Eureka!

Here comes one happy woman.  I attacked O'Rourkes today and did better than I thought.

A couple of days ago I began by emailing DHE and the DHE forum to ask what was the best way to remove paper. The official reply was to leave it alone and work over the top but  someone on the forum very kindly sent me to some pictures (and text) of a house she had stripped.  I wasn't happy leaving the paper on as I could envisage a myriad of problems.  So, yesterday, I went at it with tepid water, a 2 inch brush and a smidgen of soap.  The scraper was the thing you use when you defrost a freezer.

I confess I was very nervy about slapping water all over MDF and wondered if it would end up shaped like the House that Jack Built.  I talked myself into it by realising that the two previous projects have been papered and painted and therefore made wet, why would this process be any different.

It was very hard work and unsatisfying, leaving a zillion bits and a load of glue behind and about half a roof done.  This was last night.  I got utterly fed up and quit.

Today I came back to it with a purpose and decided to give it my best shot before 'binning' and buying a new kit.

I started by removing the front (hinged) wall and the hinged section of the roof.  

I then moved on to demolishing the place.  I stripped off every trim, bar one- the door to the outside privy   Not too bad to do with a small chisel and hammer.  They also came in handy when removing the two chimney breasts.  Now I have to plan a project where I can use those - it would be shame to waste them.



There were a couple of bits of cornice where the maker had obviously had a problem and stuck it on with something like superglue.  I had to actually chisel that off a bit at a time but it wasn't that hard to do. 

After a bit of rootling round the web looking for any suggestions about removing wallpaper in RL or mini world the consensus seemed to be either half vinegar and half water or half fabric conditioner and half water.  I didn't fancy the vinegar one as it had to be followed up with a wipe down with some chemical or other which entailed wearing long gloves (thick rubber kind, not pale blue velvet) and working outside!  So, I went back at it with fabric conditioner and water.

Eureka!

Just brilliant.  The paper virtually drops off and most of the glue with it.  So, five hours later (!) and I had a near pristine carcass ready to go at.

The carpet removal was another pig and a half to do.  I had tried pretty much everything but wasn't getting far and was just making a gooey mess.  Eventually I ironed it.  No, it wasn't a desperate attempt to make it look better, I decided maybe the heat would melt the glue.  I covered the mess with a piece of paper and then steam ironed a small area at a time and scraped away like mad at it.  I suspect if you start with this method it might work quite well.  Unfortunately for me I just had loads of bits and pieces of scraggly carpet left and loads of paper and glue in various stages of removal.  I did eventually get it down to something acceptable

I still have the removed wall and roof to do.... but that's another day.  Right now I am just basking in the glow of a rotten job finished.

I must just say that the only reason I would ever do this re-make malarkey again is if I already had a piece needing doing (Starfish cottage!) or it was a building I just wanted and could no longer buy, like O'Rourkes.  I certainly wouldn't do it driven by cost.  This one cost me sixty pounds and something similar like Arkwrights is only eighty pounds;  it certainly isn't worth the work to save that amount.

More pictures of the process in the web album.