Full Version: Building some floodlights
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I hope this can be used by someone. This is how I built the floodlights for the MetroBank building which look like this. Here are the real ones:

[attachment=21554]

1. Items needed:

.015 sheet
.030 x .040 strip
.040 x .060 strip
.040 clear plastic

Cut the clear plastic into scale 18" x 12" pieces, may as well cut a bunch and do them factory style. You can cut these as accurately or inaccurately as you want. I was working quickly, so there is some variation in size.

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2. Paint silver on one side of the clear plastic pieces and let dry:

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3. Glue a strip of .040 x .060 onto the sheet with the .060 dimension flat. Then put a bit of styrene glue on the edge of the strip, then place the clear pieces, paint side down, along this. Again, note that I was working quickly and didn't take the time to make everything perfect. I think that is okay, especially if you make a bunch of these at one time, then you can match them into groups of sizes for use in particular areas.

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4. Now take the .030 x .040 strip and start glueing pices around the clear plastic. The neat thing about this is you don't have to cut anything to length ahead of time. Glue long pieces on, then let dry a bit, then cut them to length.

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5. Continue glueing pieces and cutting them off to length.

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6. Cut the sheet around the edges of each light:

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7. I originally used the .015 sheet so it would be easy to cut. To make the light fixture a bit thicker, I glued them to another piece of .015 sheet, then cut them out again.

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8. After cutting them out again, sand them to make the sides even and flat.

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9. Next drill a hole in the bottom for a brass wire which will be the support. Paint each fixture, these are typically a brownish color.

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10. And then I drilled holes in the roof of the building and glued the wires in, also bent the wire to angle the fixtures down some. Notice the wire can be seen through the clear plastic, I fancy that this is the bulb in the fixture.

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Anyway, hope this is of value to someone. The technique of using a backer sheet of thin styrene for glueing parts is a good one and can be used to fabricate all kinds of stuff. The sheet helps to hold the itty bitty parts while being assembled. Keep this one in your bag of tricks. Wink
I like the idea of a back plate to assemble the parts. Will keep it in mind until it is needed. Thanks for sharing!
good work Gary !!! Thumbsup

with SMS-LED ??? [Image: smilie_085.gif]
35 35 Are those HPS or MH fixtures????? 35 35
Harry, I'm not sure what SMS is, but it is a great idea to use one of thosr rectangular shaped LEDs in place of the clear plastic. I suppose a regular LED could be filed down to a rectangular profile also. That would be pretty cool to have working floodlights. And this is just great, all I need is another time consuming project on my plate! Wink

E-Paw. these are metal halides....

All.... just wanted to say one more time that the work above is quite crude. I was speeding along, not taking the time to perfectly size the clear plastic pieces which are the basis of the fixtures. Get them nce and square and uniform, and all the fixtures will be the same. I only needed 3 for the bank building, and I actually made 10, then picked 3 that were the same size. The others will be used in various places around the layout. Anyway, I am somewhat ashamed of the poor quality control in the photos, but the point was to show the technique.
Gary S Wrote:Harry, I'm not sure what SMS is, but it is a great idea to use one of thosr rectangular shaped LEDs in place of the clear plastic. I suppose a regular LED could be filed down to a rectangular profile also. That would be pretty cool to have working floodlights. And this is just great, all I need is another time consuming project on my plate! Wink

Sorry Gary, no SMS > SMD Wallbang Wink
Gary,here is a company who makes these flood lights.Check it out <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rocousa.com/detail.asp?product_id=vi6333">http://www.rocousa.com/detail.asp?product_id=vi6333</a><!-- m --> They're kinda pricey at $10 to 15 dollars a piece.I have seen them on Ebay for about $10.99
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tiny-SMD-LED-Flood-Light-Ready-Go-Viessmann-/380184741290?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5884c6c5aa">http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tiny-SMD-LED-Fl ... 5884c6c5aa</a><!-- m -->
Or there is this option <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-leds-wired-0805-SMD-LED-Warm-white-12V-/120831807396?pt=AU_Toys_Hobbies_Model_Railways&hash=item1c22230fa4">http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-leds-wired-0 ... 1c22230fa4</a><!-- m -->
I found these online,but have no idea how to purchase them.They only require 3.3 volts and are 11/16" of an inch(5.0mm) <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rohm.com/products/opto_device/led/chipled/psl0102wbea/">http://www.rohm.com/products/opto_devic ... l0102wbea/</a><!-- m -->
That's an excellent detail for the building Gary! Things like that really enhance a model. I have a tendency to not even notice such things on the prototype but when I see them on a model I realize how much attention was paid by the modeler, and how cool it is to see such details. Thanks for showing us how you made them. Thumbsup
Ralph