Finally the Lights are Sorted

I have finally sorted out how to make the lights for my models.

When it comes to lights I have struggled to get them the way I would like but finally I have them sorted.
The main problem is that when I started over 25 to 30 years ago adding lights to my models I was using 12v (mains power using a transformer) and rice bulbs. These rice bulbs were soo hot that at one show one of my grape plants started to smolder. Terrifying!
So the next thing I did was change things to LED's but again still running them on 12v using mains power. (This proved to be very expensive.) Then a friend suggested I use batteries to allow me more freedom in placing the models at shows and schools. This led to doing 9v battery power.
Then came micro lights - well they changed everything!

They run on 4.5v and they are soo bright. Then I found strip lights (because I want to make lit mushrooms) and because they to run on 4.5v (when separated from the strip of 12v) and they are just soo bright which means I do not need as many lights to do the job. If you would like to read more please click on the read more button.

Using Strip Lights

USING STRIP LIGHTS

I think I have mentioned, more than once that, lights are the bane of my life. I realise it is my own fault, I keep changing things but what else would you expect from a person like me.

I decided to use strip lights because I wanted, and still do want to make, lit mushrooms and they use individual strip lights* so I went looking for some. Well there's a pickle. As with everything nothing is as simple as it seems. It turns out there are not just one type, no that would be too easy, there are stacks, some really tiny, tiny. If you want to know more info click here and it will take you to a website that explains it a lot better than I ever could.

If you would like to read about the reason and how I changed the LED lights in Pebble Cottage to Strip Lights click here.

Using Strings of Miniature LED's

Using Strings of Miniature LED's

When it comes to my models I have found the WOW factor through the day BUT at night they are a real let down. Not anymore!

Lighting has always been the bane of my life when it comes to these models of mine BUT I have finally found the solution.

For your information - Internal lights are included as the image shows. If you would like to read more articles about how I have lit up the models please click here and scroll down past this post.

If you would like to read more of this post please click on the Read More link below.

Optic Fibers - Plants

Some Plants I Have Made

I thought you might be interested to see a couple of the plants I am creating. I have being playing with optic fibers. I was VERY fortunate to acquire an old optic fiber Christmas tree. I now have heaps all for the pittance of $3.00

The plants below are created out of pearl beads that have had their pearl essence removed with nail polish remover. I placed them all in a glass container with the nail polish remover and shook them up until most of the pearl essence had come off. I then cleaned them on some tissue.  I then drilled the holes a little larger. There is a trick to that! More than once the drill bit got so hot that it got stuck!

Once all of that was achieved I then covered the bead with a mixture of white and blue sand using Tiger Grip glue. I had covered some little green plant caps that I had around and placed them on a skewer and then covered them in sand. When dry I inserted the optic fiber and cut them to be level with the bead. I then stuck on the cap and silicone everyone in place. I have now found it much better to make a bunch of 'plants' and lay them facing up not sideways or down as I have these ones as the optic fiber does not want to go the way I want it to. I then covered the silicone with 'moss'.

Pearl Beads turned into Plants

These 'plants' have been created with small bundles of optic fiber which has then been pooled together over the top of one orange (been painted with red stain glass paint to make it darker) flickering LED bulb which is then surrounded in black shrink tubing to keep them together and to force the light up the fiber not out through the sides.

Another 'plant' I have created is the one below. This one is not completely finished as I just need to pull the optic fiber stamens into the middle. I thought you would like to see them at this point. These plants have been created out of two different fake plants and have seed beads glued to the tip of the optic fiber. These plants have long lengths of optic fiber so I can place them all over the model. I will do a bundle of 5 or 6 flowers (depending on how many optic fiber I can get into the black shrink tubing that sits over the one LED. I have not chosen a colour for that yet.


A Plant I have created using pieces
from two flowers, optic fiber and seed beads.

I have decided to keep one 'plant' and 'creature' that I create so that I can 'see' what it is I have created them out of as there are soo many that I forget.

I am going to set up a display of the original item and what I have created out of it. For instance someone gave me small Christmas bells (which i have not found since) and I have created a snail and four plants out of them.

Optic fibers lit by a blue LED bulb.

Hiding the Wiring

Using 'Vines' to Hold the Wires for a Hanging House

While I was a the Gold Coast Show 2012 I also started the lighting for the hanging house. As you can see by the photo I placed different size clear plastic tubing over the model so I can get a clear understanding of where I wanted the lights to be located.

Different size clear plastic tubing be 'placed' over the model.

I have a large piece of pipe as the main 'stem'. Once I had worked out where I want to join smaller pipes I then glue them together using silicon and wrap a strip of suitable fabric around the joins. These I then tie in place. The fabric I have used has a 'bark' feeling to it.


This is the completed stem of the 'vine' ready for painting. It will allow me to have seven lights. Some of those lights can, 'if I wish', go inside the model for the rooms. If I don't wish and I just allow them to be flowers then I can put another 'vine' over it especially for the lights of the rooms.

Numbering the Lights

Lights in Archibald's General Store

When I am at the Gold Coast Show I like to do something. I am there for three days and as I am not one for just sitting around doing nothing. I make 'something'. Last year I started changing the lights in Archibald's General Store to LED's. I only achieved half of them with the help of a man who was manning the miniature trains.

Over the last few days I have been working on the other half of the General Store. I am also cleaning the model and 'locking' it up. This is where I put plastic over the front of the open rooms to stop the dust from getting in.

Here you can see the wires that I have attached to the little light shades that are hanging from the beams just above the stairs.

These are those same wires that have now been pushed through plastic tubing (to keep them neat and together). I have then labeled each wire just in-case the lights blow I will know who is who.

Lights for a Hanging House

Adding More Lights to the Hanging House

 Spurred on by my visit to the Modern Art Gallery of Qld to see the display 'We Miss You Magic Land' and the fact that my book is being reviewed at the moment so I am at a loose end and bored I have decided to add more lights to one of my hanging houses. Below is the first house I'm adding more lights to.

 

Wiring pattern

Lighting - Wiring Diagram

The bane of my life, when it comes to building these models, is lighting. After all these years you would think I would have it sorted but no.

There came a day, at the Gold Coast Show, many years ago, when one of my plastic grapes, with a rice bulb inside, started sending up smoke signals. This, as you can imagine, is NOT a good thing. Since then I've looked at how to lessen the risk of fire.

Some time back a friend asked why my models where not run by battery! Now why didn't I think of that?

So that started me on my road to change ALL the lights (and that's a lot!) to LED's. I was told they use very little power and have no heat. This is not so. Contrary to belief LED's do actually generate heat but it is miniscule also there are heaps of different types of LED's which is reflected in the price. Some cost $6.00 each!

You would not believe how many ways there are to wire lights. It's mind boggling and its not just light bulbs. Its voltage of power and the ohms of resistors which change depending on the type of LED and the amount (voltage) of power you are using. I have found that the list Jaycar supply in their catologue invaluble as it lets you know what resistor you should have for what light depending on the power supply. I have also found that checking what voltage goes through the LED and the resistor is a good thing to know. You do this by using a multimeter. The value of the resistor depends on the voltage (power) you are going to use. In my case either 9v or 12v batteries.

I have supplied you with an diagram of the wiring that I will now be using for all my models.

I've been told that with this design the power only has to travel 1/2 the distance. This design is used even if you are using just one battery.

I suppose an explanation would be good.

1. Flashing bulb's and UV LED's are on there own separate wiring system and battery pack with their own switch (this is because I wanted it that way)This not necessary BUT DO NOT have a flashing bulb on the same wiring system as your indoor lights as they will flash as well.
2. No matter what anyone says each LED needs it's own resistor.
3. Power only travels one way in LED's.

This what an LED looks like and how I used it.

4.   You can blow the LED bulb if it DOES NOT have an resistor soldered to it.
5.   Use heat shrink tubing to cover any bare wire.
6.   Solder ALL joins and ensure they are a strong bond by pulling on them.
7.   Use the same colour for negative lines and a different colour for positive. I have sometimes got these mixed up and it takes ages to sort it out because of course one of the bulbs won't shine because the power is going the wrong way. You do not need (for this job) a special wire for negative and a special wire for positive. Wire is wire. It is a road for the energy to flow along. The colour of the outside of the wire is there to make it easier for you to know if you are dealing with a negative flow or a positive flow.
8.   When dealing with lots of LED's and all the wires end up in the same place it is a good idea to use different coloured shrink tubing on each pair. I have spent hours, days, just checking for one light that ended up having the wrong colour wiring on the the wrong leg.

ie; blue and blue together, red and red together etc. One blue goes on a positive wire and one blue goes on the corresponding negative wire for that one light. This WILL make your life much easier.

Wiring of a Model

This image shows the gourd lamp shades I am dealing with. The white one comes from the bathroom. The brown one comes from the bedroom.
I have shown the clear plastic tubing that will eventually hold the wiring and how I have started wrapping the tubing in bandages.

I have decided to add blue LED's to the centre of each of these flowers as each of them have four 'stemens' created out of gold coloured wire with a matalic blue seed bead on top.

I have decided to add a yellow flickering LED into these three (and there are another three 'plants' somewhere else).
The plants have been created out of ornamental gourds, which are thin shelled, small, round and light in colour. I then painted glow in the dark lines down their sides. I had to try lots of different glow in the dark paints until I found one I was happy with. Even though, saying that and as you know, the glow in the dark paint does not last for long when the lights are out so ... I cut the top off the gourd, removed the seeds and filled it with silicone and then placed the little white flower stamens in the top. The flower stamens have come from the centre of boganvillia silk flowers. Now I am going to place the yellow flickering LED in the base of each one so that only a tiny amount of light can be seen.

I purchased several different thickness (10mil & 6mil internal width) of clear plastic tubing and then layed the thicker of the two over the top of my model to see where I would want my 'vines' to be placed.


This image shows how I have re-stuck the three round gourd 'plants' that now have the yellow flickering LED's in them and how I have used a piece of large clear plastic tubing to hold the six wires. Each set of wires (2- black (positive) - white (negative) have been taped with a different colour electrical tape at each end of the wire. This is so that I can see which 'plant' belongs to which set of wires. This is just incase one light blows. I will be able to tell which wires I am dealing with.
To the left of that tubing in another thinner tube, where the bandges are wrapped around it, I have added a 'branch' of another set of wires.
In this image I have cut a hole in the piece of clear tubing. This allows me to add a branch if necessary (which can be seen in the next image) or if necessary when I have a long piece of tubing to allow me a new vantage point from where I can push the wiring to the end of the tube.

I use a silicone that is acid free (in my case I use Selly's Glass silicone sealant - clear. It is suitable to use for fish tanks).  I then wrap bandages around the silicone and the 'branch' tubing and tie it off with fishing line.

This is the completed circuit for four flowers. You can plainly see the different coloured tags on the sets of wires. Red to red, blue to blue etc.

To wire LED's I do it thus:- I suppose at this point I should put a disclaimer in. "I am wiring this model up myself and even though I am letting you know how I have done that I take no resonsability if you copy my technique and something goes wrong as I do not know what you have done."
There that should do it.
Now:-

LED's are polar, that is the current goes in one end and comes out another.
Now this business with LED's, resistors, omes ect are complicated to my mind which has enough trouble doing my tax let alone this stuff.
I strongly recommend that you look to the web and youtube sites to help you out.

What I have found out is that EVERY LED light needs a resistor. The problem comes when I want to know what size resistor I need. The un-mathical brain that I have struggles as if it is being smother by an averlanch of snow to understand this stuff so luckily for me I met a man who said, "Here just use these." and then he handed me heaps of little blue five banded resistors. So I have. Sorry I know its not much help.
Now you can see in the image above that I have soldered the resistor to the positive side of the LED.
The positive side of the LED is the longer of the two 'legs'. Sometimes I find it difficult to tell so I trim the negetaive side in half. I also trim the tails of the resistors so they are just over 1cm long.

The image above is the LED for the white gourd lampshade. The piece of balsa wood that has been placed just under the bulb is there only to 'space' the bulb within the lampshade. So it stays central.

Now once I have soldered both lengths of wire. Choose which colour wire you want to use as positive and negative. use 18 gauge wire. Use the same colours throughout and make sure the same colour is used for the negative and the same colour for the poitive.
One (white - negative) on to the shorter leg of the LED and the (black - positive) on to the end of the resistor that has (itself) been soldered onto the longer leg of the LED I then slip over the entire section a piece of heat shrink tubing. This is to insulate the electricity that will be passing through the LED. I have also found that it is most important that the tubing be pushed up to the extreme end of the LED bulb so that NO 'leg or metal' is showing. I had a short in that one of my ''leg's (it made no difference which one) had 1mil showing and one of my gold coloured stamenes touched it and the light would not work untill I removed the stamen.

In this image it shows that I have used white heat sensitative tubing on the white gourd lamp shade. I have then added four tops of the pods from the Yates tree as the 'pole' to keep the lamp straight. The Yates is an Austrlaian native tree.