Lighting
DIY Project No 3 Installing Lighting
The installation of lights will help to put the finishing touches on your dollhouse. We recommend that the wiring is completed at an early stage, before the wallpapers, floor coverings and trims are installed. All lights used should be rated at either 12volt or 16volt. The most common systems are 12 volt. The transformer used will convert power from 240volt to 12 volt.
Planning In order to do this you will need to work to a plan, just like a real house. You will need to decide what each room will be, and where you want the lights. If you need assistance, please ask our friendly staff for their advice. We suggest you do a sketch of your house, with the furniture positions marked. Now select the position of ceiling lights and mark on your room plan. Mark wall lights, table lamps, fireplaces that are to glow, and any outside lamps. Use the chart below as a summary. There are a large number of miniature lights available, so having an idea of the style of light for each room will assist when purchasing. If unsure, check out our range or ask to view our catalogues.
Dollhouse Light Summary Chart
Ceiling
LightsBulbsTotalWall Lights BulbsTotalTable/MantleLampsBulbsTotalOutsideLampsBulbsTotalBedroom 1 1 chandelier 4 2 2 1 1
Bedroom 2 1 chandelier 4
Dining 2 chandeliers 3+3 2 2 1 1
Kitchen 1 2
Bathroom 1 2
Sitting Rm 1 chandelier 3 2 2
Exterior
2 2 Hallway 1 1 1 1
Nursery (Attic) 1 1
Attic Music 1 1
Total 10 24 7 7 2 2 2 2
In our example above, we need to purchase 21 light units. There are 35 bulbs in total to be powered.
Power Required
Part (a) In our example there are 10 ceiling lights.The power required for the ceiling lights will be 50ma (milliamps) x number of mini light globes to be powered ie 50 x 24 = 1200ma or 1.2Amp Part (b) In our example there are 11 other light units (wall lights and lamps)The power required for the remaining wall lights and lamps will be 50ma x 11 bulbs = 550ma or 0.55Amp Total of (a) and (b) = 1.75Amps
NOTE: In our calculations we allow 50 milliamps per standard miniature light bulb, although most regular bulbs are 40mas. This is to ensure that we select a transformer with sufficient amperage to effectively operate all the lights. You now have the option of running all the lights on the one circuit or having the ceiling lights on one circuit and the remaining lights on another circuit. Two circuits gives you the option of turning the ceiling lights off and only using the lamps and wall lights for extra effect.
Power Packs
You will need a power pack of sufficient amperage to power your lights As a general rule the following applies-
Transformer Power (12 volt) Number of bulbs (40ma 16V GOW) 1 Amp 1 Amp 2 Amps 1 to 33 bulbs 4 Amps 1 to 64 bulbsLighting Systems
There are two main types of doll house wiring systems
Method A: Copper tape system (flat tape) Method B: Twin wire system (round wire)The copper tape system takes a little longer to install, but allows for many more options, and for lights to be added at a later date.
Method A: Copper Tape System (flat tape)
This system uses flat adhesive backed conductive tape for wiring. The thinness of the tape allows easy masking and is easily covered by wallpaper or paint. Corners are created by either cutting and using tiny brass brads for connections, or by corner folding. The system is very flexible, and easy to use.
Planning the wiring pathway - We recommend you draw a plan of your house, as indicated above. Determine where the transformer will be located. If you are unsure, discuss with the staff at House of Miniatures. Your plan should indicate all tape runs, switches, ceiling fixtures, junction bends or splices, and links from one floor to the next. Proper wiring drawings are essential in order to obtain best results. Mistakes in drawings can easily be erased and corrected. Mistakes when fixing tapes can be frustrating, and messy to fix. Tape runs will normally consist of a series of horizontal and vertical runs.
We recommend that vertical runs be made along the back walls, side walls and interior walls at 30mm above the floor level. With a black lead pencil, rule a line at 30mm around all the walls where tape is to be laid. The middle of the tape is laid on the 30mm mark. In this way, when the wall is wallpapered, plastered or painted, you will know exactly where the wiring is. Tape runs between rooms may be made through a doorway, window, or around the front of a floor or ceiling. Mark all tape runs with pencil, including vertical runs to ceilings for lights, or up walls for wall lights etc.
Installing tape - Take a roll of tape and start to remove the backing paper, exposing the adhesive side of the tape. Start one end where the Junction splice is to be connected. Place the tape, sticky side down, centered on the pencil line previously drawn.
Keep the tape straight and taut as you remove the backing paper, and smooth it onto the pencil line. We recommend that you purchase the basic Cir-Kit wiring kit if you have decided to use the tape method of wiring, as it contains detailed instructions regarding the installation and operation of the system, including making joins, installing outlets and plugs, installing bulb wires using eyelets, installing switches and installing ceiling lights and table lamps. The basic kit contains a circuit tester ands as junction splice connector as well as a roll of tape and a lead with a switch to attach to the transformer.
Method B: Twin Wire System (round wire)
We recommend using a transformer and an off the shelf power-strip with an on/off switch and a 1500ma fuse, as a base. This strip can run 12 lights, from the 12 sockets. Just plug in each light to the twin wire system. Extension wiring and plugs may be required for some lights. Some come ready wired, with about 50cm of wire attached.
Planning the wiring pathways - Generally the transformer and power strip are located at the rear of the house, but you may wish to locate them in the rear of the attic, behind a barrier wall.
Drilling holes and cutting grooves - Holes will need to be drilled in the ceilings to wire ceiling lights. Find the centre of each room by drawing a diagonal line from each corner. The crossing point will be the centre of the room. Drill holes using a drill bit slightly larger then the diameter of the wiring. Plan to run your wires across a floor then down through the drilled hole, so that the floor coverings will cover the wiring when they are installed. If your power board is at the rear of the house you will need to drill a second hole in the back wall of the house at floor level to exit the wire, to the power board and transformer. If the power board and transformer are to be in the attic, you will need to drill a hole so that the wiring can be joined to the power board. If wall lamps are to be installed, it is best to use a sharp knife to cut a V shaped groove on the wall from the floor to the lamp position, to take the wiring. If you are wallpapering, this will give a neat finish to the wall.
Installing the lights Before you install your lights, test them to make sure they work. Most lights came with about 50cms of wire with a plug attached. With a pair of small pliers, pull out the 2 pins. Then, hold the plug and gently pull on the wire to free the plug. Now feed the wire from the light position, through the holes you have drilled to the power-pack position. Now re-attach the plug by feeding the wire end through the central hole of the plug, then place one wire in each of the two holes on either side of the plug.
Now push the brass pins back – one into each hole with pliers. Ensure that there are no loose strands of wire protruding from the pins as this could lead to shorting. Push the plug into one of the 12 power board sockets. Extension wiring is available if you find you need more length. Finally, use some masking tape to hold the wires in position, on the floor and walls. We recommend not gluing as you may need to get to the wiring at a later date.