Category: "The Haunted Heritage"

Bedroom and hallway ceilings installed

by brae  

I cut the notch for the back roof piece and carved the two remaining wire channels in the bedroom ceiling board.

I also cut the new pieces for the roof addition but won't install them until after the back roof is on.

I used the spare wood from the Heritage part sheet that held the gable trims.  :D  Waste not, want not.

Since I'll be installing flat trim around the bedroom ceiling, I traced the walls onto the unpainted ceiling board.

I then cut strip wood following these guidelines.  I might have to do some adjusting during the actual installation, but this should give me a good approximation of lengths and angles.

I painted the bedroom ceiling side with two coats of white paint, sanding once in between.  I primed the attic floor side with black paint.  I pressed the board to dry flat overnight to combat some warping in the plywood.   I glued the ceiling board in place first.  The bedroom interior wall likes to lean into the hallway, so I had to hold it in place during the process.   I added some straight pins for stability, cutting down the length as needed.  I had drilled pilot holes for them to keep the wood from splitting.

I taped the wires into their respective channels, though I still have to lengthen a few of them on the outer wall to reach the power strip.

The ceiling board is a little crooked.  Apparently, the bathroom and bedroom interior walls are slightly off in measurement from one another and the parlor ceiling has started to sag.  Awwww.  It's a good thing this is meant to be an old house.  Haaaa!  And, I'm hoping you will all be so wowed by the interior that you'll ignore this problem.  Maybe finishing the back edges of the interior walls and floors with dark trim could help disguise any warping.  Something to think about....

I've had a lot of challenges with this build, so I've taken these sorts of shortcomings in the end result in stride.  I've learned a lot on this build, and I do love the way it's turning out.  :D

Grandma's attic - lights and removing the dollhouse open back

by brae  

I bought two Lighting Bug lamps for the attic.  One is the hanging kind with the pull chain.  Love these!  There will be more of these in my future builds.  :D

The other is a similar fixture with the bare bulb, but it has a wall fitting.

Grandma's attic will be an eclectic array of novelties, antiques and storage.  It is also mainly open and will require minimal lighting.

On the left side of the attic, there will be the interior portion of the chimney currently only a foam core base.  There will also be a faux trap door like the one in Baslow Ranch where the scrap wood is placed on the floor.  I've positioned the light closer to center where the old settee is so grandma can see what she's doing up there.

As I've said before, in my world, grandma is able to navigate those pull down attic stairs easily, walk about the attic without hitting her head and sit comfortably for hours in a space that doesn't appear to have any airflow for the warmer months or heating for the colder ones.

On the right side, there will be the forward storage area and Tony's brilliant catacombs clock case.  It's up to you to decide who's in the case.  :O  I've put the hanging bulb at the opening to the front storage area.  I think that will cast a nice glow into the space.  As you can see, I've not yet cut down the bedroom ceiling board to make room for the back roof piece.

This is where the architectural issue comes into play.  When I added to the ceiling boards in the back, I effectively eliminated the sloped ceilings on the second floor, except at the outer side gables.  The bathroom vanity cabinet, hall table vignette and bedroom door would not have been possible had I kept the angled back walls that followed the slope of the roof.

However, when viewed from the side, these outcroppings are visible.

To remedy this problem, I've added a quick mockup cut from Cellfoam 88 (the same piece I used for the bedroom ceiling board - reduce, reuse and recycle!).  This adds a triangular vertical wall that would be sided to match the house and an additional roof board to finish the back opening.

From the side, the bathroom is no longer visible.  I think this makes architectural sense since it is in the back portion of the house and a viable renovation that could have been done at some point.  It won't be visible from the front, so it won't detract from the Carpenter Gothic aesthetic.

I'll have to do more wallpapering in the bathroom and bedroom to cover the new corners, but that should be straightforward enough.  :D

Bedroom ceiling, part 1

by brae  

The original kit attic floor was a poor-fitting board to begin with, and it was pieced over the bedroom causing a noticeable seam on the ceiling.  Additionally, since I added two walls on the second floor not originally intended as part of the house, I needed an attic floor that covered more area than the original.  Trying to cut one board to span the entire house without having any fitting issues didn't seem like something I wanted to attempt.  :]  So, I cut each ceiling board individually, having the seams over each new second floor wall.

The bathroom ceiling had its wiring channels cut prior to installation.  All wires lead to the outer wall and will be hidden inside the chimney.  The notch on the left side is where the back roof piece sits.

To make a template for the bedroom ceiling, I used a spare piece of Cellfoam 88.  It's the same thickness as the plywood I would be using for the final board, and it was easy to cut and adjust.  First, some rough measurements.

I snipped and angled and adjusted.  I was still off in the end, so I marked where I needed to add more.  I also marked where the tabs should be.  Since there were slots on the front and side, I figured I might as well use them.

I traced the foam template onto a new piece of 1/8" plywood and cut out the ceiling board using a utility blade.  Here you can see my foam template was just of the front cuts...I projected the full length back from there.

Here are the notches I cut for the foyer light and bedroom table lamps previously installed.

The hallway ceiling has been started, too, but it remains separate.  It needs to be installed last since it is a snug fit between the two outer sections.  Here are the hallway and bedroom boards in place.

I made minor adjustments until the new ceiling board fit...mostly.  I have to tell you, this is the most lopsided board I've ever had to cut for a build.  That ought to tell you just how out of square this house is.  Haaaaaaaaa!  Even at that, it's still not a great fit, and I cannot figure out where the rub is that's causing the problem.  So, it stays its 95% self and I will add flat molding along the edges of the ceiling.  Crown molding on all those angles makes my head hurt just thinking about it, so flat molding it shall be.

With the ceiling in place, I plugged in all the lights for the room.  The lantern on the dresser is battery operated.  :]

The Ray Storey ceiling fixture adds a good overhead glow to the room.   I had thought about using a smaller, simpler ceiling medallion here with the fixture, but when I looked at the resin piece more closely I just didn't like it.  It was rough and uneven, and spending a lot of time to get it in paint-ready condition wasn't something I wanted to do.  Besides, it is a relatively short ceiling so it's probably not a good idea to lower the light fixture any more.

I had also thought about putting in a lamp over the comfy chair, but I think there is plenty of light in this room.  Besides, grandma might just have a clip-on LED lamp for supplemental lighting just like I do when I cross-stitch.  :D  Once I get the ceiling painted bright white, it will reflect more light as well.

Next up will be the remaining wire channels, cutting out the right side notch for the back roof piece, then priming and painting.

Bespaq bed makeover, aging the paint

by brae  

I started aging the Bespaq bed by removing some of the Krylon Almond satin paint using a sanding stick.  I picked up a package of these at Hobby Lobby.

I went for a little less wear than my inspiration photo.


image from European Paint Finishes

Detail of the wear patterns on the inspiration bed.

Detail of the wear on my bed.  I wanted to emphasize the lines and details of the bed without overdoing it, especially since miniature finishes tend to work best when they are subtle.

I dry brushed some brown paint into the grooves and recesses, again using only a little.  It added some nice depth.

I cut new foam core board pieces to replace the original mattress.

We're ready for bedding!

The bed looks heavier now than it did in plain almond, don't you think?  :D

Wiring...a necessary task

by brae  

I've gotten far enough into the build that I need to start addressing the wires that will eventually be housed in the chimney.  I have some wires lengthened and marked with masking tape so I know what is what.

Others are just hanging around, too short, and I need to plug them in to see what happens.  Haaaaa!  What a mess....

I decided to take some time tonight and remedy that issue.  All the wires will come down the wall behind the chimney and that will require a track to the back of the baseboard.  I cut the landscaping foam but kept the piece to later plug the channel over the wires.

I use the tiny clear, pre-cut shrink tubes by Cir-Kit when when I need to keep the wire joins thin, usually within a channel inside the walls or floor boards of the building itself.

For the wires that join inside the chimney, the thickness of the wire joins doesn't matter since they will be loose in the flue so I use shrink tubing from Evan Designs instead.  This is a length of black tubing you cut yourself.

The result is comparable to the clear tubes just slightly thicker.  I use a small lighter to shrink the tubing, putting the flame just close enough.

If you get the flame too close, you can use liquid electrical tape.  This won't hold wires together like a shrink tube, but it replaces any lost insulation.

I decided to use a 3V flickering orange LED for the parlor fireplace, the same method used for the jack-o'-lantern on the front porch.  I cut a channel in the landscaping foam and then drilled a hole into the cellar doors.

I wired the LED to a 3V battery adapter with a switch.

It's a softer, more realistic light than the static red bulb.  I'll have to make a movie of the flickering.  I love how spooky the fireplace looks in low light.

I taped the wires in place here and there to keep them tidy.  Much better.

Once the remaining wires are in place, I'll finish the landscaping and then add the chimney.

I even added the plugs at the ends.   I use a 12-switch power strip, and yes, there are more than 12 lights to be plugged in at any given time.  My transformer can definitely handle them all on at once, but I am more of a use-them-when-you-need-them type when it comes to lighting anyway.  I could certainly add another power strip, but I don't.  :D  And, yes, I know it's already a bit of an octopus...ah, well, it works for me.

Having the chimney hiding the wires makes the Heritage completion seem like a solid reality.  It won't be long now!

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