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Mixing 1/12 & 1/24 lighting plugs?


PariahDolls

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OK, here's the first of probably many silly questions. I've given the forum a thorough search but I've not had any luck finding the answer, so before I buy anything, here goes.

Is it possible to use the neat little 1/24 scale double sockets as wall outlets but have them attached to plugs that go into a 1/12 scale power strip? I've seen a decent 1/12 lighting kit that has all I'd need, I prefer the small outlets of 1/24.

I'm planning on partially sinking the outlets into the wall (or maybe even into the baseboard, undecided as yet) and these will be used for the free standing lights I'll have around the apartment. I don't have ceilings on this project but my wall mounted lighting will be wired to the power strip under the floorboards.

I realise that if, for example, I purchase 1/12 lamps that have the larger plugs on them, I'd have to swap the plugs to the small 1/24 ones, but would the lamp still work the same? Are the wires even the same?

Or, am I committing a massive Faux Pas in the world of dollhouse building by even suggesting such a thing?

Sorry, there ended up being more than one question.

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It is all about voltage.....since 1/24 and 1/12 Cirkit are identical it is fine. @otterine has done a wonderful outlet using these https://cir-kitconcepts.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=13

I'm not sure if her tutorial is on this forum or her Blog.

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 Brae (@otterine) has also faked outlets:  http://www.otterine.com/blog/blog1.php/hard-wiring-table-lamps  I had never seen outlets that could connect to hard wire.  I've always used the kind that pound into tapewire (and don't work half the time), so I liked seeing the hardwired outlets.  :)  You would almost certainly have to change the plugs on your 1:12 scale lamps.  Make sure to buy plugs that will work with those sockets.  I believe the Cir-kit plugs only work with the Cir-kit outlets. Here is an example of the regular 1:24 scale plugs:   https://www.blackwells-miniatures.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_50&products_id=3546 (you can see that the wires are a bit more widely spaced).

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Adding further:  Am having a tough time finding 1:24 male plugs in the U.S.  *sigh*  What about using the petite plugs and double receptacles?   https://www.miniaturemarketplace.com/PETDOUBLERECWPLUGWIRE4-P9008C612.aspx   and  https://www.miniaturemarketplace.com/PETITE-WALL-PLUGS-WITHOUT-WIRE-4PK-P56657C612.aspx   They're specifically designed for 1:12, so you wouldn't have to worry, and the measurements don't seem much different than the half scale.

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1 hour ago, Mid-life madness said:

It is all about voltage.....since 1/24 and 1/12 Cirkit are identical it is fine. @otterine has done a wonderful outlet using these https://cir-kitconcepts.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=13

I'm not sure if her tutorial is on this forum or her Blog.

Thank you. :) 

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14 minutes ago, Debsrand56 said:

Adding further:  Am having a tough time finding 1:24 male plugs in the U.S.  *sigh*  What about using the petite plugs and double receptacles?  

Luckily I’m in the UK and can get hold of the 1:24 plugs fairly easily. Like these:

kS6Oaxw.jpg

And these twin sockets/outlets (advertised as 1:24 scale on a well known auction site) were exactly what I was considering:

uAqhL3r.jpg

So I wouldn’t really need the extra male plugs, all I need to do is put a 1:12 plug (which I can remove from the lamp I want to use) onto the double outlet wire and use the small male plug that was removed from that and simply transplant that onto the lamp wire. A straight swap! :) 

Brilliant, thank you!

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I have tried and failed to put those little 1:24 plugs on a wire. With the 1:12 plugs it's easy to remove the pins and then wrap wire around them and jam them back in, but the space in the 1:24 plugs is more cramped and I just couldn't do it. The original wires didn't come out easily -- I ended up picking out tiny pieces of copper wire with a pin, and even after I got out as much of the old wire as I could, I wasn't able to shove the new wire into the holes. I think they were blocked by some old wire I hadn't managed to clean out.

Those little plugs are sold separately (not already attached to a light), so in theory I guess it can be done, but I suggest trying it once before you spend a bunch of money on plugs and sockets.

 

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2 minutes ago, fov said:

I have tried and failed to put those little 1:24 plugs on a wire...

That’s great info, thank you. And a good idea to try a couple of them first before going all-in. 

Now that I know the lights would still work power wise, I’ll give it a go. 

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1 hour ago, fov said:

I have tried and failed to put those little 1:24 plugs on a wire.

I think it may be related to the used plug.  I have put a 1:24 scale plug (new) on wires attached to a grain of rice bulb when I made my own lamp.  Didn't have a problem, and it works great.  (And I am never doing tape wiring again.  Round wire all the way.)  That said, testing is always a great idea.

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 Hi Simon...………..I did the plug swap on all my lamps.   Used the small plugs and sockets from Cir Kit.

I used the tape wire and pounded in the small sockets.  Put about 24 wall sockets in my house.  Very  difficult to get them all working.

 

Good Luck

BOB

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On 8/28/2019, 12:29:41, Mid-life madness said:

It is all about voltage.....since 1/24 and 1/12 Cirkit are identical it is fine. @otterine has done a wonderful outlet using these https://cir-kitconcepts.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=13

I'm not sure if her tutorial is on this forum or her Blog.

Sorry, no, I haven't used those.  I do the false plugs as Deborah mentions.

http://www.otterine.com/blog/blog1.php/hard-wiring-table-lamps

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I take back what I said. I did this today with brand new plugs rather than ones that had been snipped off lamps, and it was easy. My only worry for using them with 1:12 lights is that the wires on some lights might be too thick to fit through the hole.

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Nope, the wires on half scale lights are thinner than 1:12 scale. I actually prefer to use 1:12 lights in half scale when I can get away with it, since the wires are sturdier. The 1:24 wires break very easily, as I've learned the hard way!

 

wires.jpg

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2 minutes ago, fov said:

Nope, the wires on half scale lights are thinner than 1:12 scale.

Live and learn! Thanks for the clarification. The houseboat used 1:24 lighting. You'd think I'd have notice the difference. But then all of the wires were 1:24, so there weren't any 1:12 wires for comparison. (That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!)

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