After labeling and bagging everything, I started working on the staircase since it’s the easiest part to assemble right now. Since the staircases in this dollhouse are mostly hidden, I plan to stain them all the same color and add runners later. Building the staircase should go quickly because I just need to sand the pieces and start assembling them. I'll stain everything once it's fully assembled and the glue has dried. I'm using Aleene’s tacky glue for this project because it dries clear, while wood glue can leave a yellow tint. Use wood glue only for parts you intend to paint later.
This staircase is somewhat complex to build, and it can be tricky to keep the pieces together without them falling apart. It's important to clamp everything securely and be patient; eventually, the glue will hold. Once I had the staircase frame clamped and drying, I began adding the landings.
Although the instructions suggest assembling it step by step in order, the clamps made it difficult to work on those areas. I decided that adding the landings would make the structure sturdier. I also assembled the steps and risers for the landings. Later, I’ll reinforce everything by adding more glue along the seams underneath. Keep in mind that this staircase needs to fit tightly into the dollhouse, which means it will require some pressure during assembly. It’s essential to make it sturdy enough to withstand this pressure without falling apart. The more reinforcement you can add to your dollhouse assemblies, the better.
I took a small bottle of wood glue and turned the staircase upside down without removing any clamps. I squeezed glue into all the joints on the underside. If the glue bottle is too large to fit into some areas, tilt the staircase so that the glue can run down into the joints. Be generous with the glue since this part won’t be visible once assembled. After covering all the joints, I placed the staircase on parchment paper to catch any drips and left it overnight.
