Primer: I use a primer coat as a good way to tell if there's areas of the wood that need sanding as they will look rough after painting but may look fine before painting.

The kind of paint I use is a good quality white latex paint. I use ceiling paint as a primer as it's relatively inexpensive. For colors for paints I buy the small craft paints and mix them with the latex paint. I use a foam brush. Although you need to put on about 10 coats as the foam makes a thin coat, I find that the end result is a nice smooth finish.

Carol

Primer -- My Humble Opinion about primer is that it's a good idea if you are going to paint or wallpaper. Wood is porous, so the first layer or two of stuff you apply soaks in and seals the grain. I don't personally see the point of wasting expensive paint on this step unless you are only putting on a small amount of paint to stain the wood and you want the grain to show. My paint mixer guy said you can't tint primer, because it has extra white in it which is intended to conceal color variations in the surface so that your colored paint or wallpaper will not have funky shadows in it. So that is another reason to use it. Also, I feel the color of the undercoat affects the color of the paint though I suppose it could be my imagination. A primer undercoat seems to me to make for a brighter overcoat. If I want light, bright, true colors, I use a white undercoat. If I want an older, dimmer, dirtier look, I use a darker undercoat.

Chrissy the Hyphenated

Primer: Just putting in my 2cents worth on priming a house before finishing. Exterior walls have to be primed if any water-based product will be used on them. That means Tacky, carpenters glue, wallpaper paste, acrylic paint, stucco, Magic Brik or similar product. You don't have to prime if using a solvent-based covering, like Quik Grab. Dollhouses with walls that are 1/4" ply should be primed on both sides to prevent warping. Everything sticks better and longer when primed.

All of my buildings are painted with regular dollhouse paint that I am able to get at a miniature store. The paints have a satin finish, and because I prime all my wood, usually only two coats are needed.

Roberta in Wisconsin

Finishing cherry wood. I ended up using a mix of linseed oil and white spirit. I used the mix on both a cherry wood floor and the cherry sleigh bed. I put on three thin layers, letting dry and sanding with a paper bag between layers. I am SO happy with the results....the wood glows without being glossy, and the color and grain of the wood is luminous....

Whui in Paris

Removing varnish & stain: I don't know a way other than using paint stripper to remove varnish, either water or alkyd based. Varnish cuts/clogs most sandpaper. To remove stain, you either have to sand down past where the stain penetrated or bleach the wood - or both because wood doesn't absorb stain evenly. You can use furniture bleach (sold where the paint stripper is) or straight laundry bleach. The bleach raises the grain on the wood, so you have to sand anyway. Flush the bleached wood well with water when you're finished as you don't want to breathe in chlorine soaked dust.

If you want to alter the colour, eg., make it redder or browner, you can stain over the stain once the varnish is removed. Or you can use a tinted varnish like Minwax. Neither of these will give you the nice oiled finish you got with the cherry. I think I'd just get more wood and put the old one in the recycle-to-something-else bin.

Heather in Toronto

Refinishing: I have refinished many pieces of 'big' furniture and I love to use Formby's Refinisher. The beauty of this product is that it will remove varnish and some of the stain color, but doesn't go into the grain of the wood the way many other strippers do. This means there is no sanding required before applying a new finish. I used to use tung oil after stripping. Have found on real furniture being used by a family of eight that tung oil was not a sturdy enough finish and had, over the years, to redo with polyurethane. This, of course, is not a problem in a dollhouse setting as dollhouse dwellers are MUCH more careful of their things.

Linda in Leroy, OH

Staining Furniture: I have a question regarding furniture finishing, and I hope some of you pros can help me. I have tried staining (basswood) furniture with Minwax stains, and while the results have been fair, they lacked the deep richness I wanted. I even used the Minwax wood conditioner, which is very helpful in reducing blotchiness. So, I started to experiment. To get a deeper color, I tried painting the stained piece with arist's oil paints, using burnt umber and Venetian red, thinned with turpentine. The results were excellent - the color was deep and rich, yet still allowed the grain of the wood to show. The only problem was that the paint would take several days to dry. I experimented again, and thinned the oil paints with mahogany stain. This created a better stain that was easier to work and created a better color. However, this method still takes days to dry. There has to be a better way...

Jonathan in Israel

Staining Furniture, making stain dry more quickly: There is, but you have to use this product with care. Just because a little works good, does not mean that more is better. It is called Japan Drier and can be added to any oil-based mixture including oil paint. But follow the directions when adding and you will be surprised how it helps to dry paints more quickly. When you mentioned a friend in North America perhaps sending linseed oil to you, I was not aware that these combustible products (including Japan Drier) could be mailed.

Gary in NH

Linseed oil: I'm pretty sure you can find linseed oil in your local store. I found it in the home improvement section of my local department store (La Samarataine in Paris). It is with the white spirits, turpentine, and acetone. I mixed it with 25% white spirit (was supposed to use turpentine but they were sold out and the guy said it would be OK). The finish took about 2 days to fully dry. I waited a few hours between coats and gave it 2 days to fully dry before using.

Not sure what happens chemically, but the linseed oil brings out the pretty wood grain and enriches the color, then over time, the finish becomes rather "hard" the way a finished piece of wood is supposed to look. I am quite pleased with the results, though it still seems rather like "magic" to me!!

Whui in Paris

Beacon Hill Exterior Colors: I looked through my dh's architecture books and it seems that in general, these houses use from 3 to 5 colors. For 3, there are two tones of one color and one very different accent color. Examples -- cream walls with white trim and brick red accents; tan walls with white trim and olive accents; light colonial blue walls with white trim and dark colonial blue accents. For 4, there are still just two basic colors, but either 2 and 2 or 3 and 1 shades. Examples -- light apricot walls with darker apricot and white trim, with light brown (essentially, a very, very dark apricot) accents; pale mauve walls with white and darker mauve trim and dark maroon (again, a very, very dark mauve) accents. For 5 colors, it's the same deal. Two basic colors, usually a 3 and 2 combo. My dh is very big on 5 color combos, so our house has spring green walls with white, cream and tan trims and dark green doors and roofing. If you stick to two basic colors and use a slightly grayed down tone on the biggest areas, you should be okay. Avoid bright tones. For example, if you want white trim, don't use a dead white (aka, winter white, primer white), but slide a few degrees toward your alternative color. Against the other tones, it will appear to be true white, but it won't jump out and smack you between the eyes.

Chrissy the Hyphenated

Beacon Hill Exterior Colors: i used a light olive green for the body of the house, and dark brown and a brownish burgundy for the trim. most of the roof is black, except for corroded copper over the bay windows.

Judy London

House Colors: When doing a house it's always nice to use at least three if not five colors. If the house has lots of gingerbread or layers(such as shingled apex area) you can get away with more than three.

A few color schemes come to mind. Three shades of green, softened, with the darkest(forest) for window sash and door or a pale green body with sienna sashes and coral shutters and door. There you would use off-white for window frames.

Or you could try two shades of rose with burgundy sash and teal door. I used that combo on my bridal shop building and the teal just pops on the rose. Another possibility would be soft yellow with coral or peach and green. Can't give you the exact shades, as I use paint made for dollhouses and the names I have wouldn't mean anything to you. Look at a color wheel and use the color opposite your body for the accent and shades of your body for other areas.

Lots of great ideas in the Painted Lady books you can find at the library or your miniature shop may carry them. I'm dying to use a deep purple on my next building...for accent.

Pick up lots of paint swatches at your local paint store and play around with them. Also think of the wallpapers and carpets you'll be using. Remember, you're making a work of art.

Roy and Marcie,

Painting on Side of Building: I first find a copy of an old advertisement that I like. Sometimes it is from a reproduction catalog, often an actual package label I have purchased at an antique show. Before applying any medium, I rough the edges of the print with an emery board. I lightly spray my print with a matte fixative. I do not worry about applying an even coat over the entire surface. The more shades there are in the finished product, the more authentic the aging process will appear.

I use Mod Podge (Matt Finish) to make a decal. I like the decal technique more than decoupage for this particular application. In making a decal, we rub away the back of original printed item leaving only the ink on the decal material. This gives a translucent background to our image that will allow the color of the wall to show through the design in some areas. I think this looks more like it was painted on the wall than a decoupage application. Decoupage, unless you are incredibly skilled in cutting out tiny things, hides the side of the building by covering it with the paper your image has been printed on. Any transfer method you are familiar with will work equally well as long as the transfer is not shiny when dry.

Whether the wall of the miniature structure has been painted, bricked or sided, I apply my decal using Mod Podge for the glue. I apply a heavy coat of medium to allow more work time with the decal. If it is a brick structure, it takes time to press the print into the mortar area of each brick. I work from the top to the bottom. This makes it easier when I need to tuck the decal around the overlap of clapboard siding. I work air bubbles out with a small piece of sponge. I do not try to remove all wrinkles and bubbles.

If you do not want your structure to appear old and weathered - simply apply a light coat of Mod Podge to all exterior surfaces to make the highlights the same on all of your exterior walls. If your sign is to be new, take care to smooth it out carefully when you apply the decal.

I take care to brush a little of my medium across the entire side of the building. I also brush some on all other exterior sides of the structure. I do not attempt to be neat. I do not attempt to cover all of the area. I only want to randomly scatter another texture on the exterior finish. When the transfer has dried to the touch, I use a fine grade sanding brick to GENTLY knock off the bubbles and creases. I use the same brick along the entire exterior of the structure, knocking wear into corners, edges off of windows, etc. I also like to carve initials and other graffiti in the appropriate places.

Now I make an antiquing glaze using a matte finish, acrylic varnish mixed with burnt sienna acrylic in a ratio of 1 to 10.I apply this antiquing glaze to the entire exterior of the building, including all trim. Take care to work it into every crack where dirt and grime would live. Again, this is a thin coat, carelessly applied. I want wear, not a flawless finish, so some "raw" areas are desirable. Work a small area at a time. Apply with a sponge brush and dab with a damp sponge for a good variety of color and highlight. When this has dried for another 24 hours, I study the effect then reapply my sanding brick to knock off additional emphasis of age in certain high traffic areas such as stair treads, door frames, porch rails.

I complete the aging and application of a sign by applying a wash of water tinted with black acrylic to the entire exterior of the structure. Where I sanded the second time, or where no varnish was applied, this will darken the finish. I use a clean damp sponge to wipe away any excess. As before, I work a small area at a time.

Becky

Varnish vs. Shellac: The biggest difference is that shellac dries very quickly and varnish takes overnight to dry.

Advantages of Shellac: Quick drying, little dust problem, easy to spray or pad, easy to repair because it dissolves previous coats, easily hand rubbed, multiple thin coats reduce runs, no bad smell only alcohol.

Disadvantages of Shellac: Damaged by alcohol, takes many coats to build durable finish, less durable than urethane varnishes, short shelf life.

Advantages of varnishes: Easy to brush, two coats adequate, levels nicely because it takes time to set up, durable

Disadvantages of varnish: Often damaged by dust, will run, harder to rub finish, more skill to spray, requires longer time between coats.

Which you use is a matter of personal preference. It is just a different look to the clear coat over wood. It is like acrylic vs. oil paint. there is no best choice.

Pete Boorum

Pumice powder: Pumice is a very fine rouge. Try: stores that sell gem polishing kits or an old time dentist as it was used to polish teeth which leads me to say try dental powder (the kind that is used in place of tooth paste) Some carpentry shops will use rouge sticks to polish and finish wood. (check a wood workers magazine) Silver polish and metal polish is a fine (very) rouge. Try automobile compound or even tooth paste (as a last resort)

DrBob...Delray Beach, FL.

Pumice powder: is available at any paint store which sells wood finishing supplies. Try Woodcraft, Constantine's or just a plain local hardware store which sells paint supplies.
For an even finer finish use Rottenstone. In a pinch i use rubbing compounds for polishing out auto bodies. Do not get any with a wax base in them.

Bill Hudson, Eugene, Oregon.

Pumice powder: If you can't find pumice powder, see if you can find Lava brand *dry* soap. Not sure if they make it anymore, but it's loaded with pumice. Alternately, if you can find small pieces of pumice in a rock shop or even a New Age shop, they're very easy to crush.

Molly/StormBorn

Nailheads: I am a new webby from N.Z. Just read your problem nailhead letter. I made a stone cottage - using real rock pieces - with a corrugated roof and my nail heads were made with little blobs - dots or what ever you like to call them - with liquid lead. Seems to hold its shape and looks quite realistic.

Lyn Wilkins.

Dark Floors: You asked for a method to make dark wooden floors without using lots of varnish. At a workshop I attended recently we used Brown shoe polish. Since it has wax in it, it can be buffed to a nice shine. You would need to be sure there is no glue residue on the seams as the polish might not cover. "Stain" the floor before putting into your room, as you don't want to get the polish on your walls. I would test several shades and types of shoe polish to find the one you like best. We used a liquid shoe polish but I think the paste would work as well, and perhaps give you a better shine. Hope this helps.

Diane in San Francisco Bay Area

Dark Wooden Floors: you could stain it with walnut stain to get it nice and dark. Then when dry use several coats of Mod Podge high gloss. It dries in less than an hour. Between coats rub it down with 0000 steel wool. This would come out dark and shiny like you wanted.

Helen from San Dieg