Hello all, I want to add some lights to various model kits. Some examples are headlights for car models - lights for diorama scene - sci-fi. I looked on this forum for turtorials etc.. but have not found too much for beginner. What are some good sites or topics you know of. Also what are some of the names of lights i can use.

I bought a display case for a car model and it came with some cool small lights that got me really excited but i need help to learn about them. Thanks.

Oh man - I know there are a couple of guys who do lighting as you want here. I just can't remember who....
I would search for Rail Road forums. They do this quite a bit and the techniques and supplies will be the same.

Cahill... Murf. does it.....
Just finished a landrover with head lights.....
Of course being senile, I can't find the thread.

Ok I’ll tell you what I know.

1'st of all do the sockets have wires attached to them? If not you will have to solder some on the sockets. There should be something telling you where to stick them on at.
If there are wires they will probably need to be soldered to each other or switches.

When soldering wires 1'st cover the end of the wire with solder before connecting it to something. This will help make a better bond.

Now when you put in the lights you need to decide if they will all come on at the same time or not.
Any that come on at the same time can be put on a string.
Simply one wire will go from the 1'st light to the 2'nd and then a 2'nd wire will go from the 2'nd to the 3'rd and so on. (The 1'st and last wire will also have a wire coming from them that will attach to a power supply.) This is a good basic set up that will allow all the lights to burn at the same time but you will run into problems if there are to many lights on the same line.

Now if you want deferent lights to be able to come on at deferent times you will need a string for each of them.

If you want a switch ro turn them on and off you can find some nice small ones at any place selling model train supplies. They should also come with a wiring diagram to explain how to hook it up.
On the set up above you can simply add it on the line before the 1'st light.

As for the power supply it depends on the power needed but could be anything from a battery pack to plugging it in to the wall. A model train supplier should be able to help you find what you need.
Usually you will have a spot to hook up 2 wires. The hot and the cold.
The hot wire will be the one sending power into the system so it will be going to the switch or the 1'st light. ( with just a string of lights it really doesn’t matter witch one is 1'st) the cold wire is the one coming from the end of the system.

That should be a basic system for lights.

Now to install them. It they are going into a building just run them under the table (or what ever the dio is built on) and in from the bottom. Drill a hole in the floor and stick it up in.

For head lights I have never done it but the idea is to put a hole behind the clear parts for the lights to fit in. To do so you will probably have to do it as the models being built.


Also remember lights burn out. One installing them try to make it easy to be able to replace them, when the time comes.

Any way I hope this helps you if you have any mor questions about it just ask.