Today, I wanted to finish the bay roofs because I was eager to see them completed. I will cover them with the recommended sandpaper.
It has taken several days to side this dollhouse, and I’m pleased to report that most of it is now sided, though a few spots still need attention.
I worked on the bay roofs simultaneously. While one roof's paint dried, I glued another, and while that dried, I prepared the pieces for the third. This way, I stayed productive instead of wasting time waiting for things to dry. The bay roofs look much better with the siding underneath than when they were cut around them; it makes a significant difference. Since I was on a roll, I also sided the kitchen bay.
Once all the roofs were finished, it was time to apply the sandpaper. There are two ways to do this: you can either dry assemble the three roof pieces flat on a table and trace their pattern onto the sandpaper, or you can assemble them on the dollhouse and create a paper template by creasing paper around the roof edges and cutting it out on the sandpaper. I used both methods; each is equally easy and effective.
For the left and kitchen bays, I used the paper template, while I traced the roof assembly of the front bay directly onto the sandpaper. Make sure to dry fit your template as much as possible; it needs to be perfect. There’s no room for mistakes since sandpaper cannot be repaired or patched. If you make a mistake, you’ll have to remove it and start over. Dry fit until it’s just right, then double-check everything. Think carefully about how you will lay it down for that perfect fit because you won’t have time to adjust it while gluing; we will be using hot glue for this step. Hot glue is ideal because it dries instantly, keeping the sandpaper flat on your roof. Using white glue would make it difficult to keep everything in place, and clamping with masking tape could risk tearing the sandpaper.
Once your sandpaper pattern is perfect and your glue gun is hot, begin gluing in sections rather than all at once. Attempting to glue everything at once will lead to uneven results and may not allow enough time for proper fitting. Apply glue to one side of the roof, near but not too close to the edges and in the middle. Be careful not to get too close to the outside edges, as this could create unsightly glue blobs when you press down the paper. All glue should remain beneath the sandpaper without leaking out at any edges; a little glue goes a long way if spread evenly. After applying glue, quickly position the sandpaper over it and press down firmly to ensure it lays flat and is centered perfectly. Repeat this process for the middle bay roof section and then for the last side. The result is beautifully covered sandpaper roofs that look much nicer than just painted ones.
The kitchen bay is quite long, so depending on your sandpaper size, you may need to join two sheets together. I joined mine in the middle of the roof because it's easier than trying to connect them at the ends where they might crease. If you butt them together neatly, you won’t see the joint; avoid overlapping them as that will make it more visible.
To protect these roofs while finishing the dollhouse, cover them with paper or plastic wrap. If paint gets on them, they will be permanently ruined, forcing you to remove them and start over again.
After completing the bay roofs, I continued siding other areas. I glued vertical trim on one side of the mansard roof and clamped it to dry overnight. I finished the porch foundation and began applying vertical and horizontal trim using various clamps to hold everything in place. I focused on areas where the walls were completely sided, including the bays.
