Copper Foil: I sell 32 gauge copper foil in a roll 12" wide by 3'. http://www.JBsDollhousesMiniatures.com

Jackie

Corrugated Metal roofing: Here are a few suppliers of this product. Model train sources offer a good selection of mini bulbs, metal products etc.
http://www.williamsbrosinc.com/buildings.html

http://www.oakridgehobbies.com/Gpage/G_scale_62A.html

George Hoffman

Piano Hinges: For the person looking for solid brass piano hinges...You can purchase smaller scale hinges In solid brass at Woodcraft. They come in two sizes 3/4" and 1/2" and come in a 24" length. I use these for making small gift boxes and have never attempted to hang a dollhouse wall with them so can't attest to whether they would work or not due to the weight they might need to support. I buy from the catalogue or the live store but they do have a web site. http://www.woodcraft.com

Reva

Crayola Model Magic: I use Crayola model magic all the time, here are my personal results with the stuff. Storing, use a airtight Tupperware container or Ziploc baggie, just make sure no air gets in.   It isn't reusable if dried, well we can always find a use but..........LOL.   Just a thought if you dry some and chopping the food processor or coffee grinder you might get amazing popcorn.....I am going right now to try it...LOL.

Paint.   Acrylics and watercolors...........I like the watercolors the best, as you don't need much paint at all to color a large piece.   Dab a little on and then start smooshing the clay until it is uniformly the color you want.   Or after it is dry you can paint it then with either acrylic or watercolors

Slicing when dry.....A clay tissue blade cutter works wonderful like butter.

Once dry I have added Hot Wonder Water to it and it has never melted so the temp isn't too hot for it, works great for ponds.

Kathy

Architectural moulding: An artisan in the US who makes lovely architectural mouldings for Victorian and Louis XIV style rooms is Annette Lobell-Doran. She also does lots of gold leafing and painting of them. She now has a website, http://www.uniquelyvictorian.com/ and is a very nice lady to deal with. Her website has some beautiful roombox scenes on it using the mouldings - - do have a look. If you do contact her, do tell her that Wendy Smale referred you and says "Hello".

Wendy in Clinton, NJ

Paper-Wrapped Wire: http://amsi-minilandscaping.com They have white and green cloth covered wire sold by the bundle. They have wonderful landscaping materials and are extremely helpful. They extended me a 30% discount since I have a miniature business. The man's name is Tony and his wife is Mary. They provide landscaping used for small scale miniatures in Hollywood. I searched for 2-1/2 weeks to find their site on the Web.

Jean

Gatorboard and Foam Core: Gatorboard and Foam Core are similar in that they are approximately 1/4" thick (or can come 1/2" and thicker from specialty display suppliers) - and they both have a smooth poster board type surface on each side. BUT - the difference ends there.

Gatorboard has a hard, dense, fine-grained core. You can stick a straight pin into it, with about as much effort as you would into balsa - but the pin will hold, even under pressure. It is a sturdier board than the Foam Core boards.

Foam Core has a more open, loose, softer core. You can easily press a fingernail into it - like the white foam packing material called 'peanuts'. It will not hold a straight pin well - nor will it hold it's shape when pressed very hard, especially at the edges. It is good for small projects - or 'mockups' of bigger projects, to see how they will look. It is definitely not as'permanent' a product as the Gatorboard - but has it's place for small vignettes, small boxes, the base for larger items as fireplaces, etc., which are then finished with other materials to look like a fireplace.... etc. Foam Core tends to warp - particularly if not sealed on BOTH sides for larger projects (i.e., gesso, paint, or something similar that will keep moisture from penetrating). You must seal BOTH sides, even if you intend to only wallpaper, for example, one side.

Gatorboard must also be sealed - because it will warp, also, but has less of a tendency to do so than Foam Core. There is also, as someone mentioned, a corrugated plastic-surfaced Foam Core type board from which real estate signs are made....not good for miniature work, to my thinking.

Gatorboard, being a denser, 'tougher' product than Foam Core, can also be easily cut with X-Acto knife, scroll or table saw, and then holds a good edge - whereas the Foam Core edges can be 'mashed down' or distorted with pressure.

Both products can be found in arts/crafts shops - although you are more likely to find Foam Core at these types of shops (i.e., Michael's, Joanne's, etc.) then Gatorboard. You will probably have to go to a good ART or DISPLAY (for store window displays, scenery, etc.) store to get Gatorboard (and Foam Core) in large pieces - up to 4' x 8'. You can usually find smaller pieces (poster board size) at art/craft stores. You can have the art or display store cut a 4' x 8' sheet of Gatorboard for you, to fit in your car - or simply score it and 'pop' it, as you would do sheet rock or glass. (We suggest, though, that to be on the safe side, until you have tried this with scraps, that you ask them to cut it.)

Both products will stay very useable for years - if stored either on end, absolutely FLAT against a wall, supported so it won't sag and warp, or FLAT on a shelf. (I cut 4 x 8 sheets into the width I normally use for a box room, for example - approximately 12" deep by 4 feet wide - and then can cut that down to use however I need it.) They are both useful to have - and once you work with them, you will probably discover more ways to use them that we've thought of so far! (I have even used both of them for 'cornice boards' on small windows (real sized!) that I upholstered....much easier and lighter to work with than 1" x 8" lumber!)

Linda Gale

Studs in Houses: I have built several structures in the way you mentioned, with studs, 1/16" plywood for the walls, wiring run inside the walls etc. Makes for an extremely lightweight house. I learned this method from Keith Long, who sometimes teaches classes at the Gulf South show in New Orleans. Most of the houses are in 1/2" scale, though the first one we did was 1" and I have built an oversize roombox in 1" this way. Keith will be doing another class next March at Gulf South.

Beth, In A Miniature Manor

Building Greenleaf kits. Well I am jealous, I wish I had gotten the Garfield. Like I have room for it! Don't be scared if you have the will you can do it! I am building the Annabelle and I secretly wish I could "accidentally" ruin it so I can go get the Garfield........I can only imagine 1 dollhouse amongst my cats and daughter and my husband's stuff.... well here is what I can offer you in advice hope it helps, and I would love to see picture's of your house someday!

Sealing the pieces - I know people say it helps prevent warping of the big pieces when you paint them but I don't think it's a tragedy not to seal them. You may want to seal the small trim pieces IF you plan on spray painting them, which makes faster work, especially with all the window trim. The wood will suck up so much paint if you don't seal them you'll need about 5 coats to cover it! BUT if you're going to paint the pieces by hand using a thickly applied coat of paint, I say the heck with sealing.

DO NOT punch out the pieces till you're going to use them! Leave them in the sheets! I learned this the hard way. Sounds obvious I guess but I must think I am "special".

The die cut luan is a pain. Punch out carefully. I had some pieces that just weren't punched all the way through so I am sure you will too. I had my hubby get them out with a Dremel (I am afraid of it) and a hacksaw. But don't despair if you break a piece you can glue it or use spackle or putty to fix it. If you want a super final finish you'll want to use spackle or putty to smooth out the edges of the pieces; this is due to the poor quality of the luan.

Are you electrifying? This will change the whole way you build the house and their instructions will be useless. This will also affect how you wallpaper, which is tricky in itself with these houses - some of it must be added before assembly on certain parts, like bay windows and towers, or eaves, 'cause you'll never get your hands in there after it's glued together! PLAN - go slow!

I also recommend, if you can stand the wait, to put the house shell (walls and floors) together in one "spurt" of work and not to do a little at a time (like on Thanksgiving break!) and then leave it for weeks. You need to get the whole thing together and clamp it (I used old tights tied around the walls) to make sure it all fits and stays and doesn't warp or separate.

Fit all the pieces before gluing! You will have to make adjustments! The parts are supposed to fit but they don't sometimes. I used a wire-snipping pliers to "snip" the wood, usually the tabs had to be trimmed a wee bit. Because of this you want to avoid wallpapering or painting over the tabs, they won't fit. Don't go mental - paint can be sanded off, I'm not suggesting you tape off all the little tabs when you paint!

And remember - boo boos with fitting, gluing or wallpaper or flooring can be hidden with baseboards, crown moldings, wainscoting, etc. If I think of anything else I'll post. Oh watch out for splinters - keep tweezers handy.

Karyn

Plexiglas front on Roombox: I purchased a Roombox with a Plexiglas front and a precut frame for the box.   The instructions stated to glue the two sides and the bottom frame parts to the Roombox leaving enough space to drop in the Plexiglas. Put glue on the top piece of frame only where it will touch the top edge of the Plexiglas and attach it to the glass making sure the corners of the frame are even.  Let dry and you can pull up the top frame to get in the Roombox. I have used this method on four boxes.   On two boxes there was no precut frame so I purchased some " L" shaped molding and made my own frame.

Louise from MI 

Plexiglas and room boxes: I use Plexiglas on the top and front of my Southwest room boxes.  I make a 1/8" rabbet around the top of the box so that the Plexiglas sits flush with the top of the box and I make a 1/8" groove in the front of the floor and a 1/4" groove in the top cross piece of the box.  I have my glazier cut the front piece 1/4" higher than the front opening dimension.    I glue two wood "buttons" on the lower left and right corners of the Plexiglas and insert it into the front of the box, putting the top in first and then sliding it down into the bottom groove.  Check out the picture of my room box on my web site, (click on the URL below), for an example of what I am talking about.  I don't have the glass installed in these pics but you can get the idea. http://TaosSunMiniatures.com

Spencer

Pressed Wood: Have been reading some of the comments about pressed wood - are they referring to MDF?  We also call it supawood. I am building my house (own design, not a kit) from this stuff & I think its great.   Painting the walls is much simpler as there is no wood grain to fill up & prime.  There is no right and wrong side as in masonite and the cut edges are as smooth as the surfaces - they don't require filling like plywood.  Also it is not as inclined to warp as much as plywood. However, it can be quite heavy, (maybe an advantage) and because of the glue in it, it blunts jigsaw blades quite quickly.   But even with a blunt blade, it doesn't "rip" the wood and requires only minimal sanding along the cut edges. The only furniture I would make from MDF would be fully upholstered like sofas or painted like cupboards.

Sharon, (South Africa)

Marlene Chapman-Ontario

Siding Ends: After my last post about using round doweling to fill the gap in clapboard siding at corners, thought about it a bit and will try top be brief on another alternative to mitre joints. Lay siding on one wall (#1) with a very slight overlap. Use a sanding block on the adjacent wall (#2) to bring siding ends down to being perfectly flush with that adjacent (#2) face.

Lay siding on #2 wall with slight overlap at both ends. Use a sanding block again but with no abrasive on top edge and sand the end where #2 sidling overlaps #1 using #1 siding face as your guide. You may prefer to CAREFULLY carve excess at first and then just finish sand. A bit of scrap paper or shim stock along the #1 face siding butted up to the end overlap should help avoid grinding the face until you are down to the last couple 1,000ths of an inch.

Use wall # 3 as guide to flush sand the opposite end of #2 wall siding, etc., etc., etc., until all the way around. When siding all in place, take and blow loose dust and brush liberally with sanding sealer being sure to fill any tiny cracks. The nonabrasive top edge of sanding block mentioned above is to prevent distorting shape of the lip.

Also relatively simple would be the use of corner boards (vertical trim) up the corners so clapboard, shingles, etc., butt squarely up between such trim. Use above system to overlap corner board trim laying and shaping one wall then the other.

Mel K.

1/2" scale bricks: I think this as a cost effective alternative to make the bricks you want.
A real life brick is 8" long. X 4"deep X 2 1/2" high; translated into 1/2" scale this means we work with 1/16's of an inch. You do the conversion Real bricks have a smooth side and a rough side.
Concept: On a piece of wax paper, pour (for plaster) or roll out (for clay) the thickness that would be the thickness of the brick.( the height dimension) Fit a Jewelers saw with a piece of steel wire in place of the blade. Clay is easier.
If you want smooth face brick, do nothing to the surface. If you want rough face brick; select the grit of sandpaper that will give you the roughness you want in scale and press it on to the surface of the clay. Use the wire in the Jewelers saw to cut the clay to make bricks in the dimension that you want. Harden the clay. I am avoiding the words Polymer or air dry clay. You take your choice. Remove from the wax paper and use as brick.
I feel that air dry clay may be the simplest to work with for this project. More cost effective also.

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Roombox: I would use foamboard as walls in the "box house" you're making..lightweight, easy to cut, easy to finish...can't think of any reason I wouldn't use it, in fact. My colonial kitchen is made exclusively of it (shell). I glued wood "paneling" on the kitchen walls and just painted the 2 closet walls to look like wood.

Rita Pierce

Foam Core vs. Gatorboard: When I decided to start flying to shows, I needed to come up with a light-weight display that could be broken down and nested into a trunk for flying. I designed a two-tiered display and made the whole thing out of Gatorboard. Gatorboard is made the same as Foamcore and is the same weight and also comes in different thickness'. Foamcore dents easily, where Gatorboard is about 4 times stronger (guessing here folks) and doesn't dent. It's only slightly harder to cut, meaning you have to take an extra stroke or two with the X-Acto knife to cut through it. The only drawback is, it's about 4-5 times more expensive. When it came time to making my display, there really wasn't a question of using Foamcore or Gatorboard for it. Foamcore wouldn't have lasted near as long as Gatorboard does for heavy usage. The airlines do their darndest to break the display and the only thing that has happened is that a couple joints have come apart, which are easily glued back together. For my display, once the Gatorboard pieces were all glued together, I ironed on Wonder-Under fusible on to my black fabric then I just ironed the fabric to each piece of the display. The whole thing has lasted about 6 years now. Gatorboard can probably be ordered from the same place where Foamcore is found, like a picture framing store or art store.

Connie Sauve

Cutting Foamcore: In my experience the easiest method of cutting Foamcore is using the X-Acto Foamcore cutter. It not only cuts straight lines, but also beveled lines and Foamcore strips. I got mine from Dick Blick, so I assume that you can find it at art supply stores and anywhere where they sell supplies for print framing (they use Foamcore to mount prints and posters). If one plans to use Foamcore regularly in dh construction then it is worth the investment (I paid around $10 for mine). http://www.dickblick.com/

Martha

Siding: I assume that your using the wide boards and not the individual strips. Start at the bottom. Use Quik Grab glue. Put glue around the board, especially along the edges. Press the board against the house, then pull it a few inches away from the house, and then press the board against the house. Move quickly as it does dry quickly. Don't use too much glue. I put it around the edges and a couple of strips in the center lengthwise. You don't need to cover the whole board with glue. You will notice an overlap at the bottom of each piece. The piece that you put on next will be right above the first piece you did and you should overlap the top piece with the bottom.

Carol

Knotty Pine: Being a bit of a perfectionist, I would feel compelled to make my Knotty pine walls with basswood strips for realism. If you look at the real thing, you can see some grooves between each of the boards. You can duplicate this by rounding over the edges of each strip of wood so that when they are laid next to each other there is some dimension to them. Then for the knotty pine effect, I'd use a wood burner or fine tipped soldering iron to add the knots. Afterwards, you'd want to stain all your boards appropriately to match what you are duplicating in real life. Most Knotty pine has a warm yellowish glow. You also would want to spray them with a satin sealer or something and put a nice finish on them. Then install your boards one at a time. Shoot- this sounds like so much fun I may just have to make a cabin scene. Granted, this is probably the hard way to do things. Just depends on how much realism you are trying to get and how much time you are willing to put into it. Maybe someone knows of some great product I'm not aware of to do the same thing easy.

Bonnie Gibson