The "Highwayman Inn" (from Sketchup and 3DS to Reality)

  In this tutorial, I will show you how to digitally design and build a dollhouse using laser cut materials and resin-cast parts.  These techniques will allow you to reproduce your parts for limited run production if you are so inclined.  A little back-story: my father sells dollhouses built strictly by-hand and designed with pen & paper.  This was my attempt to replicate one of his houses by using modernized techniques to create templates that would allow us to rapidly reproduce his designs.

In many ways, the dollhouse was built like a prefabricated home.  We began with the foundation and assembled the house from laser cut facades atop it. This guide will take you through the process of:

1. Planning
2. Façade Preparation & Laser Cutting
3. Terrain Modeling
4. Terrain Molding & Casting
5. Terrain Painting
6. Façade Construction
7. Chimney Modeling
8. Chimney Molding & Casting
9. Chimney Painting
10. Final Assembly

Please note that the Materials and Tools listed at the beginning of each chapter will only pertain to that particular phase of the project. Keep this in mind as you budget your expenses.

Step 1: Chapter 1- Planning- 1: Concepts and Measurements

Tools & Materials

• Pen & Paper
• Ruler
• Sketchup (Pro)
• 3DS Max

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  Begin by brainstorming your design with thumbnail sketches of your house. 

  Take note of your edge dimensions and be sure to allow 1/4 inch of space for your walls around the perimeter of the house, the interior wall, and second story floor.  The floors, stairs, roof, and Tudor trim parts will be laser cut from sheets of plywood because we will want the grain to remain visible after staining.  The windows will be cut from 1/16 inch clear acrylic and the walls will be laser cut from sheets of 1/4 inch styrene because it is easier to obtain in “true” measurements (i.e. 1/4 inch of styrene is truly a 1/4 inch, whereas lumber is always slightly smaller).  Styrene can be painted any way you like, is strong, and has surface qualities that are amenable to most adhesives.

Comments

[IconSpring611]

Josh, This is a wonderful step by step documentation of the creative process! What a charming, beautiful dollhouse. I'd love to live there!

[Josh Jay]

Thank you very much! This was a fun project because I was elaborating on my father's own designs and kind of continuing a tradition. I just wish I had more time to build them.

[Z0M8I3]

Wonderful Job, One of my favorites in the contest!

[megaduty]

Very nice Josh! The detail is bonkers!

[Penolopy Bulnick]

A-ma-zing! That is the best and most unique dollhouse I have ever seen! I got to get me one :)

[Josh Jay]

Thank you! I'd love to make an entire series based on my dad's other designs. I learned a lot about what worked and what didn't. I think I could produce it again even faster.