Once you get all three floors into the center partition, the walls go up very quickly and easily. This dollhouse has a pretty straight forward boxy design. Use your rubber mallet to make things slide together better.
Since this dollhouse is going to be left as wood, I can't use wood glue on any of the exterior or it will show. I have to use tacky glue for everything. I can use wood glue around the interior joints but I have to be extra careful to not let any come through to the exterior. Wood glue does not dry clear.
I also have to make sure that everything sits tightly together. Since the dollhouse isn’t going to be painted, there will be no way to spackle any gaps, so I have to work extra carefully to avoid them.
READ THIS PART VERY CAREFULLY:
This dollhouse goes together in a locking fashion that is a little different from the usual tab and slot method, even though it also has the slot and tab features. These slot and locks make it possible to use little glue to assemble your dollhouse because it will stay together by the locking mechanism it creates. For this reason, this is the best dollhouse model to use for an all-wood, un-painted finish.
They designed the walls to hold themselves together to the floors through the window lock box pieces. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use glue. I have used glue on the entire dollhouse so far. This just adds more sturdiness to the structure.
This can only be done one way so learn it carefully. You can not let the glue on the floors dry to the wall before you do this step. You have to do it while it's still wet and the floors movable.
Each window lock box has a slot under the window. You have to fit the smaller end through this slot so it can go into the floor opening where it was before the dollhouse was assembled. To do this, you have to push down the floor that’s around the slot from the interior with your finger. It's not difficult. A little push will do and then fit the smaller end of the window lock box through the slot and rest it in the opening of the floor. Make sure its flush all the way around the floor. You do not need to glue the window lock box to anything. Once the glue around it on the floors and walls dries, it will not be able to be removed again.
I did not number my window lock boxes like the instructions suggest you do. I was able to tell which one went where from the wood grain pattern. I don’t suggest you do the same. Number and label your window lock boxes because they will fit better if you place them back into their corresponding, original openings.
The window lock boxes are basically the bottoms of your window boxes in the exterior of the dollhouse and they complete the floors on the interior. They are vital for the assembly of the dollhouse but if you have experienced a disaster and for some reason the glue is rock hard and you never installed your window lock boxes, don’t fear. All you have to do is cut the window lock boxes in half, separating the interior piece from the exterior piece and fit each corresponding piece into its opening.
I have pictures of the window lock box in, at the bottom of the page.
Wipe up any glue drips because they will dry hard and get in the way of wallpaper and other components you might want to add to your dollhouse.
Check all your joints and then clamp. Add wood glue to the interior joints all the way around the floors, ceilings and wall seams. Let it dry.
