past the Christopher Lowell show and they were doing this with cake bags and tips. Not for minis of course but they used something that looked a lot like spackle in the frosting bag.

Karyn Zabrouski

Plaster moldings: When I was in Fine Arts we had a design project where we each made a length of our own plaster moldings which were then cut up to form design elements. We had to cut out a metal template of the profile of the plaster molding we wanted. A large batch of plaster was mixed, when it reach a workable consistency it was spread out on a long table. We then ran the metal template over the plaster to form the molding. Once partially dry we cut the plaster on a band saw. This was how old plaster moldings were made. I have never tried something like this on a miniature scale but I don't see why the same process couldn't be used. It was sort of like extruding but with only half the design. Extruding is what you are doing when squeezing out a design from your pastry bag. It can also be done with clay or fimo in an extruder from a ceramic or crafts store. This is also a good way to make moldings. Many potters use large extruders with their own designs to make the handles of pots and various trims for their work, the same principles work in miniature.

If you find metal designs, jewelry forms or make designs of fimo, clay or carve in plaster, that you would like for molding you can cover them with quite a few layers of latex rubber. Letting each layer dry. Mix up a batch of mold plaster as it is stronger than plaster of Paris. You can buy mold plaster in a ceramic shop. Mix up a quantity of the plaster and pour it into the latex mold, knock it on the table to release any air bubbles. When it sets up remove it from the mold.

My favorite way to make plaster like trims is with sculpy that I press into plaster molds I have made. Remove the sculpy forms and bake them. The white sculpy looks very much like plaster and can be stained with oil paints or painted with acrylic paints.

Jean Day

Plaster moulding and cake decorator bags; I found these posts really interesting. Karyn had mentioned seeing them on the Christopher Lowell show. This process really CAN be used with miniatures, in a lot of ways. In my haunted mansion, the frame for the haunted mirror, was piped through a one sided "jag" tip, and a small leaf tip. Afterwards, it was stained, antiqued, and sealed. Even on close examination, people have mistaken it for carved wood.

I'm really easily bored with plain types of exterior mouldings, (and many of mine, do not even traditionally exist, they have more of a fantasy type feel), but the Palladian window frames, and the circular exterior window frames were all embellished, directly onto the bare wood kit pieces of the Buttercup, (with a cake decorating bag, and fine tips). When they dried, they were painted, antiqued, and finished off. It's amazing the detail you can add, with a steady hand. And it really holds up (talking about drywall here, again). Doesn't split, or crack, or shrink. For the "plaster ceilings" in my dollhouse, I always loved those finely swirled designs. (Bit of a drama queen, I like heavy ornate detail...) I did the same thing on each ceiling surface, piping the drywall out with a jagged "ribbon" tip, took a long time, but it looks good. Again, applying it on the bare wood, no prep...nothing. Not one piece of any of the three full length ceiling pieces have ever chipped or split. When I taught cake decorating classes ( full size and mini) for the mini cakes, I advised the use standard freezer bags and latex caulk. Same premise, just cut a tiny hole in the tip, and proceed with your border and swags. You can get a lot of interesting effects. (For really pretty fairy wings...you can pipe out your outline, and inner "feather" or "butterfly" detail ...with the caulk onto wax paper, let it dry, and layer the inside design with envirotex. Give it a day or so to sit, and peel it off. They're amazing.) Anybody bored with casting in molds, might want to give the icing bag trick a try. Allows you a lot of freedom for self expression.

I use a product (actually a 4.5 gallon bucket did all the siding, ceilings.. all of the stuff for the Haunted Dollhouse) the bucket was about ten dollars. Bought it at Home Depot, it's called "Lightweight All Purpose Joint Compound" made by "Sheetrock" brand. But it's industrial drywall. I'm sure any brand would do!

Sherise

Roofing Material: I am also doing a Craftsman style home, and have several books about bungalows which I use as my guide.  They picture asphalt roofs, a surprising number of shake shingle roofs, and the rare slate roof.

Jeri Moriarty

Pumpkin Lamps: For those who are looking for lit pumpkins - we have some for sale on our web site. http://www.grandadsplayroom.com

Wiring & Lighting Instructions:We have written our own wiring diagram leaflet,written in non-technical language! AND we make and sell lighting for the Georgian/Medieval/Tudor periods to Victorian. http://www.grandadsplayroom.com or e-mail for advice on grandad@grandadsplayroom.com

Nanny Joyce

Chimney's and Spindles: http://www.miniatures.com/

http://www.dollhouse-dollhouse.com/us/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=10

The Dolls House Emporium offers a free 146 page catalog by mail.

http://www.dollhouse-dollhouse.com/us/asp/product.asp?product=65

Katharine Medeiros

Location of flashing: Flashing, visible or not, is installed in so-called real life wherever something interrupts the plane of a roof (chimneys, vents, dormers, parapets, intersecting roofs of different heights or pitches, etc.etc.) or an exterior wall (windows, doors, et al.). Or it is stupidly not installed, as where my mudroom roof intersects my main house roof and sheets of water come down inside whenever there is too much snow, and then the front door swells and I am stuck either inside or outside, depending. But that is a different issue, since dollhouses are blessedly free of leaks. If you are installing a shingle roof on your dollhouse, you can choose to have exposed flashing OR you can claim it is installed under the shingles/siding, out of sight, and no one will sue.

Melissa

How to cover small areas of roof in copper: Make a paper pattern for the roof surface that you want covered. Use this pattern to cut the copper from copper sheeting. Make sure you leave enough on the pattern to fold over and under the roof edge. Glue to roof area. I used a combination of wood glue and quick-grab. Clip corners, and roll over roof area with hard rubber roller to get good adhesion. For the trim pieces, I covered strip wood (1/8 inch square pieces cut to fit) with copper tapewire on three sides. This is the single "run" of tapewire that comes in a roll with an adhesive paper back. The fourth side of the wood strips were left uncovered so they could be glued to the roof. I put the strips at 2 foot (2")centers, and also trimmed the area where the copper roof met the exterior walls. This copper tapewire was left over from my "tapewire" period. I only use round wire now. I have left the copper to darken naturally and plan to add a little "verdigis" with paint in the future.

Sharon Blake, Wasilla, Alaska

Chimney pots...we made them for the Rik Pierce thatched cottage class. Some students made them from paperclay. I have a collection of flower pots (well, you never know just which style you might need...) and selected one that seemed appropriate to me. It was terracotta but not the standard flowerpot shape. I painted it to blend with the chimney. Nobody has ever questioned it, but several have pointed that out as a cute feature of the house. After looking through some picture books at the library, I decided that chimney pots are just flower pots that came up in the world.

Bar Turner in La Honda, CA