Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Framework Fixes.....

 

 


First Things First....

You Might recall, Dear Readers, that the Dollmaker's Studio construction has relied heavily on some securely fastened "posts" which support and strengthen the upper floors of this "kit bash" project. I thought I had all the posts I needed already attached. But upon close examination of the projected second and third floor structure, I realized I would need to add another supporting post. And I would also need to trim the upper ends to the desired length before I began to add the electrical fixtures... because sawing off the ends of already attached posts was not a delicate operation. Clearly, it needed to be done sooner rather than later! The above picture shows the front opening door support posts with the untrimmed tops. The third floor wall is not going to be that tall! And in order to fit the roof onto the walls, the posts needed to be a little inset from the end of the building.

Here the posts have been trimmed so the roof panel can be placed 
over the tops (which are hidden)
 and I am testing the placement of the supports for 
the opening wall (still to be built).


This is the view of the "back side" where the sewing alcove
hangs over the side... it will be extended vertically on the third floor as well...
partly because the access from the stair tower will need the head room!
The corner where the alcove meets the wall
 will have the added post which will extend to the third floor as well.
The back wall of the Sugarplum kit 
has no structural integrity with
 all the alterations I have made...


And then there is the little matter of the warped 
wall section where all the kit pieces join...
There is no way to un-warp it... 
and removing it would only require 
more added pieces with no structure...
So I trimmed off the inward leaning side as best as I could
(With my little razor saw.... 
and all the already attached posts getting in the way....!)


And here you can see the new post attached 
(as firmly as possible with glue and screws)
which shows clearly the degree of warp in the wall section!


Now the supports for the alcove are properly aligned!


The wall on the exterior can be padded to adjust the 
unevenness when I am adding the bricks.


And here the alcove is set in place....


And you can see where the Stair Tower will adjoin the structure...
and there is room for a door into the third floor!
 
And that's as far as I got on the weekend, Dear Readers,
Trying to figure out which things to do First
in order to get the Framework Fixed!

11 comments:

  1. Every masterpiece has to start on a prepared canvas and every mansion must have a solid foundation. Not as glamourous a job, but certainly a necessity. I love seeing how this wonderful structure will come together and to begin to get a glimpse of all of its charming features! It's going to be ~A~W~E~S~O~M~E~! I am glad you have all of the structural plans worked out so that you can get back to the fun stuff! Have a great week, Betsy!

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  2. Alinear y cortar los postes es un trabajo de precisión, pero que has logrado hacer estupendamente Betsy, ahora se ve perfecta!!
    Besos.

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  3. How frustrating it is when the wood is warped and you have to try to work with it! However, I am sure it will all come together beautifully under your expert hands. I love the style already and can imagine how wonderful it is going to look in the end! - Marilyn D.

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  4. Love to see the ingenuity of skilled dollhouse crafters and you are skilled! What a great project this will be and it will unfold step by step with your amazing dedication to a vision! Cheers, Alayne

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  5. I can understand how frustrating it is to work with a warped surface. Once only I had trouble with a warped with warped foam wall but it was a small wall and I just put it away and made a new one. I admire your way of solving the problem and am sure at the end it will come out a masterpiece.
    Hugs, Drora

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  6. You solved the problem very well.

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  7. Oh my, Betsy, for this sort of work you need to do lots of brainwork, and I must say you can do this very well. Things as how to solve these problems and how can you change and adjust the framework so it will function how you want it, you're a genius! At the moment I have the same issues, no, not the warping, but the framework for the farmhouse. So I think to hire you in for helping me ;). No, I'm joking, but I really think that you've done a great job on aligning and adding the posts and the framework in the whole. And to work with warped wood is a nightmare, very frustrating.
    Stay safe, take care, dear Betsy, I wish you a nice Friday and lovely weekend!
    Hugs, Ilona

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  8. I bet this was time consuming with a very low fun factor - but it had to be done. And you did it the Betsy-way: Ingenious and awesome. It was great to see the whole build and to get a vision how its structure is going to be.

    But I also loved to see all your wonderful projects in the background, even the Conservatory peeping up. But what I loved the most was seeing that your darling rats are following your building process with loads of interest. But on the other hand - one needs to know what goes on in the neighborhood! ;O)

    Hugs
    Birgit

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  9. You truly have a creative mind. Thanks for showing how to solve those little problems that bug us!

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  10. With so many twists and turns, additions and extensions in this project Betsy I can only imagine how tricky working it all out must be. You surely are making it all come together so well, so much so, I can no longer tell where the sugarplum is hiding inside it all.
    Anna X

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  11. How did I miss this?
    Very technical - I look forward to seeing the finished product.
    Much love,
    Mom

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