Tudor Market Hall - Part 1

This project is suitable for the advanced miniaturist with good wood working skills and who can use machinery. For the less experienced, I would suggest you work with someone with more experience to build this project.

The Tudor Market Hall has six rooms. On the ground floor there are is an Inn and Market Square. the first floor has the kitchen to the left and music room to the right. The second floor left hand room is the great hall, and to the right the master bedroom. On the top floor there is the servants' quarters.

If you have difficulty in finding any of the materials required, I am happy to provide a quote for supplying absolutely everything, including the cut-to-size MDF and Burbridge mouldings.

I hope you enjoy this project as much as I have.

Materials Required

• 12 of 6mm x 600 x 1200 MDF
• 4 of 12mm x 600 x 1200 MDF

 

Richard Burbidge Mouldings

• 60 x 2.4 mtr lengths FB366 4mm x 18mm stripwood
• 24 x 2.4 mtr lengths FB407 4mm x 12mm stripwood
• 12 x 2.4 mtr lengths FB180 8mm x 8mm stripwood
• 12 x 2.4 mtr lengths FB189 12mmx 12mm stripwood
• 8 x 2.4 mtr lengths FB200 12mm Astragal moulding
• 1 x 2.4 mtr length FB238 20mm Coving moulding
• 1 x 2.4 mtr length FB365 21mm Scotia moulding
• 1 x 2.4 mtr length FB464 20mm Decorative moulding
• 1 x 2.4 mtr length FB343 32mm Ogee moulding
• 10 x 1 mtr lengths CD42 Twisted Rope moulding

 

W. Hobby Ltd

• 10 Sheets 3.2mm x 76mm x 457mm oak panels
• 1 mtr length 3mm dowel

 

General Items

• 2.5 Litres Magnolia Matt Emulsion
• 1 x 20 kg bag Artex Undercoat Plaster
• 1 x 500ml Wickes Dark Oak Wood Stain
• 1 x 250ml Wikes Antique Pine Wood Stain
• White Spirit
• 0.5kg White tile adhesive/grout (dual purpose)
• 1 x 75ml Tube Daler Rowney System 3 acrylic black paint
• 1 x 60ml Tube Winsor & Newton acrylic raw umber paint
• 1 x 500ml Sadolin Interior Polyurethane clear matt varnish
• 1 x 20ml Tube pebo cerne relief black glass outliner
• 1 Pack 15mm Veneer pins
• 1 Pack 20mm Veneer pins
• 1 Pack Aquaglass lead strips
• Approx 40 12v grain of wheat bulbs
• Approx 40 white plastic hollow bead spacers
• 1 Litre Deluxe Materials Speed Bond PVA glue
• 1 x 20g Deluxe Materials Roket Rapid Super Glue

 

Streets Ahead Products

• 3 x DE147 Tudor chandeliers
• 2 x DE074 Fused electrical connecting strips
• 2 x DE005 Transformers
• 1 x DE086 2 core electrical wire
• 1 x DE071 Pack of 4 extension plugs
• 2 x DE054 Packs of six 2 pin plugs
• 3 x DIY051 Staircases
• 2 x DIY072 Brick Sheets
• 1 x DIY182 24 Pane window
• 4 x DIY405 Clear acetate sheets
• 1 x DIY347 Pack of 18mm hinges and screws
• 10 x D1077 Hanging brackets
• 10 x D1632 Hanging baskets

 

Richard Stacey

• 1 x 1000 pack bargain red brick slips

 

Sussex Crafts

• 2 x HF/141 Ring pull handles
• 2 prs HF/327 Decorative hinges

 

Little Homes of England

• 1 large fireplace
• 1 medium fireplace
• 1 small fireplace
• 1 feature chimney pot
• 1 water trough

 

Gavin Poyner

• 1 xclusive to KJ Dollshouses, Tudor stone fire surround

 

Dimensions

The overall dimensions of the house are approximately 110cm wide x 120cm high x 72cm deep.

General Information

I have kept the tools used fairly basic, and you will probably have most of them to hand already. The one specialist tool I find I constantly rely on is the Proxxon KS230 mini circular saw. This saw will cut almost all of the timber sections you will be using. Alternatively a standard bench mitre saw will do the same job, albeit a bit slower.

The MDF and Richard Burbidge mouldings are available from local stores such as Wickes. If you are not comfortable about cutting the MDF yourself, the merchant should be able to do this for you too.

Step 1 - Timber Mouldings

• The FB366, FB407*, FB180 & FB189 mouldings need to be brushed with a wire brush to accentuate the grain.
• With a stanley knife, carefully take two of the edges off to make it look weathered and aged.
• *Except for The FB407 which will  be skirting boards inside the house, only take off one edge on these pieces.
• Stain all sides of the sections with dark own stain (please see 1st photo below).
• Only wire brush the timbers you use for the floorboards, FB366, do not distress the edges with a knife    

 

Step 2 - Ground floor room

• Cut a piece of 6mm MDF 420mm wide x 420mm deep.
• Cut 4 pieces for walls, all 210mm high. 1 x 420mm long and 3 x 402mm long.
• Mark the centre of the left hand wall on one 402mm long piece.
• Draw a central opening 140mm high x 156mm wide.
• Cut out with a jigsaw for the fire opening and chimney.

 

Step 3 - Cavity wall

• The two remaining pieces 402mm x 210mm will be glued together with pieces of FB189 between to form a cavity wall.
• Cut 2 pieces of 12mm timber each about 190mm long.
• Glue one vertically flush to the edge of one 402mm piece of MDF.
• Glue the other 6mm in from the front edge, both flush to the bottom edge.
• Cut another piece of 12mm timber approx. 300mm and glue into place between these two flush with the bottom edge.
• Cut another piece of 12mm timber approx 188mm and glue into place vertically in the middle. (Please see the second photo above)
• Carefully glue and clamp the remaining piece of 402mm MDF on top and ensure that all edges are flush.
• The edge with the 6mm recess will be at the front of the house. Please see the 1st photo below.

    

Step 4

• Glue the 3 sides on to the base with PVA wood glue.
• The back will be flush on either side.
• The two side walls will be 12 mm short from the front edge of the base.
• When the glue is dry, paint inside and out with 3 coats of magnolia matt emulsion.
• Use a brush for the corners and a mini roller for the rest.
• Give a light sanding in between coats.

 

Step 5 - Chimney

• Cut 2 pieces of 6mm MDF 210mm x 50mm and 1 piece 210mm x 168mm.
• Cut 1 piece of 6mm MDF 168mm x 50mm.
• Glue together to form the chimney
• Paint the brick sheet to fit inside with Burnt Sienna paint.
• When dry paint black all over to give the brickwork the appearance of soot build up.
• Cut to fit into the chimney and take the bricks up about 6 courses above the top of the fire.
• Glue in place with PVA.
• Cut a piece of scrap timber to fit across the inside of the chimney recess on top of the brick sheets.
• Drill a small hole throught the wood in the middle.
• Pass the wire of a 12v grain of wheat bulb through a plastic bead and through the hole in the wood and glue in place.

 

Step 6 - Floorboards

• Cut lengths of the pre-stained FB366 stripwood to the full width of the room, approx. 408mm.
• Place them all into position and with a straight edge mark every other foorboard with a pencil. Alternate to left and right of the room i.e. marking the first on the left, then the second on the right and so on. (See 1st photo below)
• Remove the boards and number them on the back in the correct order.
• Carefully partially cut each board on the pencil lines with a mitre saw.
• Use a small point screwdriver and hammer to put two nail holes on either side of each cut. (See 2nd Photo below)
• Use Deluxe Materials Speed Bond to glue in place and weigh down evenly over the surface whilst the glue dries.

    

Step 8

• Cut and fix the ready stained FB407 4mm x 12mm timber around the walls at floor level.
• Also around the top of the room flush with the top edge of the walls.
• Clamp the top timber until the glue dries.

 

Step 9

• Cut vertical timbers and glue around the room as desired.
• Make sure there is one either side of the room flush with the front edge.
• Fix two into each back corner on each wall.
• One either side of the fire opening.
• More can be added later as desired, included angled ones.

 

Step 10 - Back to the Chimney

• Seal the outside of the chimney with a dilute mix of PVA and water.
• Decide where you want the exposed brickwork panel on the exterior.
• Apply a coat of undiluted PVA and carefully position the brick slips keeping the lines as straight and even as possible.
• When the glue is dry, put another coat of diluted PVA over the bricks to seal them.
• Once this is dry, apply a coat of tile adhesive/grout over the top with a flexible spatula.
• Scrape off any excess, and immediately use a wet cloth and wash the rest off the surface of the bricks.
• Do this a couple of times until the grout is perfect.

    

• Now glue the chimney in place and clamp while the glue dries.
• Make sure the top of the chimney is flush with the top of the room walls.

 

Step 11

• Glue and pin FB180 8mm x 8mm timber all the way round the bottom of the room box.
• Make sure it is flush to the underside of the floor.
• Run a piece flush against either side of the chimney.
• On the left hand side only, use FB366 and fix to the outside edge of the external wall with it protruding forward by 6mm.

 

Go forward to Part 2

For more information on Tudor bespoke properties go to www.kjdollshouses.co.uk, or contact Kevin Jackson at [email protected] and make sure you mention Dolls House and Miniature Scene.

This feature was originally published in Dolls House & Miniature Scene magazine, if you like making miniatures why not buy yourself a copy of the magazine, or better still take out a subscription so you never  miss another issue. For fans of Facebook and Twitter, please use the buttons at the top of the page to share with your friends.