I needed to build some security lights for the wharf.





These are to be fluro lookalikes, so Evergreen 226 3/16" styrene tube was cut into 1 1/4" lengths.  Using an office two hole punch, I made some dots which were glued to one end of each tube.  The other ends were reamed out and 3 mm High Intensity (5000 mcd), cool white LEDs were glued in with CA.



The poles were made from 3 mm and 4 mm brass tubing slipped inside one another and soldered.  The overlap was kept to about 1/2" to allow a cavity for the ballast resistor.  My poles were 5 3/4" in length, with a 2" bottom sleeve.  The poles were glued into the base board with 1 1/2" showing, but you can make them to look "right" for your layout.



The bottom end was slotted using a diamond wheel on my Dremel.



The slot was tinned with solder and then the (+) red wire was soldered in.  The inside of the tube was cleaned up with a drill and the outside was filed so the pole will fit neatly in the baseboard hole.



A 1 kΩ resistor was soldered in line on the black (-) wire, about 7" from one end.



And covered with shrink tubing.



The black wire was inserted into the bottom tube and pulled up so that the resistor went inside.  A short piece of shrink tubing locked the two wires together, protecting the soldered joint on the red wire.



Where the black wire stuck out of the top, it was CA glued in place to stop it moving when the soldering iron touched it.  It was cut, stripped and soldered.



The long (+) leg of the LED's were soldered to the top of the poles and the short (-) leg was soldered to the black wire.  The excess was cut off the black wire to make it look like a finial (hopefully).  



Each assembly was tested on the bench DC power supply.



Then etch primed and painted.  I chose Heritage Green.   :cool:



The poles were glued in place with PVA.  If I really need to, I can wrench them out.



How do they look at night?



 

VBG
:pathead

Ta

[user=606]Sol[/user] wrote:

VBG
:pathead

Woteesaid  :thumbs


Ed

Ta as well.   :thumbs

Excellent lighting Max.They would also make great urban lights in a different scenario.

Thanks, Alan.

I hope somebody makes some.   :thumbs

Excellent mast lights Max

Thanks, Brendan.

Max. Is there just no stopping you.


This ain't model making, this is rocket science !



Allan

Thank you, Allan.

You are too kind.

My invoice is in the post.

Neat trick Max, using the post as one side of the circuit  :thumbs

Since one of my platform lights has gone 'pop' (and I've lost faith in the reliability of the rest), I thought I might attempt scratch building some.


Spent ages trying to find any wires I had small enough to go inside a 2mm diameter tube, then I remembered this thread   :doublethumb




Ed

Glad to have been of help, Ed.   ;-)

Nice one Max.

Thanks, Ron.