Oh......it had been more than two months since I last typed my blog...... I wanted to type about my current school life, the new friends that I had made, then I realised that whatever happen in school, everyone just have to log in to Facebook and all kinds of information are waiting for you.. So I decided to type in events that don't happen in school.
Just last Wednesday, I received a phone-call from my brother. He told me that he is coming home to have his dinner and at the same time, he asked to check if the portable electrical drill is available. (Coz sometimes it is loaned by my uncle). My grandma checked the store-room and it is sitting right in the box. At around 7pm, I saw my brother carrying two planks of wood on one hand and a plastic bag on the other. I looked at him and out of curosity, I asked him what he is going to do; he just simply replied me: " Oh, I am going to make a Doll-house for someone's Christmas's present."
"Huh?" Was my first reaction..... Then after much probing, he then revealed that actually his girlfriend had requested him to make a Doll-House. My next reaction was " Do you know how to do it? " I wasn't trying to be nasty or what, because this brother of mine has no experience in carpentry......Of course, simple installation of shelves, simple wood work is nothing big deal for a guy. To me it is a big project...... He said he had the idea of how to do it......But Plan and Practical is two very different thing..... I looked at the two plank of wood and I realised if his plan goes wrong during practical...... he will not have enough resources to salvage the situation..... ( I checked the price tag of the two plank of wood, Total Cost: $64/- ) I then look into his plastic bag and saw a pack of nails and a portable electrical saw. The making of a Doll-house took over all my concentration and I was even distracted from my studies. I basically sat down and looked at him while he started to prepare the location to do his wood-work...
Initally, I thought I am just watching, but in the end I became his runner for things that he needed, hammer, tools-box, (My store-room is full of tools, coz my dad was previously a carpenter.) After I managed to gather the tools that he needed, He was already done with measurements and was using the saw to cut one plank of wood into three pieces of square. When he was about to assemble the three squares together, my dad came home. He then stopped what he was doing and had to explained again to my dad what he had told me. The next thing was, my dad told him that the tools that he needed was wrong, my brother and I was dumbfounded.......My dad started to explain; 1st- wrong electrical drill, 2nd- the type of wood, 3rd- the wrong nails. Let me explained to you one by one, firstly the wrong electrical drill, my dad said the type that we took out was meant for drilling hole in the wall, not for drilling hole in wood. Secondly, the type of wood that my brother bought was soft wood, and the only way to fix the wood together, we required the electrical drill to drill the screws in. Thirdly, if the nails are hammered into the wood, the veins of the wood between the nails will spilt and the whole wood is wasted. We searched the store room again and managed to find the correct drill and tools which was required.
Oh my, it had never crossed our mind that simple wood-work would require all these basic knowledges on the type of wood, types of tools and types of nails and screws. To others , it may seem simple enough fixing up piceces of wood together. But let me tell you DIY is never easy!
"THERE IS ALWAYS A REASON TO THAT SOMETHING!"
(My dad have twenty-plus years of experience in carpentry)
Then the next scene was, my dad settled to help and teach my brother what to do.... Slowly after much communication and the basic structure of the house was up.... I was very amazed of how my dad do his calculations without using the ruler, he basically just use another picece of wood to compare. My dad said that using the wood is as accurate as using the measurement tape or ruler, at times, my brother looked so blur, that my dad need to explain. One point that I remembered was that, we have to always make a mark on the wood to indicate the location to drill, to saw, and the part that were not required.
Another part, that I want to share is, When you make a Doll-House, you definately required a door and windows. Drawing and cutting them on paper is easy, but not on a piece of wood. Cutting out a door is easily, but what about the windows? Of cause, you think to crack your brain...... But what if you can't think (That was what that happened to my brother and I.)
Usually, how you draw the windows....... simple.... one square and one plus inside........ but how to slice it out??? We can only leave the plus inside, and the 4 corners small squares must be removed.
My dad taught us a method, all we have to do is to drill a hole in the four corners, so that the saw is able to be inserted and turn while it sliced the wood.
I enjoyed throughout the process, from the walls, hinges of the door,( This part is also very difficult, I thought just screw in hinges clips but there is more to it) to the end part of adding the roof.
Probably, to others I maybe a frog in the well, but I still feel that it takes lots of hard work, knowledges and experiences despite it look simple to do, and others may even find you dumb enough to make it. This type of Doll- House is available for sale anywhere selling toys.
Intially I felt the same, but after joining and helping through the working process, the feelings changed, I felt so satisflying to have participated.( Even though, I am sitting and watching throughout the whole process and drilling holes in to the wood, and getting the tools that they required.)
Finally, the exterior of the house was completed... I will up-load the pictures of the process " Making of the doll-house" Once my brother finished making the staircase, and furnitures added in to the interor of the house, I will then up-load the End-product pictures.
The most important thing that I had learned, is that not only how to make a Doll-House, and also it can improve and futher strengthen the relationship and understanding between family members: Father and son's relations, Siblings's relation and it also provide family gathering.. During the three day process, (started late in the evening coz my brother and dad end work late) all my family members gathered together, give comments, offer further ideas and it even allow members to sit down together to talk on the common topic....
