Allright guys… here it is… I’ve been tring to figure out a way to make my little 1/25 scale AMT 57 Chevy BelAir. The answer came today in the form of Bare Metal Foil. If you’ve ever ventured into lighting a car model… you know that wiring is bulky and odd. Trying to keep the clean and scale look I figured out that if I use Bare Metal Foil as a conductor for the batteries to the lights, I can hide it insidIe the body of the car and put the batteries in the trunk… Here is the problem… I need ideas for how to put in a switch… help me out here guys please! My plans are to drill holes in the headlight bezel and put in two small white lights. The powerplant will be stowed away in the trunk… sadly traping it away for all time… But I don’t want to have the “switch” showing as an ugly full sized switch… I need Ideas please tell me what you think anything and everything helps!!! Thanks an ton guys and girls…photos should be on the way!!![%-)]
Well, if you have bucket seats or seats where the back can be folded forward, you can use the seat back as a switch:
Run a conductor from the battery and up one side of the passenger seat bottom, leaving enough conductor exposed on the back edge to make an electrical contact. Do the same thing from the light to the other side of the passenger seat. Put a conductor across the bottom of the movable portion so that it touches the contacts. Seat folded forward for lights off, folded upright for lights on.
You could also rig a rotary switch to be turned by the steering wheel.
Phil Schenfeld - with a minor idea or two
HEY,
With regards to the rotary switch, you could hook up the batteries to bare metal foil and have it hooked up to the steering column behind the dash. You may have to exyend it with styrene rod. Hook a peice of foil somewhere near the steering column so when you turn the steering wheel, the two peices touch. This may not work so experiment with it. Sorry if this sounds confusing.
Randy
If you are going to put the batteries in the boot, you will have to be able to get to them to change them, why not hinge the boot lid and have the switch in there with the batteries?
The hinge wouldn’t have to be scale as it won’t be displayed with it opened so you can make it strong enough to endure repeated openings and closings!
Well that’s my two bob worth![2c]
If that doesn’t work, maybe on of the tires could be the switch. But in any case, thanks for the idea. Sounds like you just invented the poor man circuit board. I’ve got a couple of models to do myself.
Don
I’m just tickled that you guys responded… I’ve never thought about the steering column idea, my original plan was simply touse a headphone jack, but it would look bulky…and as for replacing the battries… I don’t think I’ll have the lights on for long enough to need to worry about it! Thanks for the great ideas…oh and p.s. Canibalizing McDonalds toys supplies any interested modeler with an ample supply of cheap well working and often times multicolored lights! Thanls again! If anyone else has any ideas please chime in and help![:D][:-^]
I’ll try to post some pics of my results in the future!
HEY,
Thanks for noticing my inout. Usually it isnt good enough or someone else comes up with something better. Im so proud of myself! lol
Randy