Saturday, May 5, 2012

Modular stick built collapsible dollhouse 16

To see entire project click here




Testing electrical connections...

Back roof shingles done, need to do edge trim around cut-out & ridge.

All electrical connections working.



Back of house...need to paint windows & finish foundation...



Front roof...ridge board not glued down yet...


...On the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough...

All photos & images created by Mike's Miniatures on this blog are the property of Mike's Miniatures - copyright 2012

4 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to the finished house, are you going to design different sizes of houses based on this method of construction. It looks so sturdy and easy, I have never been a fan of kits but you are changing my mind.

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  2. Thanks Elga. I'm glad I'm changing your mind about kits, well at least my kit. Thats quite an endorsement coming from such an Artisan as yourself! I too look forward to finishing this house, LOL! I think I've currently covered quite a few decorating/finishing options for this kit to give viewers some idea of the simplicity & versatility of it. Once in awhile I'd like to design/decorate this kit in different sizes, with additions & maybe 30 or 60 degree roofs, & so on, for my own pleasure. But mostly - I'd like to do the blank shells offered at a low price & see how others finish off the kits. Maybe I should create a competition or when we hit 50 followers do a shell/kit giveaway! The surface area of this current kit (as a shell w/o cutouts, etc.) is 5.618 sq ft., if I charge $5/sq ft this kit (shell) would be priced at $28.09 ($5 * 5.618.) I think thats a good price considering its stick built & very customizable. Also, its lightweight so the shipping would be reasonable.

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  3. Well, at that price I will definitely consider buying one or two, would it be possible to join two or three to make a bigger house? Although something small might be nice, I would love to do something in a Colonial style.

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  4. The current prototype interior measures 8"d x 12"w, 9-3/8" ceiling & 3" knee wall, 2" foundation & 45 degree pitch. The height dims & number of floors are basically limitless. I'm using a 2" foundation to allow plenty of room for the wiring, switches, & any electronic components that might be needed. But a non-electrified house could be built with the 1st floor at ground level. Also, the first level could be a basement with the house fitted into a cutout table or base?

    The largest I would build for now - would be 15-5/8"d x 19-1/2"w. Using the height dimensions of the prototype that comes to 12.819 sq ft of outer surface area, $5 * 12.819 = $64.10 for a blank shell. The larger dims are based on the 20" x 16" mat board I'm using & getting at a very good price w/free shipping. I could purchase larger mat board but the cost would bring up the price/sq ft. Also the 16" x 20" mat board could be pieced together & spackled?

    Additions on the gable ends could be added to create a larger house. The additions would have to be about inch or so narrower than the main house. They would use the same construction technique & could be assembled/disassembled in the same way. They would attach to the main house with rods - probably inserted from underneath because inserting the rods from the top you'd have to deal with protrusions like siding, casings & eaves etc.

    I'm still not ready for production tho - I want to make a few changes to the design:
    I've noticed as I add more trim, interior walls & molding, a bit of paint here & there - that the joints are getting tighter & tighter. So I think all the parts dealing with joints should be made from a hardwood. The knuckle joints should be 3 to 4 inches long, not 1" for easier connection of the sections. The top edges of the knuckles should be counter-sunk to allow the rod to self-align the walls & roof. The floor supports should be single tongue not double for easier assembly. And all parts should be cut to shape not laminated...whew!

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