January 2011, Issue 12
Small Scale Miniatures
Page 5
Small Scale
LED's are rated for 100,000 hours of life, so they will last way longer than the average user will need. Although these lights can be used with an AC adapter, the nice thing about them is that they work very well with a battery power source. This allows you to display your miniatures without having to place them near an outlet, or to
PREVIOUS PAGE, Electrified quarter scale dollhouse by CDHM Artisan Lauretta Carroll
ABOVE, Another electrified quarter scale dollhouse by CDHM Artisan Lauretta Carroll
RIGHT, Samples of LEDs wired to a battery pack
have bulky and unattractive wires coming from it.
Lauretta says the most popular and easiest to work with are 9 volt batteries, and 3 volt "coin cell" batteries, which are about the size of a US quarter. Not to mention having very thin wires makes it easy to hide the wiring in the house or roombox you may be building. The most common hiding place would be between walls and floors, although they can be placed on floor and wall edges as well, then concealed with small cap mouldings. Power sources can then be placed in bases of houses or even in roofs where possible. All you need is enough space to place the battery in and - let there be light!
They come in bright white, soft white, red, blue and even flickering red for fireplaces. Final wiring connections can be made using solder, which requires a soldering iron
Custom Dolls, Houses & Miniatures / CDHM