I then took all the templates and drew all the guidelines on them. I use a 1" ruler for the width of the lines. I find that it’s the perfect width to have all the lines of shingles overlap each other.
After the guide lines are drawn, it's time to shingle them. I decided to make the second and third lines from the top of the panels with diamond shaped shingles. The rest of the lines will be octagon. I marked the lines that will use the diamond shingles with a pencil on the paper templates.
I dry fitted some completed panels to see how they will sit. I had to tweak the fit a little by cutting a little more on the edges, etc. Each panel will have to be dry fitted and tweaked the same way for the perfect fit.
Each piece has to be dry fit before installation because they may need more trimming. Remember the templates were done before the roof panels were put in so now that they are actually in, the templates will have to be adjusted as they are installed. That’s why I like to make the templates after the roof panels are on but this dollhouse is so tall and large that it was easier to do them before.
Once they were all fitted, I started staining the shingled panels.
Always apply the main roof panels first and the gables last. This will help the joint be invisible. It's just like when you apply wallpaper. You do the far front wall first and then the sides. When you cut the shingled template for your gable sides, leave the tiniest bit of excess in the back edge so that there is a very minimal overlap with the shingled back roof. This helps hide any gaps and you won't need to apply putty or anything else to your shingle joints. Apply your panels with tacky glue and clamp them with binder clips to keep them down while they dry.
I made the stain with varnish and acrylic paint. I made a gray wash.
I put the turrets first shingle line upside down so the flat part is flush with the turret edge. I did this because of the turret trim. If I have octagon overhangs from the shingles on the turret edges, it will hide the turret trim.
I had to fix the kitchen bay shingle templates. After I had applied them, they looked awkward to me. Remember that I had problems with this roof during construction and this is a reminder that anything that happens during construction that is slightly off, will come back to haunt you and this bay roof is haunting me now with the shingles. The templates I had made just didn’t fit right and so I have to take them off and redo them.
Shingled paper templates can be removed easily if you use a hammer and putty knife or ruler to gently lift them in sections. They can break and you may have to replace them but sometimes they come off still salvageable. Mines only needed minor repairs after they were removed. I reinstalled them and added some more shingles to the edges and they finally look right.
I glued on the chimney. I painted the roof ridge and finials and added them to the roof. They were very simple to install. Make sure all of your finials are straight.
