Hey Chas, check your local craft store. Look for the section that carries jewelry making items. You can find some awesome lampshade and lamptop materials there. If you don't have anyplace like that available, pm me your addy and I'll send you some.
Keep up the fantastic work!!!
Best regards, Ed

G'day,

More hours were spent today trying to make this lamp post. I had glued the lamp to the pole but found that it no longer worked when I connected the 'switch wire'. I think the glue (being non-conductive) has interfered with the contact/connection. What can I use to attach the lamp part to the pole that is conductive? (I don' have a solderer)

Bob, I'm really starting to worry myself, so I'm looking forward to a nice break from the modelling bench... until next weekend anyway.

Thanks for your comments Ron, JBA and Calvin.

Ed, thanks for the offer mate. I really had to scrounge around to find interesting pens. The ones I used aren't that special.

Until Friday, farewell,

Chas

Nice work scratching the lamp, Chas.

Martyn

Chas: There is a conductive type of body filler that is used in powder coating applications. Powder coating uses the principles of electrical charges and attraction to work. In order for the powder to be attracted to the surface it is applied to, that surface must be conductive. It is usually a grayish looking stuff when mixed. I would assume it is conductive enough for simple circuitry. Look for a place that does powder coating as ask them where they get their filler. An automotive supply store that has a good paint/body section should be able to order it. If you want to see more about powder coating and supplies check out www.eastwoodco.com .

I also recall seeing a brush-on type stuff for repair of damaged electrical etchings on circuit boards. It came in a bottle similar to that which nail enamels come in. An electronic components supplier may be able to help you there. There may be an equivalent of it used in either slot car racing or model railroading.

Speaking of model RRs, they have tons of neat stuff in regards to buildings and street scenery. It's best to physically see it because even though the G scale is supposed to have the model equivalent of 1/24 - 1/25, I have seen it too large for accurate use in that scale and also too small, more appropriate for 1/32 - 1/35. Perhaps something there could be adapted as much in the way of street lamps comes pre-wired. Some are period correct and very ornate. There are also pre made kits with all the electrical items for wiring a pre-existing or scratch built lamps.

One interesting little model RRing circuit board I have seen has LEDs that you place in a building out of sight, but in the open. When it operates it flashes giving the appearance of arc welding taking place inside the structure. There is also one that simulates an open fire.

Chas You should see someone .

Just kidding mate .

intereasting idea i really like the lamp (but im affraid i cant help you after you've fried your brain)

Nice work Chas, and this one works too, just great ! G.

G'day,

Unfortunately, I have had to abandon my lamp project after a battery blew up on me. It's a bit dangerous and friends have told me about the dangers of globes as opposed to LEDs (i.e their potential to catch fire and/or melt plastic ).

BUT, all is not lost! I have had a very kind offer from Ed Spaide, who has made me an LED package! Once I receive it, I will have another go at making the post. Thanks Ed, you're awesome.

Jim Hand, thanks for your advice, that may come in handy for things around the house in future.

Progress:

Here are the parts for one tyre. Pretty simple construction, no major conversions as they are basically the same as the Wolseley's.



The red dots show the corrections I need to make to the cooling holes. I will fill the incorrect holes with putty and drill new ones in the right places. I might also need to makes the holes bigger. Pretty botched work by me, I know.

I will need to get rid of the Dunlop text, as from my references, the Wolseley tyres did not have it. I will also need to make some raised for the hub caps.

Chas

Looking good Chas. Looking forward to how you handle the conversion of the major body parts on the Wolseley

Cheers,
Charles

Thanks Charles,

The guys at the Wolseley forum have been a great help, some of them are currently tracking down plans/dimensions for me. So, I can't do too much to the bodywork until I get this information. The only thing I can do is boring stuff like wheels and headlamps... bear with me everyone!

Your insane friend,

Chas

G'day,

Just a quick update to show my work on the lamp post. As I said earlier, my mate Ed Spaide was kind enough to send me a wired LED, thanks again Ed!

The lamp post was built as before, out of pens and other household bits and pieces.

And it works!

Here is a completed wheel, by the way.

Chas

Nice work Chas, looks like it was a bright idea after all.

I wish I had half the talent at my age that you have at your age

Glad to see it all worked for you Chas.
Take care, Ed

Martyn, I guess so...thanks to Ed!

Thanks Matthew.

Chas

I just saw this thread this morning, so I have spend some hours reading it.....
This is marvelous what you are doing here...
Loved to read it, and even learnd some stuff

A lot of respect Chas, keep up the good works

Grtzzz,
Beyond

Hey Chas !
GREAT JOB on the diorama so far, mate !!!!! It's always a thrill for me to see how far you've gotten with the project, me being Singaporean and all . Not many dios with my country as a backdrop ! Looking forward to the next step in the saga. Cheers !
Kenneth .
BTW, LOVE the street lamp; it's just AWESOME !!!

G'day Beyond,

Thanks for taking the time to read it, tis good to know it's not too boring for you!

Cheers Kenneth, your country has a fascinating history and I hope to visit someday to find out more about my origins (and to visit Calvin Tan! ). My grandad returned to Malaya after the war to follow in the footsteps of his own father, and set up a rubber plantation near KL. The Malayan Emergency forced him and his wife back to Australia as it was simply too dangerous for whites to be there. My grandmother tells me how she used to sleep at night with a pistol under her pillow, just in case someone tried to break into the barbed wire- enclosed plantation bungalow.

Chas

Hi Chas, I forgot to ask, did you have any problems making the power tray fit for the light?
I'm glad it worked okay, I worried about the packaging.
Regards, Ed

G'day Ed.

The power tray fit perfectly under the picture frame, which is recessed allowing 5cm of space. Your design is absolutely genius, I had no problems attaching and building the lampost around it.

Thanks again,

Chas

G'day mate!

What you are doing here is great! I really like this diorama.
I've added some lights to few of my models (mostly Star Wars ships) and it has one weak spot - when the LED or lightbulb dies it is a disaster to replace it...

Looking forward to see more!

Andrzej

Thanks Andrzej. All I can say is... let's hope the LED doesn't die any time soon!

Exhaust
Here is a little bit of progress I can show. I have added all the suspension, diff, axle etc. without hassle. I needed to modify the exhaust and muffler to suite the Wolseley. I'm not completely sure if the muffler is in the correct place, but it is getting the exhaust pipe on the right side which is most important.



Chas

If I were building this diorama at least 10% of all installed LEDs would die one day after moment they're installed in way that would not allow their replacement... LEDs I've installed in my Republic Star Destroyer did...

Good luck with your electrical engineering!

Cheers Andrzej. My lamp post is fairly easy to dis-assemble, I didn't use any glue in its assembly (except the top piece).

Here is this weeks' progress:

Basic interior:
I used Magic Sculp putty to create the right look for Wolseley's leather seats.



Building up the floor to match Wolseley dimensions. Carpet detail will be added later.

Here is the basic interior so far. Still some detailing to be done to the gear stick, e.g the little bag (my terminology is terrible!)


Chas

Hi Chas

Looks great though the rear seat top looks like there is a chunck missing on the top edge maybe just needing rounded off.

Is that foil you have used as a barrier to stop the putty bonding and melting the original plastic?

Nige

G'day Nige,

Don't worry, there is no chunk! There isn't really meant to be any putty on the top edge of the back seat, it's just thin overlap (I'm a bit messy). Once it is primed, you won't notice the overlap.


Are you talking about the first picture? No, it isn't foil, it's just the original texture of the plastic (pretty ugly eh?).

Thanks for the comment!

Chas