Tips and Hints
So you want to electrify your room box. Good decision! Now you need to know a few things about electrification.
There are a few ways to electrify. 12V, LED and 9 volt are the most common.
The 12 volt system requires a 12 volt transformer, a lead in wire, a junction splice and copper wire.
The 12 or 16 volt bulbs are installed in the ceiling, copper strips are strategically placed on the back wall, a junction splice is inserted into the two runs of copper with the holes facing downward, the ends of the bulb wires are stripped of the white plastic coating (the last 1/4”) and attached to the upper ends of the two strips of the copper tape with scotch tape or similar tape with good adhesion. One wire goes to one tape and one goes to the other tape.
When the lead in wire is attached to the junction splice and the other end of the lead-in wire is attached to a transformer (and plugged into an outlet) power is transfered through the transformer, through the lead-in wire, through the junction splice, through the two copper tape runs, through the wires up to the bulb filament that heats up and causes light and heat.
If there are two bulbs the system is the same except, one of each of the bulb wires are twisted together and treated as one. The easiest way to achieve this without error is to mark one wire from each of the two bulbs with a black marker.
twist the two marked bare ends together, then twist the unmarked wires together at the ends. Treat the results as one bulb.
The 9 Volt system requires the use of only one 12 volt bulb, a 9 volt battery and a 9V battery connector.
The 12 volt bulbs are installed in the ceiling, copper strips are strategically placed on the back wall, the ends of the black and red wires are stripped of the protective coating (the last 1/4”) and attached to the two runs of copper with a good adhesive tape, then the ends of the bulb wires are stripped of the white plastic coating (the last 1/4”) and attached to the upper ends of the two strips of the copper tape with scotch tape or similar tape with good adhesion. One wire goes to one tape and one goes to the other tape.
When a 9 volt battery is attached to the connector the power stored in the battery flows through the two copper tape runs, through the wires up to the bulb filament that heats up and causes light and heat.
If there are two bulbs the system is the same except, one of each of the bulb wires are twisted together and treated as one. The easiest way to achieve this without error is to mark one wire from each of the two bulbs with a black marker.
twist the two marked bare ends together, then twist the unmarked wires together at the ends. Treat the results as one bulb.
For LED lighting it is suggested to purchase an LED kit from Evan Designs
http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/doll-house-lights.html
and give their light sets a try.
