The first difference between the Fairfield and the Orchid: the directions are WAY more comprehensive. The Fairfield’s instructions are organized into about 20 chunks with {gasp} pictures to go along with them. The second difference is that this house is a lot more complicated. It has many, many, many pieces. And it’s a cube with openings on two sides, as opposed to a rectangle with one open side, so the process of putting it together will probably be a bit more complex. Not to mention that the Fairfield, being a 1:24 house, is half the size of the Orchid.
Okay, comparisons aside, I think I’m going into the building of this house with different expectations than I had last time. I expect this to take me a looooong time. And, I don’t expect it to be perfect. I noticed that the picture on the front of the box isn’t even perfect.
The first step was to assemble the foundation.
I started gluing these pieces with white glue, which is what I used on the Orchid. Soon switched to wood glue. Not only is it stronger, but it also dries quicker. The masking tape is holding the pieces in place as they dry.
A few of the pieces were a little tricky to glue (I had to deviate from the instructions on the part of the foundation that goes under the bay windows) but overall it went pretty well. Next I put a coat of sanding sealer on the foundation and the porch area. When that dried, I painted. (The sealer is supposed to make the paint finish smoother… we’ll see!)
Emily is a freelance writer, miniaturist, and adventure game enthusiast.
