Wiring Smiley

I am sorry that it has been so long since my last post.  It's been a hectic and crazy month and I had to put many of my other hats on and set the renovations aside.  But although I didn't actually work on the dollhouse, I did do some analyzing and planning for the next stage of the renovations:  installing the electrical system.

At first I was uncertain about how to proceed.  I've wired numerous houses and while each provides its own set of challenges, the Smiley house presented two main issues.  First, is the fact that the wood walls are very thin and since they are a fiberous material, brads and eyelets can easily come through to the other side.  If I were to install tapewire on the walls, it is possible that a brad or eyelet installed on one side of the wall could puncture the tapewire on the other side of the wall.  The second issue is the presence of the wood trims along the edges of the partition walls and floors as well as the stripwood in the corners and at the wall-ceiling lines.  Applying tapewire to an unfinished dollhouse, which does not have any finishing trims or construction details that function as both design and support elements is considerably easier, wiring finished (or partially finished) dollhouses requires additional planning and thought. 

My answer?  Apply the tapewire to the floor on each level.  This allows me to install outlets (recepticals) and ceiling fixtures to the tapewire on the floors without concern for circuitry issues or exposed tapewire on the trimwood. 

The next post will include photographs of the tapewire layout and a discussion of how I make the connections and install the ceiling fixtures and recepticals for the table and floor lamps.

Hiding the Siding

As mentioned in an earlier post, the Smiley house has two room additions, each of which ended up with exposed siding from the original house exterior.  In order to eliminate the look of an afterthought addition, we had to cover the siding with a wall panel that could then be finished to match the rest of the walls in each room. 

In both cases, the walls in question were also partition walls with doorways further complicating the installation of a faux wall or way to cover the lap siding.  We decided that the simplest method would be to glue in thin sheets of basswood around the door frames. 

The first step was to create a "template" from paper.  By cutting strips of paper and taping them together on each wall, we had a removable pattern that we could use to mark and cut the wood we would use to cover the siding.  Since each sheet of the basswood we used is 4" wide, we laid the pattern lengthwise across the wood and traced the more complicated portion (area surrounding the top of the door frame). 

We then cut the section from the wood and fit it in place on the wall.  With a little trimming and sanding (to account for slight imperfections and hard to reach spots), we got a perfect fit.  Since the lower portions of the walls were basically rectangular shapes, we just measured the width on each side of the door, compared it to our pattern, then cut and trimmed each piece of wood for a perfect fit.  In the end it took 6 pieces of wood horizontally installed on the first floor (kitchen) to cover the siding. 

Using a generous amount of silicone based glue and clamps, we installed the covering.  We checked back periodically to make certain that the wood was not curling or pulling away from the wall.  It is particularly important since we used a soft wood like basswood.  We discovered when doing a similar installation that a glue with a higher concentration of moisture tended to cause more curling (and warping) of the cover-up material. 

Once the glue was set and dried (about 24 hours), we sanded the joints to create a smooth seam where each piece abutted one another.  We then added a light layer of wood glue along each seam.  Finally, a coat of primer topped off the installation. 

The walls are now ready for trim paint, wiring, and wallpaper.

Now a Blank Slate

The interior of the Smiley house is now a blank slate. All old wallpaper has been removed and a coat of primer applied to just about every inch of space. The exposed siding in the room additions (laundry room and kitchen) has been covered with sheets of smooth wood, which has also been primed.

I am now applying a coat of off white paint to all the interior trim, including the windows, baseboards, and framing. I am debating about how I will apply the wallpaper in each room. The overall design of this particular dollhouse results in wood trims around all edges and corners of walls in an attempt to mask seams and serve as a means of stability for the thin woods. I suspect I will install "panels" of wallpaper on the walls within the trims framing each one. Typically, I install wallpaper on each wall with seams tucked into the corners of the room. However, several rooms have walls that are not solidly connected to adjacent walls. If I were to use my normal method of installation, I anticipate the wallpaper would eventually tear in the corners due to this design. In any event, I will demonstrate the process I use for hanging the wallpaper.

However, before I begin installing wallpaper, I will plan the electrical wiring layout using the tapewire system. This particular dollhouse is predisposed to numerous issues that will impact the way I choose to lay out the tapewire. A couple of those issues include the gaps between several walls, the presence of the wood trims around most wall edges, and most importantly, the thin wood used in its construction.

Have I mentioned that I do enjoy a good challenge?

The Smiley is Actually...

For the record, I should mention that although I am referring to this house as "The Smiley" it is actually a Dura-Craft (VH600) Victorian dollhouse. (Thanks for the info Lori!) The Dura-Craft dollhouses are no longer in production, and while you can still find some of the kits around be careful because if any parts are missing you will need to manufacture them. Fortunately, with the exception of the front porch steps and handrail, this house is complete and intact. The other issue with the Dura-Craft dollhouse kits is that the manufacturer used thin, low quality woods that tend to make wiring and finishing more challenging than some of the other kits available on the market today. Contact your local dollhouse and miniature shop for suggestions when selecting the perfect new dollhouse kit or preassembled dollhouse for you and/or your family.