Has anyone ever used Chrismas tree light strands . cut up, for lighting buildings?
I use those cheap "Icicle" light sets for all kinds of lighting purposes, from panel indicators to yard throat lights in my netherworld of subterranean staging. When I start installing structures (not there yet) I expect to use the same - I scored several cases of them, at less than $0.02/lamp (sockets included) at an after-Christmas clearance.
The individual lamps I have are rated 2.5v and are about the size of an HO scale compressed gas cylinder. I use them at less-than-rated voltage, either individually with resistors or in strings of 2, 3, 4 or 7 (depending on source voltage of the supply being used.) I have also cut the wires between sockets and spliced in longer wires, to separate lamps in series for use in different places.
The real advantage, from my point of view, is the push-in receptacles. If a single lamp ever goes sour, replacement consists of pulling the defective and pushing in a serviceable replacement. In the case of a series string, one serviceable lamp can replace the easiest one to reach, then the removed lamp replaces the next - and so on until the lights come on again.
While I haven't done it myself, I suspect that the newer LED strings can also be cut up and used in the same manner, just using care about proper polarity and current limitations.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
You will need to know what voltage the bulbs are. They can be any voltage from 2 to 12. This will determine what kind of power supply you need for them. The packaging usually tells you what the voltage of the bulbs is. If not, here's how to figure it out. If the string has only two wires all the way through it, count the number of lights and divide that into 120. Example, the string has 30 bulbs. 120/30 = 4. The bulbs are 4 volt bulbs. If the string has 3 wires, it's actually two strings in one. Count the number of bulbs then take half that number. Divide that into 120. Example, the string has 80 bulbs. That's two 40 bulb strings. 120/40 = 3. The bulbs are 3 volt bulbs. The bulbs will probably be a bit bright for interior lighting so you should run them at a slightly lower voltage. The biggest problem is getting the colour off the glass. I haven't been able to find a method that works yet. Maybe someone who has can share it.
You can use segments of the string to operate more than one bulb in series (like they were on the tree) in one building. Just add the voltages of the bulbs to find out what voltage to operate the series string at. Example, you have 3 volt bulbs and you want to put 4 of them in one building in series. 3+3+3+3 = 12. You will need a 12 volt power supply.
..... Bob
Beam me up, Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here. (Captain Kirk)
I reject your reality and substitute my own. (Adam Savage)
Resistance is not futile--it is voltage divided by current.
I've gotten away from using large bulbs for building lighting, in favor of distributing a few smaller bulbs around the interior. I put detailed interiors into a lot of my structures now, and that one large bulb in the center just doesn't look right. Where I do have a single bulb in some of my older structures, I make sure that it's not visible through the windows, either by placing it carefully or by putting a view-block directly between the light and the windows.
I prefer grain-of-wheat bulbs now. I use 16-volt bulbs from Miniatronics, and run them at 12 volts to get a "warmer" glow while greatly extending bulb life.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.