Saturday 15 July 2017

Finishing the bookshelves



 I left you with the bookshelves ready for painting.  needless to say that took a while to even start..... what colour????  Again!!!  Why does it always come as a surprise to me that every time I have to 'choose' everything stops.





Greens too dark, woodstain not great on bass wood

Luckily before I had to actually paint them, they needed the prep done.  I can't emphasise enough how this is the step you can not afford to skip.  before painting or staining any wood give them a good look and FEEL.  Feeling is even more important, if there is anything not as smooth as smooth, make it so.





Top is before, bottom is after
 Think carefully about which areas you actually need to paint.  Try to leave any wood that is to be glued to anything else unpainted as wood to wood will certainly glue better than paint to paint.



one coat
 Rub down after one coat and do a second or even third.  I only needed two coats this time. Then choose what finish you would like to add.  I had used a Craig and Rose chalk paint (eu de nil) and I wanted a (1/12th) gloss paint appearance.  I tested three areas I painted on the back of a piece with wax polish, and a gloss and a satin varnish.  Satin as usual won out.  Wax seems to do nothing unless you work away at it for ages, gloss is too shiny at 1/12th scale and satin (for me) is just right. (said Goldilocks)



R to L - wax, gloss, satin
I made little cardboard templates as usual to mark up the spaces between the shelf positions, marked them with a pencil, then glued the shelves in.


template and pencil line showing where shelf needs to go




 Another teeny cardboard template came in handy to mark the position of the door knobs so they were all in exactly the same place without having to measure and mark them.  'T' for top....




I drilled a small hole and found the knobs just pushed in so perfectly that I didn't need to glue them.  I always love the detail in this game and find these tiny knobs so pleasing.  They are incredibly tiny, wonderfully detailed and made in a lovely wood.  You can get them from Elf Miniatures without them having to be part of a kit.  (£2.35 for ten)




I am not even varnishing or painting them

I needed to add a couple of strips of wallpaper to the bits of the room that wouldn't be covered in bookshelves...




......... and locate the shelf over the door.....


Then it was just a simple case of gluing in the shelves themselves.


just waiting to be trimmed



(18/5/17)



12 comments:

  1. Looks lovely! Can't wait to see the trim.

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    1. Hi Sheila, The trim from Elf is so dainty and beautifully made, can't go wrong with it. Marilyn

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  2. The bookshelves are perfect in this beautiful room. Now, you can make many books.

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  3. I love the way your shelves wrap around the perimeter of the room Em and your decisions on the color and on the satin finish are Spot On! :)

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth, glad you are still along for the ride, I am enjoying doing a slow build this time. M

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  4. Looks great! This will be such a great space.

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    1. Hope so. Will have fun rootiling out bits and pieces ro dress the room over time. M

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  5. Hello Marilyn,
    How lovely. the bookcases look beautifully constructed and I really like the color you chose. It really makes the room look bright and big.
    Big hug,
    Giac

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    1. Thanks Giac. Well spotted that's why the eu de nil. A wood fonish would have just closed in the space, though that was the original plan. Marilyn

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  6. A room lined with bookcases is delightful in real life or in miniature...the soft colour and finish chosen will be a lovely compliment to the books and accessories. You are so right to spend time getting a perfectly smooth surface before painting...looking forward to seeing the space's progression! Cheers, Alayne

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Alayne, and welcome. I do want the books and collectibles to be the interest in the room so I hoped the pale colour would receed quietly. Marilyn

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