Building a roombox

      Hello and welcome to my blog. I don't have the ambition to write a book about dollhouse making. I don't have that talent. But just to share withyou the tools and techniques I used to build a roombox, a shop or a dollhouse in 1/12.

When I started, I had never imagined I could build anything like that. It took me time to get better and maybe, my blog will allow some of you to enjoy building something by yourself.

I am French, I live in Thailand, I am a teacher and I'm planning to retire soon.So forgive me for the mistakes I will make, English is not my native language. I will try to add a photo every 10 lines so it is not too boring to read. 

If you right-click on the photos, you should be able to enlarge them and save them for future projects. This room is called "the moat's bedroom". It was inspired by the moat's bedroom in Villandry Castle, in the Loire Valley in France.

So let's start....

Why a roombox? Because it's simpler than a whole house with staircase and many windows. Also because it doesn't require too many different skills like wiring and weathering. And it is also much cheaper to make.

A roombox can easily find a place in a room, on a shelf and is an ideal gift for someone you want to spoil.

The most difficult thing, to start with, is cutting the different elements. A house is made of dozens of pieces with angles, a roof, etc... A roombox has 3 sides, a back , a top and a floor. 5 pieces. 

To begin with, you will not buy a tablesaw. So this project won't require one. 

La salle à manger (under construction) inspired by the dining room in the same castle of Villandry.

The first thing to do is to decide what you are going to build, where you are going to put it.

Do not start with something too difficult. A room in a chateau is more difficult to do than a shop. Think about your budget. It is a hobby that can become very expensive. A shop is quite cheap to make, a XVIIIth century salon will need expensive furniture, moldings, flooring that you will need to buy. If it is your 1st project, start simple.

Get documentation. Start adding a new folder on your desktop called "miniatures" and open a folder called miniatures in your bookmark bar.

Every time you find a photo of miniatures or real rooms or buildings that inspire you, save it. Nothing more nerve wracking than looking for a photo for hours on the Internet. 

I have a special external drive with thousands of photos that inspire me. Write the name of the maker. Someone who inspires me a lot is Japanese Ichiyoh Aga who builds facade of front shops. 

So, to start with, get the 5 pieces of....

Well, some people use plywood, some use MDF, I use plastwood, a white plastic material that can be cut, painted, which is not heavy. This is what architects use to make their models.

MDF and plywood can be heavy and difficult to work with. Cardboard is too light. Remember cats love to sit inside or on top of dollhouses....

Where to find Plastwood? Check for signs suppliers. They often sell it    to make shop signs. For plywood and MDF, go to your local DIY shop.
One thing to remember, do not make your 1st box too big. 30 cm by 40 cm is a good start.

Now, height. 1/12 scale means you have to divide real dimensions by 1/12. How to do that? Let's say you want to convert 280 cm, 2 meters 80 in 1/12. So 280 X 12 /100 = 33.6 cm

So the height of your box will be 32.6 cm

When you order / cut the different parts, remember that you have to add the thickness of the plank to the real measures for the sides. If you use 1 cm MDF,

the floor will be 40 X 30

the back will be 40 X 35 (height to the ceiling)

the sides will be 30 +1 X 35 + 2, so that it covers the side of the floor and the back. Make a sketch, if you are not sure

This French window, called "un oeil de boeuf" is made out of Plastwood.

This is what plastwood looks like before painting:

So now, you've decided what you want to create. You have some photos. You've ordered the 5 pieces to build the box. Now, think about doors and windows, how many? Make a sketch. Remember they are not easy to set but you need some.

For doors and windows, I suggest you to buy them. With new technology, you can find nice doors and windows at very affordable price.

I used to make my 1st windows, it took me hours and the result.....

 As I never use wood, I will only speak about plastwood. To make a window opening, you will need a jigsaw for plastwood and MDF, for plastwood, I can use a cutter for 1cm thickness.

Later, you will need a table saw. I bought a Proxxon table saw years ago and it works very well. But mind your fingers, it cuts everything so always stay focus on the blade when you used a table saw.

before and after weathering the tailor's shop

When it's hard to say whether it is real or miniatures, then you can be happy with your work.

To end this post I will attach the link to a video of Robert Off explaining how he made his roombox. That may give you ideas.. click on his name and the video should start... after the ad.

Bye for now. 

Feel free to leave your comments about this 1st post.

Patrick