Awhile back we discussed using xmas led string lights for building lights. I started mine today. I bought a box of 50 led dome white lights at KMart after last xmas for $3.00. Using my Burger King as a guinea pig I first drilled a hole thru my HCD. .
I then fed some 1/4 inch tubing I bought at Loews (10 feet for .90 ) down through the hole. I cut the tubing about 4 inches long. I then pushed the led into the tube. I pushed the tube back up thru the hole and trimmed it off to the correct height to fit in the building. . .
I put the building over the tube and turned down the room lights...and...:tb-cool: * uploading a vid to youtube showing the progress with a few other buildings :tb-nerd: .
Here is a vid of the buildings I have lit so far...:tb-cool: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WVRoSeyD90"]YouTube - GEDC0001 001[/ame] .
Just as an after thought. I am using a travel trailer for my trainroom. Some day I will win the &^%^$#$%@# lottery and buy this to make into my NEW train room. :tb-cool::tb-biggrin::tb-cool: .
Awesome use of the Christmas lights! I plan on doing something similar when I get a town set up for my layout. :thumbs_up:
that looks really good. never thought about using that tubing. was that just clear tubing or was it something else?
Kind of a frosted tubing. I was gonna use black tubing....but THE WIFE says it would have absorbed the light. the clearer stuff defusses the light as the light travels up the tubing...kina cool !! The frosted looking stuff is kinda what they use for swamp cooler water line. I found it for .09 a foot at Loews...back in the sprinkler and rainbird drip system area... :tb-rolleyes: .
Thnxs Mike... And yea...that caboose is only 30 miles up the road ! I would give my first born to be able to buy it...LOL. .
You can also color the LED ( and I suppose the tube too) with a sharpie or other permanent pen to affect the color and brightness of the light. Try yellow, orange, brown.
Good work!!! Looks like the LEDs are the way to go. Won't heat up like bulbs, could be colored, and most likely will never burn out. INTERESTING! By the way.......I like to fell out of my chair when I heard the backround music in the youtube video. RINGO STARR in George Harrison's Concert for BANGLADESH. Talk about OLD TIMES! One Hellava concert!!!
Got my buildings in about the right places. Ran some more lights. Dahumphrey...I may just try the markers idea on the tubes. The lights arent as bright as they appear in photos...but... I may tame em down a little more. I also have a junction box around somewhere that has a recptacle and a dimmer...I might try that too. Here are a couple pics...one with flash...the other with flash off. Like I said...the building lights arent really as bright as they appear...thnxs. :tb-cool: .
