The Willowcrest Dollhouse Revisited Week 25

Lightning Spike

Finding miniature lightning spikes can be challenging. The few available options, like weather vanes, don't fit the look I wanted for my dollhouse. Fortunately, creating a custom lightning spike is easy, as long as you consider the tab and slot assembly and the design of your dollhouse. 

Making the spike is straightforward. You need a dowel and some jewelry beads. Choose a dowel that is neither too thin nor too thick. It's best to shop for both the dowel and beads together to ensure the beads fit properly. I found some wooden beads with large holes on clearance, and I selected different shapes for a unique design. You can choose any beads you like, and metal filigree beads would be a great addition. Searching for "Victorian Lightning Spikes" online can provide design inspiration. 

To begin, I dry-fitted the dowel to the roof of the dollhouse to determine the right height, making sure it was taller than the chimney. Once I had the correct height, I marked where the roof edge began on the dowel. Next, I threaded beads onto the dowel in my chosen design. I added a bit of glue to each bead hole and spun it slightly on the dowel to distribute the glue evenly. It helps to do this with the dowel lying horizontally so that each bead is pressed firmly until the glue dries. The pencil mark indicated where to place the first bead so that it sits flush against the roof when installed. A binder clamp held the spike in place while it dried. I added a filigree bead cap at the top, but you could also use tips from a widow's walk or miniature fence for a triangular spike tip. Miniature roof trims can also provide spike tips. I will change this bead in the future, when I find the right element for it, but it works for now. After assembling the spike, I dry-fitted it into the roof opening.

The Willowcrest Dollhouse roof is not flat; it features an interlocking design that must be assembled correctly to maintain stability. Therefore, placing the lightning spike directly in the center would interfere with this mechanism. Instead, I positioned my spike off-center to avoid complications. From the front, back, and right side of the dollhouse, you can't tell that the spike is off-center; it's only noticeable from the left side. This minor adjustment allows me to keep both the spike and the interlocking roof intact. These are trade-offs to consider when adding components to a tab and slot assembly. 

I left a small gap in my roof for installing the spike by not fully connecting the roof panels in that area. This was easy due to how gapped this roof is. I painted my spike to match the color of the widow's walk, giving it a wrought iron appearance. Instead of using permanent glue, I opted for repositionable glue so that I can easily remove the spike if I need to move or pack up the dollhouse in the future. 

Now your miniature house will be safe during thunderstorms!