two car garage

[JamesW]

Double sided tape for the siding, from there I can use CA glue or the trim.

[GTMust]

Great idea... why didn't I think of that?????? Thanks James.. that will really help me.

[JamesW]

No problem, that's what the hobby is all about, helping each other out.

[crazyjim]

How about that stuff that's used for signs. It's like corregated plastic. Cuts easy with a sharp knife but I have no idea if any glue would stick to it.

[vizio93]

Thanks for all the encouraging feedback!

Vizio93: I hope you decide to do a garage dio. I would love to see more ("in progress") dios on this site.

I have no idea right now, how to do the lights. I would like to have a couple of florescent tube lights ander the storage area and even some task lighting at some location where the workbench will go. And then maybe a few more lights hanging from the roof? Maybe a couple outside above the garage doors?

Maybe I find use a remote location for the battery and the incoming "hydro line" can be run from there to a hydro meter on the front of the building somewhere, plus a fuse box inside, and then the interior wiring could be done like in real life? Trouble is, right now, I have no idea how to do all that, so a lot of research (and suggestions) will be needed......... I should also check out the doll house websites, I think?

That would be pretty cool if you could have a working miniature fuse box like your talking about ! I bet it would be expensive to get it from a doll house site. Maybe you could just get an on/off switch from a cheap RC car or radio and some how configure it to look like what you want. Put it behind a small door and you would have a functioning fuse box. Just a couple of ideas to think about

[vizio93]

Ohh WAIT !!! I got another idea, how about make a water heater out of a "C" or "D" battery and there is your battery for you lights? A good place for the water heater could be under the stairs ? You could probably make a cover that looks like a water heater for the battery to sit in so when the battery goes dead just take the cover off and replace the battery. Ideas just keep popping into my head

[baddgass]

REALLY A NICE JOB!

[GTMust]

Appreciate it Derrick.

Billy: The water heater idea might be great answer. Or even a cupboard under the stairs?

Another thought I had was to build a lift top, wooden trash container box to house a AA battery at the end of the driveway, with a hollow styrene "hydro pole" beside it. Run the wires up to to the top of the pole and then across to the "meter" on the garage wall. I'm no electical wiz, and I don't know what power is needed to light those little lights (12v?). Maybe a AA battery isn't enough? The meter and fuse box ideas would just be dummies and the wires would run right through them.

Maybe I need something like a 12v model railway transformer instead of a battery? With it's speed controller, I could probably dim the lights! I have a whole bunch of Model Railway electrical "stuff" stashed away in boxes, but finding a location for the transformer would be a problem.

Virgil...... if you are reading this...... have you had any thoughts for your Lab-rat-ory yet?

[crazyjim]

Hey Tony, somebody on here is posting his build of a Speed Racer and is using LED Christmas tree lights with a 9 volt battery. I'd provide the exact post to you but I'm don't do the search feature here very well.

Okay. Here it is. Mach 5 with working lights and posted by wisdonm.

Edited December 30, 2010 by crazyjim

[GTMust]

Thanks Jim.

I did see the Mach 5 thread and saw that 3 was the maximum number of small LED's that were run from a 9v battery. I really don't understand all this electrical stuff very well (volts, ohms, amps, resistors, etc.), but I'm trying to learn. Apart from connecting some wires on my model railway in the past, I never needed the knowledge before!

In this case I have to connect about 9 or 10 lights to a power source, without using three or more 9v batteries. I thought of regular Christmas lights but was warned that the heat generated, if left on, could start a fire in the wood/paper constuction of my "garage". Plus the regular bulbs are rather long and difficult to hide in 1/24 scale lamps.

Maybe my lack of knowledge is just making this more difficult than it really is, but if a simple solution can be found, it might also help others building dios as well.

[JamesW]

Take a look through here for lighting ideas.

http://www.layitlow.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=485852&st=40

[Eshaver]

Jody-- Tony, uh currently there aren't any really "Decent " looking Flouresent light on the market in 1-24th or 1-25th scale. I know of a 3/4 inch long Floresesent "Appearing" lamp thats avalible through some doll house acessory suppliers I deal with . They're about the size of an old A G C fuse . I have been making mine by using Plastruct "H " bar and cuttining it into a U . I then put a frosted sheet of acetate over it to diffuse the light and I will have about 4 Grain of Wheat bulbs in one of my home made fixtures .I wish I could offer more . Since I can't , it's coffee time again. I have caffine poor blood . Ed Shaver

[vizio93]

Appreciate it Derrick.

Billy: The water heater idea might be great answer. Or even a cupboard under the stairs?

Another thought I had was to build a lift top, wooden trash container box to house a AA battery at the end of the driveway, with a hollow styrene "hydro pole" beside it. Run the wires up to to the top of the pole and then across to the "meter" on the garage wall. I'm no electical wiz, and I don't know what power is needed to light those little lights (12v?). Maybe a AA battery isn't enough? The meter and fuse box ideas would just be dummies and the wires would run right through them.

Maybe I need something like a 12v model railway transformer instead of a battery? With it's speed controller, I could probably dim the lights! I have a whole bunch of Model Railway electrical "stuff" stashed away in boxes, but finding a location for the transformer would be a problem.

Virgil...... if you are reading this...... have you had any thoughts for your Lab-rat-ory yet?

That sounds pretty cool too !!! I can't wait to see how you figure this out

[Smart-Resins]

One thought might be to use a piece of fiber optic light? Just a wierd thought? Anyone have any thoughts one this idea?

[Eshaver]

Jody, bear in mind that Fiber Optics will bend light and only illuminate at the very end. With that said , you can have a piece of fiber optic material laying horizontially and still, only the very end will show light ......... Ed Shaver

[GTMust]

I've heard of fibre optics, but never actually seen any. Our LHS doesn't have them and there aren't any doll house stores around here. It will have to be the Internet or nothing....... Thanks guys, I'll check it out.

I found those "flourescent" doll house lights you mentioned, Ed. Boy, those shipping costs to Canada can kill ya! 2 bucks and change for each light and $15 to ship it to me! ($5.99 shipping in the US.)

[Smart-Resins]

You are right about that Ed. I didnt think about that! LOL. Oh well.

[dannyi]

..this might be something to experiment with.....I took a section of clear plastic sprue, poked it through some cardboard to channel the light. Used a Mini Mag light from the back side. The fixture is just a piece of white card stock to see if it would reflect at all. You might have to play around some more with it but who know what you might come up with.

[GTMust]

Now that is really coooool! I think you found the answer, Danny. BTW, what's a Mini Mag light?

Tony

[dannyi]

...a Mini Maglight(brand name) is a small flash light. It takes 2 AA batteries and is pretty bright.

..the trick here would be the channeling of light into the sprue, and to have the right effect, the light would have to be pretty bright. The light source would have to be hidden and/or sealed with the sprue coming almost in contact with the bulb. You'll definitely have to play around with this but it does show some great possibilities!

[GTMust]

Things have been kinda quiet around the garage. The CBP Mustang is on hold for a while until it can get to the paint shop. So "Backyard Billy" decided to clean up a little. (Not that there's a lot to clean up yet!)

Edited January 17, 2011 by GTMust

[Eshaver]

Now all you have to do is figgure out a way to get around the severe battery drain that those Mini Mags are all known for . Ed Shaver

[crazyjim]

I almost forgot about this dio. Let's get going on lights and post some progress. Please?

[GTMust]

Ed: I've been experimenting with lighting ideas, but haven't finalized anything yet. Battery drain is a problem as you say, so I'm trying to get something working with a 110v/12v transformer. Model railway type seems to work in principle, but it's big and I have to find a place to hide it.

Jim: I've been working on my CBP Fox Mustang, so the dio took a back seat for a while. But I've stalled on the 'Tang until I can paint it in the Spring so the dio will be back on the bench soon.

[ra7c7er]

Have you thought about using fiber optic lighting? it's small and you can store the light source can be small considering you can conceal a led bulb just about anywhere. And a 9 volt battery will power a led for a while before draining.

You could also try the LED lighting that people use for RC airplanes.

Edited January 18, 2011 by ra7c7er