Second Story & Front Door

Springing forward for the time change always leaves me irritable.  I feel like I'm losing time and won't get it back, and for weeks I'm still adjusting to the shift.

The fact that its not something strictly necessary only adds to my irritation.

So I don't expect to get a whole lot more done today in regards to the dollhouse.  More research and hopefully some wood cuts to add onto the width of the gable pieces and hopefully some mockups of the dormers I need to make.

If I lengthen the pieces of the roof and widen the gables I'm hoping I'll be able to make accurate measurements for the dormers and possibly draw out where I'll need to cut the roof pieces.

But most of yesterday was spent cutting and gluing my wood together to make a solid back wall since I didn't want windows in it.

My next step was making the second floor.  I went with seventeen inches wide, which is an inch and one eighth wider than the base and it overhangs the front wall by an inch.

The overhang will serve as the roof of the bay window.  I'm going to narrow the front window and push it up from the floor a bit.  I don't like how low the windows are really.  I might want to move all of them up a bit, maybe an inch more?

I'll admit I've spent a lot of time researching Tudor style doors and trying to figure out a way to make mine unique. I also want to give it a somewhat mystical feel so I've been looking at knotwork, dragons, other ways to jazz up an otherwise simple door.

But I did draw out my shape and cut it out of some quarter inch thick basswood.

I've got tape being used as hinges at the moment.  The door is wider than the standard door opening, but no taller.  I'm actually pretty happy with how it came out.

I haven't glued anything together yet but I did get all of the upper walls cut and taped into place. I have this fear of gluing anything together before I figure out my electrical layout and where my divider will be for removing the side wall so I can access the rooms.

I obviously will replace the prefab dormer with one made specifically for the house along with another where the hole for the skylight is.

I don't want the dormer over the front door to be at the same height as the one over the big window opening.  I think I'd rather have it a bit lower.  It won't look quite like my drawing but that wasn't meant to be completely accurate.

The other idea is to make the small window on the left side of the picture bigger so I can put a casement window in it.  I'd like to do the same thing with the window in the back gable.

All this does give me semi accurate measurements of ceiling height which helps when it comes to making the stairs in the tower.  I've got an inch wide round dowel and Styrofoam so I can try to make stairs like Brae's in her Aero Squadron Lounge.  Hers are so pretty, I think I can replicate them inside my oatmeal containers.

I got some hinges so I can cut the containers in half and we'll be able to see the steps.  And I also got some Aluminum Black.  It was cheap so I'm going to try it to blacken my aluminum mesh for the windows.

We'll see.  If it doesn't work I've got some other options lined up.

I'm also going to experiment with Kris's paper pottery methods.  I want to make some Tudor style pottery like this.

I think the fact that it's obviously not completely symmetrical will help.  My efforts doubtless will be less than perfect.

Here's a question for all of you.  I'd decided to put the fireplace in the center of the building.  On the side next to the solid wall I'm planning on a wall and shelving, at least in the kitchen.  And maybe a small chair on the bedroom side.

Should I build out a small wall on the opposite side of the fireplace?  It would meet the wall that's removable.  I'm debating on that because I'm not sure if its strictly needed and also because of this next issue.

The other question is that I have to cut a door opening in the back wall in order for the WQ to reach the stairs.  In keeping with the style of the cottage, the shape should match the front door. I'll admit, that shape is not easy to cut.  I'd have to make the door narrower than the front door too.

So do I make it easy on myself and only cut out one door in the back wall, or do I embrace the difficulties and create a dividing wall with another door to the bedroom?

Oh, here's a hint about what I'm trying to do for the front door.