# Building and House lighting



## BionicJcs (Jan 12, 2012)

Hey, who has the best suggestion for preventing the little light bulbs from actually shining right through the walls, as well as the openings. Im wondering if painting black inside would diffuse it. Ive gotten the tiniest bulbs possible, and they don't appear too bright, but that plastic is pretty translucent I guess.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Some members paint the interior blue to offset the color. Try a variable feed and dim to your whims.


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

T-Man said:


> Some members paint the interior blue to offset the color. Try a variable feed and dim to your whims.


Bionic - Its well known that I'm not the creative, decorative guy...but what T-man said here makes sense. Any paint on the inside of the plastic will tend to block the direct lighting as I see it. Worst case is that a single coat acts as a diffuser. A darker color should work well.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

I've been spraying the inside of the walls and roof pieces BEFORE assembly with flat black. This works extremely well. Also be sure to glue the corners TIGHT from top to bottom, otherwise you'll see a sliver of light coming through. Once in awhile I "block out" the corners with Gorilla tape. It's black and sticks like crazy.
Just about all of my buildings have at least two, sometimes three, 5mm LED's installed. I wash them with clear orange acrylic for a softer glow.
Good luck,
Bob


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I painted the insides of some passenger cars that did that black, a couple of coats, job done.


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## BionicJcs (Jan 12, 2012)

Thanks youse. Yea common sense also seem s to dictate flat black inside has got to help. If I buy any more kits doing it before assembly is the way to go.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

I cant offer any more advise on keeping the structure from glowing or light bleeding through but I can offer this. If you use LEDs try to use the side glow type. These are the ones with the "dent" in the middle of the bulb's top. These LEDs dispurse light in all directions and provide a more even glow. The domed top LEDs are directional and provide a really harsh light in one direction. You can difuse this light by painting the oppisite side a light color (over the dark color that is keeping the bleed through away), this will bounce the light back and create a soft glow. Also note that not every room in every house has the lights on at the same time especally if the house has an attic.

Massey


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## MEC573 (Jan 30, 2012)

I use U Create Black Posterboard http://www.walmart.com/ip/UCreate-Poster-Board-Premium-Black/17203968 cut to fit the interiors of my structures. They are thick enough to block the light of most small incandescent bulbs. If using really intense bulbs just double them up.

Easiest to cut them before assembling building, using wall sections as template for windows and such. I attach them with adhesive spray (I use Loctite multi-purpose or Scotch 77). Just spray the poster board and attach to inside. The poster board also works good for making interior walls to create different light zones within a building. Sheets are 22x28 for about a dollar each at walmart. I also use these over my plastic roofs as a base material for creating gravel style roofs. Works the charm.


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## BionicJcs (Jan 12, 2012)

Good solution but too much work. Cutting out windows etc. Easier with new buildings, but lots of mine came prebuilt. Easiest way I found, just open bottom and paint the insides black. works good


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## MEC573 (Jan 30, 2012)

BionicJcs said:


> Good solution but too much work. Cutting out windows etc. Easier with new buildings, but lots of mine came prebuilt. Easiest way I found, just open bottom and paint the insides black. works good


You're probably right there. On pre-assembled buildings, painting probably is easier. I usually scratchbuild my structures, so it is just a matter of a few minutes to create all my light blocks working straight off of the unassmbled bare walls. Poster board is still the easiest way I've found to create light zones for an interior though. :thumbsup:


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

*Opaque plastic*

I have one lit building. It does 'glow' but that makes it look like it has outside lights. I have heard that flat black is the way to stop the glow.


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## oldSmokey (Jul 31, 2011)

What I do is this, Using photoshop I scan the building on my scanner and then I create a new layer, place curtains in all the windows, and delete the original layer of the building then I print out the curtains, line it up and glue it inside the building. I am using a strip of 4 Piranha SuperFlux Leds so then I line the inside of the building with aluminum foil and it shows a very soft light in the windows, the ones that I don't want light to come through I don't cut out the foil.


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

I detached the walls of my buildings from the sprees (before I assembled them), I coated the outside of the walls with a product called FASMASK. http://web4.hobbylinc.com/gr/par/par40283.jpg It's like a liquid masking tape. Once it was dry I then sprayed the inside of the walls with Testors spray silver. The Fasmask protected the outside of the walls from the silver overspray. Once everything was dry, I peeled off the Faskmask. I also masked the inside corners with it because silver paint and glue don't like each other. So After each was assembled, I simply touched up the inside corners with Testors brush on silver paint.

Why did I do this? Case in point: Have you ever gone into a store that's in a mall and noticed the labels on the glass door? Have you noticed that the back of the label is always silver in color as to block the light from the inside of the store from shining through it? I just basically did the walls of my buildings in the same way for the same reason.

Routerman


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## BionicJcs (Jan 12, 2012)

*How many?*

Yep, Ive been painting all my buildings inside. will be ready in a few years I guess. by the way How many Little bulbs could I have on at once with the accessory side of the ho dc transformer? I have dcc, but I am using the dc controller for the accessories.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

That depends on the DC transformer. I have not reached to max yet so I do not know. DC transformers are cheep on ebay so you can alway add more.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Why not use LED's? You can have so many you'll lose count on a single transformer.


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

Do I want to run those LEDs parallel or in series?

I will get to this later:

http://www.microstru.com/


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

If you're running off fixed voltage, I'd string them in series. For a 12VDC supply, you can run three white or warm white LED's in series with a 150 ohm resistor. That will yield a 20ma current through the LED's.


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Keep an eye out for LED XMas lights. White with 30 lights on a strip switch add some extra to light under the table too! If you want to solder just lengthen the wires.


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## Robes (Jan 5, 2011)

Can't beat the timing of this thread. I got a house that is just about ready for assembly! Still time to give it a coat of paint. 
BTW,... anybody use these?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/180809195332?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

I'm running about 100 LED's on my layout right now from a couple of small
12V power supplies. No heat, and they last forever. I simply run bus wires under the table and tap the LED leads into them.
Only way to go! 
Bob


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## MEC573 (Jan 30, 2012)

If you know the max output rating of any 2 of the following: Volts, Amps or Watts, you can determine how many watts worth of bulbs you can have. Just simply add together the wattage of all the bulbs your using and stay below that max output rating for safety. Here are the formulas:

Watts = Amps x Volts

Amps = Watts / Volts

Volts = Watts / Amps


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

It's called Ohm's Law.  Of course, that only works for pure resistive loads or for DC.


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

MEC573 said:


> If you know the max output rating of any 2 of the following: Volts, Amps or Watts, you can determine how many watts worth of bulbs you can have. Just simply add together the wattage of all the bulbs your using and stay below that max output rating for safety. Here are the formulas:
> 
> Watts = Amps x Volts
> 
> ...





gunrunnerjohn said:


> It's called Ohm's Law.  Of course, that only works for pure resistive loads or for DC.


 I'm the "Plug stuff in until something breaks" kinda guy! :laugh::laugh:

-Jim


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## BionicJcs (Jan 12, 2012)

Would prefer leds because I think they're not as bright.but I dont know much about fancy wiring and resistors, I need it simple. Just little bulbs with 2 wires.


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## [email protected] (Jan 30, 2012)

I've heard of Eli the Ice Man...wait...trains are DC, not that Tesla stuff.

...and, did anybody else see on Antiques Roadshow those vintage Lionel wall-length posters that were actually sold in the catalog at one time?


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## MEC573 (Jan 30, 2012)

manchesterjim said:


> I'm the "Plug stuff in until something breaks" kinda guy! :laugh::laugh:
> 
> -Jim


:thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I tend to try to actually make it work the first time.


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## manchesterjim (Dec 30, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I tend to try to actually make it work the first time.


No fun in THAT John!

Sometimes its exciting to let the smoke out!!:laugh::laugh:


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