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Half-scale battery-operated lights!


Debsrand56

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When I made my Fairfield, I did not put in electricity.  I figured building the thing was going to be hard enough without trying to add electricity, which is always my least favorite part of any build.  In retrospect, I regret it.  The rooms in the Fairfield are kind of small and dark, making them difficult to see and very difficult to photograph.  I learned from that experience, and definitely put electricity in the Merrimack.  Anyway, while putting siding on the Merrimack, I ran out of the cedar (that’s what I get for being fancy and doing it diagonally, I guess), so had to order a few more strips.  In trying to find something to add to my order to make the shipping worthwhile, I discovered they had battery-operated half-scale lights!  I tried two for my Fairfield, and just ordered four more.  (They tend to keep a low stock, but replenish quickly.)

The lights are very cleverly done.  There is a thin metal disk that gets stuck to the ceiling.  The light fixture, powered by a watch battery, has a magnet in it that allows it to easily stick to the disk.  This makes it simple to pull out the light if you want to turn it on or off (there is a switch, but it’s hard to get to when the light is in place), and will make it easy to remove when the batteries or bulbs need to be replaced.  (Maybe that’s the way all battery lights are done, but I had never seen them before.)59d3bb2bc8b9e_FairfieldChandelier.jpg.0259d3bb311d03d_FairfieldLivingRoomLight.j

Anyway, I am super pleased with them.  I know they are not aesthetically perfect, but they make a night-and-day difference for the house!

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I just saw those at Miniatures.com, I don't know how I missed them before. The battery pack is sort of comically big but I've pretty much sworn off tape wiring now after too many issues, so I might have to try these.

I'm going to add a light to the inside of the tower roof on the Victorianna. Since it can't be seen from inside the room I got one of these: http://www.miniatures.com/Silver-Battery-Operated-LED-Anything-Light-P26944.aspx

Maybe a shade could be added to that, or it could be placed strategically in a room so it lights up the room but you don't see it? Some of the other rooms in the Victorianna are pretty dark so I might play around with it.

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They really enhance your already beautiful  house.

I bought some porch lights for the outside of the Laurel that are battery operated. I didn't plan for them originally, and they were an easy solution. They are so straight forward and less frustrating. I am contemplating using them for my next house. I think they maybe the same cost after you figure the cost of wire, brads, blood, sweat, and tears that went into my first attempt.

Thank you for sharing.

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40 minutes ago, fov said:

I just saw those at Miniatures.com, I don't know how I missed them before. The battery pack is sort of comically big but I've pretty much sworn off tape wiring now after too many issues, so I might have to try these.

I think they must be relatively new.  I have been looking and looking for battery-operated lights in half scale, and this is the first time I've seen them.  The battery pack is a bit big, but I can live with it. 

 

38 minutes ago, Mid-life madness said:

They really enhance your already beautiful  house.

I bought some porch lights for the outside of the Laurel that are battery operated. I didn't plan for them originally, and they were an easy solution. They are so straight forward and less frustrating. I am contemplating using them for my next house. I think they maybe the same cost after you figure the cost of wire, brads, blood, sweat, and tears that went into my first attempt.

Thank you!  And you're right, the savings in wire, brads, transformers (which tend to be a bit expensive themselves) and medication for the psychological trauma probably more than offsets the cost. :)

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They look great! I especially like the chandelier. :)

One thing I'm not a fan of with LED's is the blue light.. but I've heard of some miniaturists using glass paint or even a yellow marker to make the light a bit more warm. They certainly take all the pain and planning out of wiring a house. 

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I love having new options for old problems! They look perfect! I have used them a few times in 1/12 scale for really small projects like the secret cookbooks. If you find (with your real life eyes) that the light from the LEDs is a bit too stark, you can add a thin coat of the opaque Gallery Glass to the bulbs themselves. It toned down the coolness but still left plenty of light. Also, I use Tim Holtz Metallics in Aged Bronze (several light coats, dry thoroughly in-between), nail enamel (you get one chance to get it right before it starts to glob), and FolkArt enamel (several light coats, dry thoroughly in-between) on the "brass". Really improved the look of the fixtures. 

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I spray paint my fixtures.. I just remove the bulb and or tape it off and tape off the bulb hole. Then just hit it with a couple of squirts of rustoleum. I can never get a good finish when I paint with a brush. I guess I'm to heavy handed. :D

 

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