Another dollhouse.

[Joe Hillmann]

Here is another dollhouse I designed last night, with shingles it will be about $80.

Right now it is just "test fit" together with packaging tape and rubber bands. The front porch is based a lot on the house I grew up in. Out of 120 pieces I found five that weren't a perfect fit. Two of them being the roof pieces on the dormer.

It has a lot more detail than the other one. The back wall and roof have have removable sections to get to the inside I think I need to add a couple windows to the back and right wall.

All the finger joints and floor tabs will be covered with trim except on the brick, but on the brick the joints should be added detail.

Any suggestions on how to make it better?

255143255144255145255141255142

[Joe Hillmann]

Here is the back with and without the removable hatches.

255149255150255151

[David Rust]

Joe,

I'm not a doll house expert, but I thinks this one looks great! You designed it in one night? What type of wood are you using and do you have any issues with warping? Do you sell these unfinished, if so do you clean up the smoke stains?

[Joe Hillmann]

It took about 7 hours to design. I started after work and had it ready to cut by midnight. I takes about an hour to cut. I intend to sell them as flat packed kits. It will also include shingles and trim. As far as the smoke stains, I am not too worried about them, when you buy a wooden kit it is expected that you have to sand everything. I had thought of using transfer tape to prevent the stains but then I would have to slow down the engraving speed.

[Michael Kowalczyk]

Hey Joe,
Nice work but how do you get in the front door? No Door knob:confused: or is it a bi-directional push door like the have at restaurants.
Thanks for posting and inspiring.

[Mike Lysov]

Your dollhouses are great. May I ask what software you are using to make them?

I need to make some simple boxes with finger joints and I have tried sketchup and 123 auto desk but I cannot see how to do to things in both of them. 1st I wont to be able to make a flat 2d design of the built box and specify material thickness. I believe there should be something that can actually do both thins in one step or at least can export 3d model into 2d vector plans.

[Rich Harman]

You can use SketchUp along with a free plugin called "Flights of Ideas" to export 2d faces. Or for simple boxes just google "Boxmaker".

[Mike Lysov]

You can use SketchUp along with a free plugin called "Flights of Ideas" to export 2d faces. Or for simple boxes just google "Boxmaker".

Is this "Flights of Ideas" plug in the one that uses export to SVG? If it is it is kind of complicated process with a lot of time spent on opening it in Inkscape and modifying there. I do not like Inkscape after doing everything in CorelDraw.

If it is not can you please advise the link to it. I have googled for it and there are a lot of websites that mention this phrase with sketchup but they all have SVG keyword in them.

Thanks for the tip about the Boxmaker. It seems to be really good small app for boxes. I think I have had one that does the same in InkScape. I am looking for something more flexible though that allows me to do more than just boxes. For now I just want to make something like the one on the picture. It has its sides sides smaller than the front side and I want to do with the front covered.

255173

[walter hofmann]

Hi
here is a simple box maker program what I got from a friend. you can adjust in inches and mm the material thickness etc.
greetings
waltfl



255178

[Rich Harman]

Is this "Flights of Ideas" plug in the one that uses export to SVG? If it is it is kind of complicated process with a lot of time spent on opening it in Inkscape and modifying there. I do not like Inkscape after doing everything in CorelDraw.

Yes, that is the one. However, like you, I do not like Inkscape either. I open (not import) the SVG using Corel Draw. It's is not complicated at all.

[Joe Hillmann]

I design them completely in Corel. The only trick I use is setting the grid to .110 spacing and make it visible and snap to. That and a compound angle chart to figure out intersecting roof lines. Usually I have the design of nearly every single piece pretty well complete in my mind before I even start on designing it on the computer. So once I start working in Corel all I am doing is determining size and where to put tabs and notches.

I have played with ink scape and a couple other similar programs but was never happy with how they imported into Corel so gave up on them.

[Mick A Martin]

Very nice work Joe, my wife is big into the doll houses, what scale is your design

[Joe Hillmann]

The one in the photo is 1/2" or G, I also make them in 1/4", O, 1/8" and HO. The dollhouse scales have access to the inside but the train scales only have access to the inside in G scale.

I would like to make them in 1" scale as well but my laser only has a 18x32 bed so larger sizes become a challange.

Here are a couple pictures after the weekend.

255376255377255378255379


At this point it still needs about 50 more pieces of trim and three more pillars put on and the roof shingled. I would guess it took about 16 hours to get it to the point it is now and another two or three to finish it.

I am not a model builder, I want to design and sell them but I need to have at least one nice example of each kit I sell using only the parts that come in the kit plus paint, glue, and sand paper so customers get a good idea of the possible outcome when they buy a kit from me. With the smaller scales I just sand and assemble them without painting.