Finishing Page: 35 |
Painting Plastic: I have found that Testors (the model paint) does a great job on plastic. It is great on Chrysnbon kits. Carol |
Painting Plastic: For painting plastic or metal figures I use an automotive primer. Spray can of gray goes a long way. It is used in the automotive industry to spray paint cars which are mainly fiber glass and plastic now days. Doesn't rub off. Mary Lou |
Wall Paper: I used regular wall paper (not mini store in my kitchen and it seems the reason I had so much trouble getting the cabinets to stay put was the glossy finish on the paper. So - my own advice would be, if you intend to glue anything to your walls, don't coat them! Dani |
Porcelain Look: To make an item appear as if it is porcelain or China, I made a bowl out of air dry clay. Painted it with white acrylic. Then using a very fine (000) liner brush I painted light blue design on white acrylic. When this dried I coated entire bowl with clear nail polish. No smudging of acrylics and it dried with a high shine. Bob |
To wallpaper a curved (concave) surface, I would approach it this way; I cannot apply a full size strip of paper as it will "dog ear" at the top and bottom of the walls. I would cut the paper into strips and apply each strip, matching any design as you would with real life size paper hanging. By using strips you avoid the "bunching" at the top and bottom of the walls. Dr. Bob |
Wallpapering poster board: It is more or less the method that Brooke Tucker teaches. I make paper templates of each wall, and then cut poster board to fit. I check the fit again, and then, using Yes glue, I wallpaper the poster board sections. I glue them on the walls with Yes glue too. This enables me to completely hide wiring. It is easy to match patterns from piece to piece so they line up perfectly. It makes it easy to get odd angles and corners. It also makes it easy to change the paper later if I want to. If your dollhouse is one of those thin wood kit houses, you will have the added benefit of thicker walls as a result, too. Anne Gerdes |
A Remedy for Thin Walled DH kits: If you find yourself stuck with a nicely designed DH kit made with lousy wood. Trace the pieces out onto better plywood and cut them out. . . follow directions and assemble the 'new' DH. Take your time, think about dimensions. Your "new" wood is thicker. Take more time and ensure fit. Tape it all together first. Remember: You will be spending hundreds of hours on this project. Good solid thinking time with the basic model is time Very Well Spent! Judie |
Stucco: To make joint compound appear like stucco, mix some sand into the joint compound. Dr. Bob |
Wattle and Daub: Wattle is the name of the intertwined sticks that are placed in a wall between the posts (kind of like lath for plastering). Daub is the mixture of clay, sand and dung that is smeared (daubed) into and over the wattle to make the wall. Tom Berkner |
Wattle & Daub: There's a great website that shows a cottage with wattle and daub walls under construction -- Popular cottage construction - thatch - wattle and daub Anita Myers, Arnold, MD |
Wattle & Daub: We were using wattle and daub here in the UK, long before the Romans brought over cement. In addition to mud, we used dung and hay, so the buildings must have been really smelly. Hazel in freezing Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
Wattle and Daub: Wattle and daub is an ancient technique used for constructing houses, especially in areas where there was no suitable stone. It was used as an infill in timber framed houses. First,a 'wattle' made of woven hazel or willow was put up, then plastered over with daub. Daub was often made with dung. It was painted with limewash, distemper or something similar. It's found in houses from the early middle ages (1066), and nobody really knows how long it had been in use before that, although I suppose a good archaeologist could give you an estimate. Lynne Connolly |
Stone: Have you considered using "Magic Stone" on your house? You paint the house the color you want the grouting to be (some shade of gray, usually) and when the paint is dry, you put on a sort of tape with stone-shaped holes in it, and smear a gritty paste all over it. Wait a few minutes, then pull off the tape, and there are your stones. You can dab at them with different shades of paint for a more realistic look, and then spray it with a matte sealer. I used it on the foundation of a house I finished for one of my grandchildren. Six or seven years of "hard labor" and it still looks good. Another possibility is Precision Products 3-D plastic sheets. They have slate, cinder block, stone, etc. The sheets are 15 inches square and can be cut with regular scissors or a craft knife. The address is 763 Cayuga, Lewiston, NY 14092-1724. I used the slate on the roof on my Fairfield, and was quite pleased with it. Dani, in Bradshaw, MD |
Stones: A few of us on the MiniProjects list use packing peanuts to simulate stone. I also found a great product called "Pumice-stone Mortar" by Pebeo. It's made to be used by artists with acrylic paints and when used by itself looks a bit like granite. It would be good for painting stonework or sidewalks. You could paint it on, scratch outlines of your stones and then fill in the "grout" or "mortar" later. I've found that the mediums sold in art stores are a great resource. There are all sorts of cool stuff like the pumice one and stucco and sand to name a few. They are a nice fine texture and can be mixed right with your paint. Cheap too! Melani |
Coloring Stain: Big hardware stores ought to carry a variety of colored stains. If yours are like mine and don't, here's what I did: I started with Behr brand Eurocolor water based wood stain in "Monaco White." I put some of the stain in a jar and added Plaid brand Decorator Glaze (something I bought at Wal-Mart to use when stenciling designs onto my floorboard radiators) - if I were going to do it over I'd probably just use plain old acrylic paint. The main reason I used the glaze is that it was "there." Stir frequently when using to be sure the pigment stays evenly mixed. Just be sure when you mix colors with stain that you use a water-based paint with a water-based stain and oil-based paint with oil-based stain. Mix small amounts of colors in until you have what you want. You might want to do a test painting to see what the actual dried color will be. It's also interesting to experiment with the length of time to leave stains on the wood before wiping off. On my floors, I didn't wipe off the light colors at all, wanting the most color saturation I could get. When I went over the dried light color with a darker color, I immediately wiped off the dark stain with wet paper towels (don't wipe too hard or too long in one place, or the light stain will come up, even if dry!) Since I hadn't sanded the plywood of the floors too well - on purpose! - lots of little tiny indentations in the wood caught my dark stain, while the surface of the wood stayed lighter in color. Of course it is essential to seal the stain with the appropriate sealer. Frances |
Wood stain - I have a limited amount of storage space, and therefore don't want to be bothered with finding places to keep numerous bottles and jars of paints and stains. So, I make my own stain. It's really easy. I buy the type of water-based glaze now popular in faux finishing and mix it with whatever color acrylic paint (usually craft paint) I want to stain the piece. The glaze has a milky white look in the can, but dries completely clear, and will not effect the color of your paint. To apply, I use a small paint brush, and put it on in very thin layers until I achieve the depth of color that I want. I also like this method better than regular stain because there is no need to apply it, then wipe it off. And, I only make as much as I need. Another benefit is that it adds a great depth to the colors. It comes in satin, semi-gloss, and glossy finish, so you can control the amount of shine you end up with. But, be aware that the acrylic paint will "flatten" the finish somewhat. Sloania |
Staining furniture after being glued together: I think that it's quite impossible to remove or clean the glue from the wood, because the glue is now inside the grain of the wood. I suggest now to paint the furniture with acrylic paint (you can use burnt umber mixed with a little bit of crimson) diluted with water (normally 50/50). Before painting your assembled kits, try your paint solution to a piece of scrap wood. Paint your furniture and allow it to dry, then sand using steel wool (extra fine 0000) and apply two or three more coats. After that, paint grain lines using a thicker solution of paint using an old brush with trimmed bristles. You must work in only one direction, trying to copy the natural grain of the wood. At the end polish your furniture with dark-wax polish for wood. Allow to dry and then buff the piece with a soft wool cloth. Pierluigi - Italy |
Stains and Glue: If you seal the wood before you stain it, the stain can't sink into the wood. I have always applied an oil based stain, wiped it to the color I want, then I use my finish on it. As for glue, Elmer's Wood glue is better than white glue - it has a yellow color and is stronger and doesn't break down when it gets damp. There are probably other glues equal or better. For full size furniture I used Hide glue (actually made from animal hide). Jacqui in Hilo, HI |
Gold Leafing: I just finished some leafing (an illuminated letter), so I can answer a few of your questions. You will need the glue called "gold leaf adhesive size", which should be available at an art and craft store where they sell leafing in packages. The one I bought is a water-clean-up (my favorite!) from Houston Art, Inc. I looked for their web site, and found them at http://www.houstonart.com Click on "gold leaf". They have a book for sale on their site, but all the instructions you need are on the bottle. I have only done paper projects, though, so maybe someone else can fill in on how to prep furniture (I know that you need to paint it with a color first). Interestingly enough, I was playing around with it (and also saw on Carol Duvall's Show) and found that it will stick to a design made with a hot glue gun or Aleene's 3-D Foiling Glue, which gives you all sort of creative possibilities. The variegated foil they mention on the site is my favorite (at least for the illuminated letters I have done), although in the years since I bought my first package, the price has gone through the roof. I think the patterns are too big for miniature work, though, but it sure is fascinating stuff. Marilyn, Wisconsin |
Here is a link for Engelbreit style wallpaper, etc. in every color combination imaginable. Some other topics of interest for people interested in ME include these! http://www.maryengelbreit.com/ Laura Busch |
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