Heck Mel!
Now I'm really hoping that we have a grand daughter just so I can build a doll house for her! I'm going to have to cross my fingers and toes however. There hasn't been a girl in several generations of my father's family.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Ray S.I am building a layout of a baseball park and a surrounding neighborhood of buildings in O Scale
That sounds like an interesting project, Ray. It will also be pretty big! Are you planning maybe like a "island" type model, that you can walk around all sides?
Any railroading to this ? Like maybe a traction type trolley system bringing folks to the ball game? Depending on the era you are modeling.
I think with "O" scale buildings, there should be plenty of options as where to run wiring. I like RR_Mels with the romvable roof to access wiring, and Dave's looks great, too. A couple of more excellent lighting ideas can be found from Ed, (gmpullman), Frank, (Zstrip), and Mike (Mlehman).
Many excellent modelers on here that have great lighting ideas.
Anxious to see progress on yours!
Mike.
My You Tube
Lots of great ideas so far. In O, consider some of the products available for dollhouse builders, thinking in particular of the flat copper tape they use for electrical connections.
Also, you didn't indicate whether bulbs or LEDs. I suggest going ahead and doing LEDs. They require far less power than bulbs, which eans the wiring can all be smaller and easier to hide. Consider magnet wire, which is only covered in enamel or shellac, but is very easy to hide (typically around 36 gauge.) Another advantage is that LEDs don't generate heat, which tends to damage buildings over the long run when using bulbs.
Also, routing through the attic is a good way to hide a lot of wiring once you get the power up there as Ed suggests in using a chimney of other means to hide it.
In HO, I build "light bars" with LEDs.
Mine aren't removeable, but they could easily be in O
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
One way to hide wires is to laminate two surfaces together with the wire inbetween.
Most buildings have what I will call "voids" in their interior layout. Closets are a big one. There are also pathways for exhaust venting. Those can provide vertical wire pathways in a model building from the base to the attic.
Ed
It's pretty straightforward to do it just as you've described it. I model in HO, and this is a kit, but the interiors are scratch-built.
This is a "Merchants' Row" kit with multiple small storefronts. I also used foamboard for interior floors and walls, and created interior scenes on the computer.
This is the building with the 3 front walls (plastic shell) and the second floor added.
As you considered, I did use a false back wall as a place to route wires. I used 16-volt grain-of-wheat bulbs run at 12 volts to give them a longer life and also reduce the brightness to get a warmer glow. I simply punched a hole near the top of a wall or in the ceiling to place a bulb, and then glued it in place. Putting the bulbs at the top of the rooms keeps them from being seen directly through the windows. By running bulbs well below their rated voltage, they last a very long time and maintenance becomes something I don't have to worry about. Still, I'll use tacky glue instead of plastic glue so that I can take things apart if necessary.
If I have to run wires where they might be visible, I use "conduit" made of plastic tubular coffee stirrers. In O scale, you will need to be more aware of this sort of thing because the windows are larger.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I am building a layout of a baseball park and a surrounding neighborhood of buildings in O Scale. I am new to this...and I need some ideas and techniques on how to hide the wiring within the buildings as well as accessing the wiring if something needed to be changed...the buildings will be made from foamboard and paper...the interiors walls of the buildings will show scenes from that particular business made in Photoshop...there will also be miniature characters and settings of tables, chairs, etc...one idea I came up with is putting in false walls at the back end for some of the wiring...I also will have electrical signs on the tops and fronts of buildings...all of this will be sitting on a sheet of 1/2" plywood...could someone give me some techniques they have used or guide me to some websites that would help...Thanks