A new project

Post by **maria** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 5:23 am

Wow--a lot of work---and very impressive!

I'm looking for led bulbs for the old fashioned candles that go in the windows.

I'd like to have changeable houses to go on top---without the heat and fire risk

Steve has inspired me...kind of!

Post by **debquilts** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:05 pm

These houses are very interesting. I have been wanting LED bulbs for my houses since I first starting making houses and never seemed to find what I was looking for. I will definitely search for those lights. What kind of cord/socket are you using for these?

Post by **PutzinVT** » Sun Jan 05, 2020 1:58 pm

I'm working on a C6 string with the E10 sockets. Justed wired up in parallel instead of in series like the vintage ones.

I'll post some info on the light string after I get the houses built.

Steve

Post by **PutzinVT** » Tue Jan 07, 2020 9:16 pm

I got 2 more houses built. I need to make the last two.

: house 9.jpg (259.06 KiB) Viewed 16421 times

: house 5.jpg (220.48 KiB) Viewed 16421 times

The last two, I don't have a pattern for yet.
I need to sit down and lay them up.

Steve

Post by **PutzinVT** » Tue Jan 07, 2020 9:31 pm

Ok, so how am I going to light these.

All the parts are from various eBay storefronts.
Very cheap.

I work with electronics both professionally and as a hobby.

I started with the following E10 socket. As most know the E10 socket is what a C6 lamp screws into.

So starting with the E10 socket below:

: e10 socket.jpg (175.26 KiB) Viewed 16419 times

I needed a way to pull the socket out of the plastic housing.
For 2 reasons.

1 to be able to spray paint the housings black.

And I needed to wire them up in parallel, not series like the vintage version of the C6 light string.

I found a pretty cool way to pull the sockets out of the houses.
I can't remember where I first saw it.

It might have even been on another of Paul's Christmas related websites.

It's made of a 3/6" x 18 pitch bolt with a wing nut and a rubber and flat washer.

You screw the bolt into the socket, then turn the wing nut till the socket pops out.

: socket tool.jpg (274.27 KiB) Viewed 16419 times

Once the sockets are removed. They were painted with some black paint.
then soldered together in a parallel string of 8 sockets.

: c6 string.jpg (305.53 KiB) Viewed 16419 times

a 12 Vdc power supply finished it up.

: dc power supply.jpg (311.76 KiB) Viewed 16419 times

Now to get the last 2 houses built and it should be ready to go.

Steve

Post by **maria** » Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:55 am

Wow---cant wait

Post by **Laurie** » Thu Jan 09, 2020 12:41 pm

Well, this is beyond my comfort zone, but I’m enjoying your progress.

Post by **PutzinVT** » Sat Jan 25, 2020 8:50 pm

So, here's the last two houses.

: house 7.jpg (258.59 KiB) Viewed 16314 times

: house 8.jpg (280.57 KiB) Viewed 16314 times

And here is all 8 hanging off of their light string.
All with my custom led bulbs that screw into the custom light string.
Also are a few more of my light-up decorations.
And lastly, I made some LEDs I can put in my Dolly repros.

I wish they showed up better when they photographed.