Electrical

[darrellandmelissa]

Just wanted to offer a little help for those who are afraid of wiriing their minis.

First of all, I'm documenting by pictures all of the wiring I'm doing on the McKinley. You can follow this in the McKinley Blog.

Secondly, if anyone has any specific questions on tape wiring or electrifying in general I'll be happy to answer them here.

Darrell

[Deb]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I didn't want to seem like a pain, but I've got so many questions and some of them are going to be really dumb. All I know about electricity is to remember to turn off the iron before I leave the house.

<deep breath> Since the english cottage (haunted house) is small, I thought it would be a good way to learn how to wire with just 4-8 lights. However, I'm also leaning toward doing the exterior in magic masonry. Since that exterior is also going to be a first for me it seems that using hard wire and a powerstrip the best option. With the design of the house, I can hide the wires in beams on the ceiling and down behind the fireplaces and put the powerstrip under the house foundation.

So here's my silly questions: I know I'll need a power strip and transformer, but will I need any other hardware? I've never seen the wire part of a mini house light fixture. I'm guessing that they have a male plug on the end and that the plug is removed to install the light and run thru the holes/channel beams and replaced to plug into the power strip. Is that correct?

Is there any grounding equipment or insulation or anything else that's required? Any special tools that I'd need? Am I on the right track with this concept?

I'll use tape wiring when I build the BH, but for a first start to build my confidence and learn the basics, the hard wire seems a bit less complicated and less expensive if I screw it up and have to start all over.

<exhaling> I'm probably making you regret offering information.

Deb

[havanaholly]

I've got so many questions and some of them are going to be really dumb.

First of all there is no such thing as a "dumb" question! Yours happen to be very good questions, and I would also be interested in the answers. There are several books that describe how to do it, but having Darrell's experience plus the pictures makes a lot more sense out of it.

[darrellandmelissa]

Deb,

I stopped using hard wire (also called round wire by some) years ago. Even though I've used it, I find it to be a lot more difficult to work with than the tape wiring system.

First of all, if you don't want to have to make larger holes for the male plugs on lamps and lights to go through then you're correct. You need to cut them off and remove them to put the wires themselves through a smaller hole. Then getting a good connection when you reconnect them becomes another concern.

The wires are of a very small diameter and often when you have to strip the insulation off of a wire in order to get to the bare wire to make a conneciton to another wire, you end up cutting the wire itself. (or at least I do with my clumsy hands. LOL!) And if one isn't careful you can end up with a wire that's no longer long enough to reach where it needs to go.

Even though the wires are very small, as I mentioned, they are bulkier than tape which is FLAT and therefore more difficult to hide. But it can be hidden behind beams, trim (including baseboard or crown molding), etc.

The "plugs" ore the same on both systems. They are overly large and not to scale. For that reason it's a good idea to keep them behind furniture or hidden away in some other out of the way place.

All that was merely to let you know of my bias. I prefer and recommend the tape over the round wire method mostly becuase it's a lot more easy to work with, is easier to hide, and therefore far more flexible in being able to get power wherevery you need it. Round wire is more likely to have connection problems and requres more soldering or other work on connections, but is easier to correct a broken wire if a problem does develop. (Note: it's just as easy to repair a circuit break with tape wire BUT then you often have to do some re-decoration to hide your "fix" again.)

Tape wiring used to be more difficult due to the small size of those teeny brads we had to work with and the fact that if we accidentally made multiple (or unneeded redundent) connections and one was reversed from the other, it was possible to get a short in the system. Cir-Kit with their system has solved both of these issues for us. One by using two different color conductors in the tape so we can connect dark to dark and light to light and always have it the same with no possibitly of a reversed connection. And their wonderfully useful brad insertion tool makes easy work of the brads now too. I think many are just afraid of it because it's not "familiar" to them, or they tried it before all the tools we have now were available and found it difficult. For those I truly recommend they try it once more.

Now all that said, there are only a couple of SIMPLE things to keep in mind to successfully wire any miniature with either system.

1 - take your time. Get power TO the house or roombox and stop and verify it works before tryin' to wire the entire project.

2 - Plan ahead on how you will hide your wiring. Putting it in a place with no forethought of hiding it may cause problems later as you try to UNDO it and put it in differently.

3 - Work ONE new add on at a time. Say you want to add a wall sconce. First, go back to that area of the project where you first brought power in and TEST your fixture (or light) on the working portion of your wiring before installing it. Turn the power off, get the wiring (tape or round) to the location you plan in installing your fixture. Stop and verify that if you turn the power on it's THERE. If not, check your connections and verify that it's still at the original spot used earlier. If it is, turn power off and install your fixture or light. It should work once you turn power back on. If it's ok at the original spot but not your new one you're missing a connection someplace. If it's not working anywhere you have a short. (a connection where you should not have one that has to be located and removed).

4 - add in new runs of wire or tape one at a time checking before going farther. It's easy to trouble shoot if you only worked on a small area but difficult if you have to go through the wiring of the entire project. So working in small increments and checking before proceeding makes everything a lot easier.

And most important, if you take your time and stay methodical about it, it's a LOT easier than it sounds. You may never encounter a problem at all, but if you do there are only a few things it can be and once you successfully solve that you'll know almost all you ever will need to wire ANY mini.

Darrell

[Lyn]

Darell, Thanks for that useful information you posted Iam hopeing to wire my next house.

Lyn

[Deb]

Darrell, thank you sooooooooo much for the information. I don't mean to sound like a moron but since I'd rather have answers than my pride, I'm going to sound like a total idiot and ask this anyway.

The concept that I'm missing with tape wiring is how does one attach the plug and/or fixture to the tape? (told you I was going to sound like a moron). I think the reason I'm leaning toward the round wire is because I understand how to run the cords and plug them into the strip, but I'm just kinda lost about the link between lamp plug and/or ceiling fixture and tape wire.

I'm really, truly sorry to ask questions about things that should probably be glaringly obvious. I've looked thru tutorials online and found everything from "you have to put the tape on the outside of the house and run wires thru holes" to "pound the outlet prongs into the tape" to "wrap wires around nails and hammer them into the tape". <eyes spinning counterclockwise> I'm confused.

If you want to tell me to just buy a book, I'll go quietly.

Deb (starting to relate to the kid in Breakfast Club who said, "I flipped the elephant's trunk but my light didn't come on.")

[Peggi]

Deb, I think I can answer this one for you, but if I'm wrong please Darrell correct me. The "plug" has two prongs one of which goes in pink color of the tape and the other in blue color of the tape. It takes a little pounding to get them in (my dh has actually taken them to the dremel tool to sharpen the prongs to make attaching them easier) then you plug your fixtures into this.

On ceiling lights we've actually soldered the wires of the fixtures(after very carefully separating the wires on the fixture) to the tape run on the floor above by soldering one wire to the blue and one to the pink. It helped by getting rid of extra wire and the connection is hid by the floor covering.

Hope this helps.

Peggi

[Deb]

Thank you Peggi! So the plug is actually pounded *into* the tape and anchors into the wall. I wasn't wrapping my mind around that concept. That makes a lot more sense knowing that the prongs are sharp enough to penetrate wood.

With that knowledge, I'm starting to be able to visualize it. Do you make an exact template of where the wiring is so once the wallpaper is up, you can lay the template over it and know precisely where the red and blue lines are at?

Are there ceiling lights that have the outlet attached to the back side of the fixture with no wires? When you defined how the plugs go directly into the tape, it occured to me I could run the tape across the ceiling, cover it with ceiling paper and plug the ceiling fixture directly into it. Is that feasible? Same thing with wall sconces?

Thank you so very, very much Peggi! I appreciate it more than I can say.

Deb <lightbulb starting to come on over my head>

[havanaholly]

Do you make an exact template of where the wiring is so once the wallpaper is up, you can lay the template over it and know precisely where the red and blue lines are at?

You take construction pictures that include wire placement before decorating and you make a notebook with the pictures in it so you have a record to go back to.

[Deb]

You take construction pictures that include wire placement before decorating and you make a notebook with the pictures in it so you have a record to go back to.

I can do that! Thanks Holly!

Deb

[darrellandmelissa]

Ok, first of all a picture is worth a thousand words. So if you haven't done so, go have a look at my pictures in my webshots album "Electrification" at http://community.webshots.com/user/darrellpayne and maybe it will make more sense.

The "wires" are basically just two strips of copper imbedded into a tape very similar looking to scotch tape once the backing has been peeled off of it. The fact that the tape is plastic insulates the copper underneath it. If you poke a brass brad, or a plug fixtures prongs or the little test lamp (that has two prongs on it) into the tape, then it goes thru the plastic covering and makes contact with the copper and completes the circuit.

Yes, it's meant literally when the instructions say "pound in". You position the plug so that the prongs on the back of it line up with the copper strips in the tape and install it by tapping it in with a hammer. There are lights that pound in as well but only a few. Lamps usually just get plugged into a plug that was pounded into the tape run someplace nearby.

Most lighting fixtures have wires coming from them. With or without plugs. These wires are usually VERY long, so that you can plug the fixture in someplace far away from where the light is to reside. This means you have a lot of wire to hide. When using tape wiring I usually cut these wires off close to the fixture (carefully), seperate, (carefully), and strip (again carefully), these wires. I then put a brad (or an eyelet) into each tape conductor of the tape and solder the wires (one to each color) to those.

There is another method. Cir-kit (and I believe another company) makes an adaptor that is used for connecting light fixtures. They have one for wall sconces and one for ceilings. They have two parts. One part simply pounds into the tape (like a socket) and the other attaches to the fixture itself. Then with a push and a twist the part with the fixture is connected to the part on the wall or ceiling. This way is a bit more expensive but has the advantage of not needing any soldering or connecting of wires straight to the tape conductor, AND you can easily remove the fixture with a simple twist. Handy if you want to change a bulb, clean the fixture, or simply rearrange your fixtures to different locations. (Note that if you use this method to swap liight fixtures, both fixtures being swapped must have the same type and size of adaptor connection)

Most questions of how this all works come from someone who hasn't looked closely at the parts or components. Once you SEE a plug like the ones used in tape wiring and SEE the tape wiring sticking on the wall, then how it works to make a connection becomes very obvious. Words just cannot adequately describe the process, but it's very simple.

Oh, and which is the dark wire and which is the light one doesn't matter. As long as one wire connects to EACH color in the tape from your light. Don't connect both wires (there are alwys two) to the same color. The light bulb doesn't care which direction the electricity goes though as long as it goes thru. Then it makes light. The ONLY time you have to worry about which is which is when you are connecting one tape to another tape. And even then, if the tapes never cross paths and connect AGAIN (and there's no reason for them to), in the overall circuit of the house, having them reversed really won't matter, and isn't going to cause any problems.

Go have a look at the webshots album. And look at the little bit of tape wiring I've done in the McKinley blog. Click on the small pictures to make them large enough to see.

Darrell

[Deb]

<shouting> Eureka Mr Higgins! I think I've got it!

Seriously Darrell, I can't thank you enough! A picture is worth more than a thousand words and your tutorial in webshots is worth a whole lot more than that! (have you considered writing your own book and/or video on this subject??) I'd seen the pics of your mckinley, but somehow I'd missed the webshots album. It's exactly what I needed to see because it put a reality with the theory. Being able to see the components makes it all clear---and your tutorial answered questions I didn't even know I had yet.

I was just looking at the ceiling adapters at hbs before I came back to the forum and found your post, so you answered that question before I could even ask it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I've actually been stressing over trying to figure this out enough just to order what I needed. Now I not only know what I need, but you've given me enough confidence to think that I can successfully wire a house, just by following your tutorial. (you *really* should consider putting that into print)

<huge sigh of relief> Thank you again Darrell. Your knowledge and your patience are appreciated more than you realize.

Deb

[bianca]

Darrell - wonderful instructional. I was thinking not to try the electrical on my first house, but with such detailed steps I'm now reconsidering.

The lighting looks great! I would love to see the church when it's complete. Will you be adding stained glass windows?

[darrellandmelissa]

You're all too kind. However, to answer other questions...

Yes, the church has "stained glass" windows. We made them with our ink jet printer, printing on transparancies. We didn't use the ones that came with the kit but used pictures of actual stained glass church windows we found on the internet.

One thing I'm adding to my electrical tutorial in the webshots is how to install a ceiling fixture thru holes to the floor above. So to GET those pictures I did it for the McKinley. I'll post the pictures of just that fixture installation later this evening in the McKinley blog so you all can see them first.

In a day or two I should have them installed into my electircal webshots album.

Darrell

[darrellandmelissa]

For anyone who isn't reading the McKinley thread, I just wanted you to know I've added another twenty pictures (along with descriptive narrative) to my electification album on webshots. They cover three items.

1 - installing a plug socket over finished wallpaper.

2 - installing a ceiling light to a tape wire ON the ceiling over a finished ceiling.

3 - installing any lighting into a place that is inaccesible by normal means where you cannot see or get tools in. (In this case, in the teeny fake hallway on the second floor of the McKinley)

Enjoy,

Darrell

[nuttiwebgal]

oh Darrell! tytytytyty

I decided after I had the tower walls up that I wanted to light that area

so where did you find that light?

it looks likes it gives a soft glow which is what I need in this area. just illumination.

I have almost all of my tape run and next I will do the brads

wish I had one of them handy brad holders

you should see how I do it!!

you know this is not good on hubbys wallet all this electrification.

and now that I know how to do it, I have this feeling any house I build for me will have to have some lighting in it.

just terrible. I know my Granvile will be benefit of some more wiring.

plzz send info on the Light...Thanks

nutti :o

ok NM I went and found them at Miniatures.com

but Ill have to wait till next week to order it with the 20% off coupon

ok Im ordering other things as well.

this house is making my DH mad....he hates it when I have to use the credit card.

but Ernie dont do Pay-pal hun!...does he?

rofl :o

[darrellandmelissa]

Yes, electrifying a house does add a bit to the bottom line of its cost. But on the other hand it adds SO MUCH to the beauty of the finished product. We're on a very tight budget but I know a lot about electrical things so I'm always torn.

I AM working on ways to "trim the costs" though so look for future blogs on such things. Your DH's idea of using the radio shack light was a good one. It will be included in my up coming $aving $ on utilities blog. LOL! Other things I tentatively plan to include are:

Alternative sources for lights (like yours nutti)

Powering multiple houses on a single transformer (transformers cost)

Getting by without a juction splice

Making your own lamps and fixtures

and such.

However, using my methods you will still have to get the basic tools (a one time purchase usually), the tape (the larger rolls are less per inch), and brads and sockets and eyelets. Those things are cheaper. And of course you DO need transformers which can add up but there ARE ways to cut the number of them you need.

However, I work in retail and black Friday is coming soon. From then till Christmas my time will be very limited and what time I do have will probably be soaking my feet. LOL!

Darrell

[nuttiwebgal]

DO need transformers which can add up but there ARE ways to cut the number of them you need

this I would like to know!

right now my one transformer is being shared. I thought next time Ernie offers 50% off Ill get me another one. if I make it a big one and you figure out how to put more than one house on one than Ill be ready.

I am waiting on my lights to get here to see how it looks. the towers look wonderful! He also bought a little larger one for the attic tower. another fixture not needed to be seen but the lighting will be perfect.

keep up those tips and hints coz I think its sinking in a bit.

oh and about those soldering tips you mentioned....I would be interrested. I have the versatool and would like to try some wrought iron looking stuff

can this be acheived? and also I would like the correct procedure for soldering wires together. I dont mind watching him work...but Id rather he not teach me.

I didnt even let him teach me to drive stick shift....he assumes I know something and expects mind reading to go on....well 20 yrs a long time but I still not at mind reading stage.

rofl

thanks for all of your help!!

nutti :o

[havanaholly]

he assumes I know something and expects mind reading to go on....well 20 yrs a long time but I still not at mind reading stage.

I've been with mine for 43 years (42 of 'em married to him) & I STILL cannot read his mind! :o Sometimes I think it's better not to know.

Mine is really good about watching me & letting me ask questions.

[darrellandmelissa]

LOL! Yes, it's often not our mates who are the best candidates to teach us things. I can teach others a lot easier than I can Melissa. And at the same time, I don't understand half of what she tries to explain to me. And "just because" is not a good answer. Hell, I don't even understand her questions half the time. :o

For running multiple houses on one transformer, you STILL have to match the transformer to it's "load". In other words the transformer needs to be able to power the number of lights you have connected to it in TOTAL. Whether they are in one house or not. This takes planning ahead. Luckily most transformers DO have a bit of a range.

Now, CIR-KITS way is to add an extra junction splice into the wiring system of the first house and connect that to the junction splice in the second house with a special "jumper" wire they offer for sale. There is a cheaper way. You need to take apart one of the "plugs" like all the extra ones we've been cutting off our light fixtures to save to build lamps out of and see how the wires just go thru and stick in the holes. Then the pins are pushed into the holes making contact with, and HOLDING the wire there. That's it. Pull one pin out with a pair of pliers and look closely and you'll see what I mean.

Now, using SLIGHTLY larger wires (color doesn't matter) connect those into a plug. Make the wires long enough to reach from one house to the next to the place you're going to connect it. Put ANOTHER plug on the other end of the wire. Now you have a long set of two wires with a male plug at each end. Install a "socket" in each house (preferably near the base (or even under it) that's connected to the tape run. Test the one connected to the transformer with a lamp. Once you're sure it's working unplug the lamp and plug in your new home brewed jumper cable. Plug the other end into a socket in the other house. Test any electrical fixture, lamp, or socket on the second house and it should work.

I'll talk some about soldering a bit more later on in the thread.

Darrell

[havanaholly]

I'll talk some about soldering a bit more later on in the thread.

Yes, please, I think I understand what to do, but I'd like something "1, 2, 3" with pictures :o

[darrellandmelissa]

Pictures of soldering may be a bit more difficult due to the number of things in the way at once, but I'll try. However, I am SURE I can come up with some drawings that may help a bit no matter what.

Darrell

[Lavinia]

Thank you Darrel for sharing your time and experience on this subject. I really am lookin forward to your comments on soldering. I realise this is a busy time of the year for you but really would appreciate your sharing any secrets you have. I find this process so useful in wiring but do have problems with the actual soldering.

Many thanks, Lavinia

[Minis On The Edge]

Lavinia, Welcome to our Community! We are so happy to see you here. Please feel free to look around and join a contest or two (since we have 2 going on right now).

What are you looking to "light up"?

[darrellandmelissa]

Lavinia,

So nice to meet you. I look forward to seeing your work.

For all..... Some QUICKIE tips without pictures on soldering. But they may help a little bit.

Tools you need:

Soldering Iron (smallest tip possible)

Solder

Sponge

(oh... and something to solder)

Secret number 1 - TIN first. (pronounced "ten")

Any metal gets a surface contamination caused by oxidation (rust, no matter whether it looks like it or not) that inhibits a good connection. Tinning "prepares" the things being soldered and even the iron itself to avoid this problem.

First tin the iron. Let it heat up. Have a DAMP sponge handy. Melt some solder on the tip of the iron and wipe it off quickly on the sponge. The tip should look silver. Not gray or any other color.

Second, tin any parts you plan to solder together. Do these seperately. For example, if you're going to solder a wire to a brad, TIN the brad. Then tin the wire. Do this by putting the iron on the object and touching solder to another part of the object (NOT THE SOLDERING IRON) until it flows over the object. It's now tinned.

Secret number 2 - Solder with HEAT, not with touch.

Soldering correctly is done by putting solder against the THINGS being soldered. THEN touch the object(s) in another place with the iron, like the other side. Hold the iron there and if everything has been tinned properly, the objects THEMSELVES will heat quickly and the solder will melt and flow onto the contact point. Only takes a tiny bit.

Secret number 3 - Remove solder, then quickly remove iron. Solder connection should be silver and SHINY. If it's dull you have a bad connection (this kind of connection is called a COLD SOLDER JOINT and will cause problems later). Most often caused by leaving the iron on too long and boiling off some of the components of the solder. (It may be helpful to hold one or both parts being soldered with needle nose pliers (away from the solder point) so that it will not move until the solder cools. It only has to be held a few seconds after the iron is removed. It can still move when the solder is still liquid but it solidifies FAST. You don't want it to move during the quick cooling.

If you can just get those three secrets down, you'll be better at soldering than 90% of all the folks who do it. It's not hard. You can practice by soldering together some scrap wires. Try this. Tin your iron. tin two pieces of stripped wire. Twist them together. Touch the iron to the wires and add only a TEENY bit of solder and immediatly pull it back and pull back the iron. Give it a second to cool. Now LOOK at the two wires closely. They're shiny. Try to pul them apart? If you cannot do it without breaking the wire, you've got it. You're now a PRO. GRIN!

It's easy. Go for it.

Darrell