Kitchen Progress: Miniature Dumbwaiter

Welcome folks!

Today's Progress Report is focusing on the dumbwaiter in the new kitchen module.  The complexity of the design for this kitchen is dictating a different approach than I have taken with the other rooms.

As a result, my focus in the near term is on those items that affect the ceiling.  My preferred approach is to complete the ceilings first, then work down, but with this project, there are several elements which directly affect the ceiling treatment, and these I need to finish before completing the ceilings. 

As you can see in the picture of the overall space planned, the dumbwaiter is the tall hollow column at the back of the photo.  Due to its space deep within the kitchen, I must also bring the dumbwaiter close to completion prior to enclosing the space.  So I set about doing that as my first task for the kitchen. 

(It took me quite a LONG time to figure out the approach to this kitchen! Thinking about all the dependencies and tolerances took me a couple of hours!)

After spending an hour or two cutting egg cartons into little bricks 5/16" by 11/32" I applied the "bricks" to the dumbwaiter form.  For this particular item, I chose to just use the mocked up version as the basic form, since it would be entirely covered up with brick.  I am always thinking about weight with this house.  The more wood, the more weight!

As you can see above, I drew guidelines for each line.  Thank You to all of you who posted on this process! You saved me a lot of headache with that little tip!  I would likely have just started adding brick and ended up with "crooked courses".  Having been through this now, I would not recommend trying that!  These lines saved my bacon on this project.  They helped me to ensure my lines of brick remained uniform.

The obvious next step was to paint the brick.  Since I am able to discern the obvious, I began that process. I used a satin latex from Lowes that I found in the clearance (returned) paint samples.  You can get some nice colors that way, for about a dollar each!  I've been watching that area at Lowe's, and have gotten some great colors. 

Here's a shot of the painted wall.  I think it came out rather nicely!  This color is the base coat only.  I plan to work on the coloring of the brick to give it a more interesting appearance.  I will complete that once all the brick used in the room is ready to go, since I want a uniform treatment.

Next, I cut several holes in the column to accommodate the "cupboards" for the dumbwaiter.   I added a second coat of paint.

For the bottom of the dumbwaiter, I used two metal blanks from the craft store.  Of course, the way they package things nowadays, one was silver and the other gold.  (Any musical reference come to mind with that?!). Metal does not take acrylic paints well, so in order to manipulate them to the same rich gold color, I had to gesso them first.  

I added these painted blanks to the dumbwaiter column, and added a finding at the top to mimic another cupboard.  This finding was a "tome" from the Fairy Tale line of findings, found at Hobby Lobby.  It is meant to be used as a locket, but it makes a very nice, in scale cabinet once opened! Unfortunately, all of my "cabinets" are going to be non-functioning.  I am saving such lofty aspirations as working doors until later in my miniature life. 

Next step was to create the wood door for the dumbwaiter itself.  Again, I just used the Foam Core base and added veneers.  This is the same Sapelle veneer I used on the floor in the Grand Parlor. 

To trim off the piece, I cut very thin strips of mahogany veneer into moldings, mitering them at the corners.  I also cut some small strips of wood to fill in between the cabinets, as I thought this added a richness to the piece that would not have been there otherwise. 

The last steps of this little adventure were to add several jewelry findings to the piece.  I added small circular, pierced beads as hinges, some small heart shaped charms (upside down!) and a couple of delicate findings on the metal blanks at the bottom of the dumbwaiter.  As I see this photo, I see a small alteration I need to make (for the first time, I might add!   How long have I been looking at this?  Amazing what we can miss when we are focused.)  One of the beads is at a bit of an angle, and will have to be straightened!  

I think overall, this has created that somewhat aged elegance I had hoped for.  As with everything in this project, it has a bit of a fanciful element to it.  I tend to love fantasy, so I am pretty happy with the piece.  I have some further touch up to do, again, seeing these things for the first time! Photography, you gotta love it and hate it.  Every little flaw shows up in all it's merciless glory in a photo.   I'll attack those flaws with a vengeance, and you will never see them again! 

This little project was one of those that I was sitting on the edge of my chair the whole time, not knowing what to do next.  You will remember I am working on our dining room table.  Fur was flying, and by the time I was finished with this little project, I was knee deep in mess.  I've spared you the photo, but let's suffice it to say, it took me well over an hour and a half to clean it all up!  My wife is happy to see her table top once more.  

 Courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving holiday!  I am back to work for the first time again today.  I cannot tell you how much I have longed to return to work.  NOT. 

Talk to you again soon!

Doug S