Project Dollroom Dollramansion 4.0

Hi all,

First of all best wishes for 2024. Let’s make 2024 a dolltastic good year.

 

It will be a bit of a long read. Sorry for that (only if you doesn’t like to read).

A while ago I posted a project with the name Karos, the horse drawn carriage. That project has sadly stranded and the Karos goes to storage until I know what to do with it. 
There is a plan to change it in a cable car gondola 🚡 instead for the next holiday seasons. But I currently lack the interest to work that out. Let’s say that failing is a learning process too.

In the meantime I started with something else. A project that brings me back to my roots.

The first things I learned to make were buildings, walls and floors. It started with a school project Central station Amsterdam with lights and a working clock. Sadly I have no photos at hand of that one.

Years later I learned how to create patterns in wood and how I can paint it to look realistic. One of the results was Dioramansion 2.0 scale 1/12 and later on the Cube of Horrific. Both were made to fit in a glass cabinet. (Photos under the spoiler for the curious people)
 

Spoiler

And I bet you are now currently thinking: ‘Yeah right Rajke, nice to show your building history. Get to the point’. 

The new project is to make a 1/3 scale dollroom. My girls need there own room for chilling and doing their stuff so I had to come up with something. I looked at several photos and videos and noticed that most people prefer cardboard or foam for making the dollroom. A few people were using thin plywood plates. And with some builds they bend. Most of these dollrooms have a few things in common: Reducing weight as much as possible, Saving costs as much as possible, one solid build which can not be taken apart or easily moved and thin material for walls and floors.

I started this time with a start to end plan (learned from project Karos). 
The workspace and place for display are a few stairs apart. That means I cannot make build it as one piece. Also I want to have the ability to move it to any place that I want. A second requirement is that if I want to store it at some point or take it with me by car that it doesn’t take unnecessary space. 
I like to ad some details to the walls and floor so wood is for me the best choice.

First step was to measure the size that I need for the dollroom in combination with available Pinewood sizes. 120 x 60 x 81,8 cm is what the size will be.

The Dollramansion will consist in three parts that can be taken apart. In the past for a figure base with LED light I have used some pegs to be able to remove the top part. That was necessary if I ever had to replace the light. That technique with pegs at the underside of the walls in combination with hinges between sidepanel and the half of the backpanel will make me able to take it apart when needed.

The floor part is already created. Only the holes for the pegs must be made. I also started with the left sidepanel. The details with old stone wall are already created. The rest of the wall around it will be white. 
photo’s are under the spoiler. Please let me know what you think about it.

Spoiler

If you have any tips or advice please share. There is always a chance that I missed some important things. If you have a dollroom, feel free to share experiences with it. 

My target is to have it ready around Juli this year. 

Thanks for reading this far.

Rajke 

 

Edited January 2 by Rajke
Struggling with photo’s and spoilers 😅

im also trying to make a small dollhouse for nendoroids. since i dont have a proper set of tools the task is proving to be terrible.

 

i also never did anything like, so i think its gonna be a disaster. at least im having fun with my little nendo.

15 hours ago, OhirumenoMuchinoKami said:

im also trying to make a small dollhouse for nendoroids. since i dont have a proper set of tools the task is proving to be terrible.

 

i also never did anything like, so i think its gonna be a disaster. at least im having fun with my little nendo.

A dollhouse is a bit too much to build. Beside the interior the exterior becomes important too. Top floor parts. Reminds me of That’s why I prefer a diorama setup above doll house. 
Nendoroid is a difficult size. It’s around scale 1/10 I guess(if it is possible to give it a scale). Just a bit bigger than 1/12 scale. 
I have thought about about carton first. Problem with carton is that it is not as sturdy as wood. The diorama cube has proven to be durable with the exception of the lights I build in. It survived the moving to a new home and still is in use. 
When starting to make something like a diorama try to focus only on the floor part, background and one sidepanel. That is actually the same system as Goodsmile Company’s real Dioramansion which is in my opinion too expensive for what you get. The official Diaramansion was the inspiration for making my own diorama. 

Which kind of material/tools do you have at hand? Most of the time there is more possible than you think. 
 

Reminds me that some Sylvanian Family products works well with Nendoroids. 

1 hour ago, Rajke said:

A dollhouse is a bit too much to build. Beside the interior the exterior becomes important too. Top floor parts. Reminds me of That’s why I prefer a diorama setup above doll house. 
Nendoroid is a difficult size. It’s around scale 1/10 I guess(if it is possible to give it a scale). Just a bit bigger than 1/12 scale. 
I have thought about about carton first. Problem with carton is that it is not as sturdy as wood. The diorama cube has proven to be durable with the exception of the lights I build in. It survived the moving to a new home and still is in use. 
When starting to make something like a diorama try to focus only on the floor part, background and one sidepanel. That is actually the same system as Goodsmile Company’s real Dioramansion which is in my opinion too expensive for what you get. The official Diaramansion was the inspiration for making my own diorama. 

Which kind of material/tools do you have at hand? Most of the time there is more possible than you think. 
 

Reminds me that some Sylvanian Family products works well with Nendoroids. 

im working with MDF, i might switch to a diorama since i havent started with extra floors, might stick to a single room too. 

 

what i have in hands is a handsaw, rule, pencil, silicon glue and thats it. the decoration part comes after, i've got no shortage of MDF where i live so...

I can't wait to follow your progress on this, and I'm envious you have the space for such an endeavor!  I had to make my backdrop walls modular since space is a premium for me (same with the sea wall I built and the street corner with fence, everything had to be collapsible, think flat pack Ikea) so I don't know how useful tips from me would be, but I found slip joint flag hinges useful for making wall panels you can take down and put up, and dry dex spackling paste makes for a great "concrete" alternative as it's super moldable, and then once it cures you can sand and carve details in really easily, takes paint well too.   

Edited January 3 by DesertPhantom51

On 1/3/2024 at 8:07 PM, OhirumenoMuchinoKami said:

im working with MDF, i might switch to a diorama since i havent started with extra floors, might stick to a single room too. 

 

what i have in hands is a handsaw, rule, pencil, silicon glue and thats it. the decoration part comes after, i've got no shortage of MDF where i live so...

MDF is good material. It’s strong material. I see what you mean with the tools. I am not experienced with silicon glue but does that works well with MDF?

On 1/3/2024 at 9:59 PM, DesertPhantom51 said:

I can't wait to follow your progress on this, and I'm envious you have the space for such an endeavor!  I had to make my backdrop walls modular since space is a premium for me (same with the sea wall I built and the street corner with fence, everything had to be collapsible, think flat pack Ikea) so I don't know how useful tips from me would be, but I found slip joint flag hinges useful for making wall panels you can take down and put up, and dry dex spackling paste makes for a great "concrete" alternative as it's super moldable, and then once it cures you can sand and carve details in really easily, takes paint well too.   

The slip joint flag hinges is something that I have to look into. I am not sure if it works but it definitely increases the flexibility when moving the total diorama when necessary. I forgot that I actually have Drydex Spackling stored. That is a good tip.