Wednesday, September 09, 2015

I've Got A Case Of The Shingles.....But It's Not Contagious



No serious disease in this mini house.  Just a nasty cold that hit Miss Kitty and then me...the queen of cleaning snot.  It's been 2 weeks for me and its still lingering.  


Scale

This house is "technically" sized half scale (1:24) but its simple features and ornamentation, like the gables, door and window frames are more 1:12 to 1:18-ish.  But then you can use 1:12 scale shingles and it doesn't look like a freak show, so I give up trying to be true to half scale.  I'm sticking to half scale for interior decor and furniture, but the rest is a free for all of whatever looks good.  Just in case you thought something looked a little off!


The Shingles

As I mentioned in my previous post, I glued all the shingles with Le Paige No More Nails.  It has the consistency of white caulking, and the quick dry version has less moisture, so it was the best choice for the shingles.  There was a little curling when I painted, but nothing popped up despite even the most severe accidental soakings.


Make 'Em Old!

The fresh shingle look didn't gel with the weathered siding. What to do? Wellllll, I remembered the fabulous shed Pepper made and her wood weathering technique.  

I took my white vinegar and my steel wool and put them in a jar over night. By the next morning it looked like nothing had changed.  Oh, but science was happening! I'd like to say that all those science course in high school and university taught me something.  But then I'd be lying.  This chemical reaction is pretty cool!

Pepper had a nice ratio to make the wood a softer grey.  I threw caution to the wind and used it full strength (I also planned on using paint on it, so I wasn't concerned).


Full strength solution (left) - Raw cedar shingle (right)


The Process

Here are the comparison shots of just the solution on the shingles and the raw shingles.
Raw Shingles

Solution On Shingles
Each shingle takes the solution in a different way.  I painted it on with a small brush and dabbed off any big drips. Some areas had some glue on them and some just were awkward to reach.  But it looks more realistic when imperfect, right?


Then I brought out a soft grey/brown from Martha Stewart.  I diluted it and did streaky brushed-on-blot-off technique on the shingles, focusing on ugly shingles, areas that didn't grey and areas with glue.  Some areas just got a crap load of paint to hide the edges where I didn't want to get to close to my white siding.


The Fix-It Crew
Solution And Paint Applied

Solution And Paint Applied

Solution And Paint Applied



Wham Bam Thank You Ma'am

To add something more, I tucked a bit of moss in a few shingles.  I also painted the exposed edge of the roof line and under any exposed shingles a deep grey.  The entire roof was sealed with 2 coats of flat clear coat spray paint.  It didn't effect the appearance, but I wanted to ensure it was well sealed. Those pictures will come with the next post.  My camera and the USB cable were at war this evening.

I made a little door knob too!


Door Knob From A Bead And Pin

I have also added some landscaping.  I edged out some flower beds and filled them with brown sand.  I then topped the sand with satin polyurethane to seal it and prevent a sand storm every time it was touched.  

I spent a evening watching Fear The Walking Dead and making a little mail box and house number set too!



I'm now working on the interior elements.  I have a 1:25 kitchen (close enough) I bought on eBay that I've painted.  I'm waiting on a few 1:24 items from Mini Etchers and Melissa's Miniworld.  I also have my fingers and toes crossed that my green turf sheets a) arrive from China and b) don't look like crap.  Michael's is my plan B for turf.  But I'm really excited for my 1:24 bathroom set (toilet and sink) to arrive from Shapeways and also hope it fits the weird proportions of the bathroom.  

I'm in finishing limbo until all the pieces arrive and I see what works and what doesn't.  

In other news.......the room box still needs a floor.  But I've made a massive dent on another mini project.  It's not a dollhouse, but a play structure of a 1:12-ish scale that will be another Christmas gift.  That will be a post for after the gift is given, but it's taken a few evenings so far and I still have lots and lots to do!

11 comments :

  1. I admire you for going through all this trouble! I just dyed mine in grey, in stronger or more diluted versions. cedar takes the color really nicely.

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    Replies
    1. I love the greying solution. I want to grey everything now!

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  2. The exterior of this house looks great. You did a good job with the shingles and the door knob came out beautiful. I'd love to see the indoor furniture and
    accessories.
    Hugs, Drora

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Drora! Indoor is coming soon.....I watch for my packages in the mail everyday.

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  3. Hi Kat! I can see that you are making some real progress on this little half-scale house! I'm a Big Fan of grey and white as an exterior house color combination, and I Love your choice for the mailbox too. :))
    Keep up the great work!

    elizabeth

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Elizabeth! Everything in my life recently has been grey and white....I think I have a problem ;)

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  4. Hi Kat,
    I love the aged wood. I think your painting really added better shading than the vinigar solution alone. It has a wonderful feeling of history to the building. Hope you and Miss Kitty are feeling much better =0)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Pepper! When I saw your shed post I locked it away in the back of my mind knowing I'd need to grey someday.....now I want to grey everything!

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  5. it's coming together real nice Kat, I love what you're doing to this quarter scale. WIth all challenges that come with it, but you tackle them smartly :)

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