I got the speed half scale shingles from Greenleaf. They come in strips and are laser cut. They are made of birch veneer and have a distinguishable back and front side, unlike one inch scale shingles.
There are two things to keep in mind when using these shingles.
1. They have the same laser cut, dark, burnt edges that all laser cut wood has. How these edges will affect the color of stain you want to use, is not known since I have not had much experience staining these particular types of shingles. On this dollhouse I plan on using a dark stain so as far as light stain goes or painting of these shingles, I have no clue as of now. I suggest you test a shingle strip with the stain or paint you want to use and see how it looks.
2. Though these shingles are the same thickness as one inch scale shingles are, it makes a big difference in half scale. The shingles are basically two times as thick as one inch scale shingles, when applied to half scale. This can be a problem when making cuts. The shingles will crack and/or break when cutting them much more often than one inch scale shingles do.
I did not make templates for this dollhouse but you can if you want to. Templates are completely optional and you should use them if the project is big or may be complex.
When you have a roof panel with a dormer break, you must cut your first row of shingles as if the dormer did not exist or your staggered lines will not meet up on top, where the dormer ends.
Use Minwax Stainable Wood Filler to repair any gaps or breaks on your shingles. This is the only wood filler that matches the color of birch veneer shingles and takes stain pretty well. Make sure it is completely dry before staining.
Hot glue is the ideal glue for gluing shingles, whether to a template or directly to a dollhouse.
I finished installing the widow's walk.
