Wiring Log Cabins: My only suggestion for wiring is to hard wire it and then "hide" the wire under a very small (and stained to match) channel (that is sort of a U shaped piece of wood).

Renee

Log Cabin Wiring: I am in the process of building a RGT Adirondack Log Cabin and "logged" the inside walls with the same logs as the exterior.  However, before the logging was done inside, I tape wired the walls and made all electrical decisions where plugs would be located.  My dad helped me "recess" the plugs and made cutouts in the logs where they would be located with a band saw.  I also was able to place sconces on the walls by threading the tape wire "in and out" between the logs on the walls where the sconces would be located.  The electrical work was really pretty easy compared to measuring and cutting all those logs, but now that the work is done it looks really great. 

Kathy

For soldering tape wire, you do have to scrape the tape off where your solder joint is going to be so you have a metal to metal connection. Anywhere you would normally use a brad or whatever to make the connection is where you scrape and solder. Solder flows better if you heat the copper junction before applying the solder. Only problem here is the heat may lift the sticky tape up from the surface. It is a bit tricky and you probably want to practice on a scrap board first. I think CirKit or Electalite or someone years ago made a luan mahogany practice board with diagrams and how to's printed right on it. I don't know if that is still available or not.

Soldering isn't all that hard, but be sure you use the right kind of solder. I buy mine from Radio Shack but you can get it almost anywhere. You want the kind that is especially made for electronics and already has the flux incorporated into it. Don't use plumbing solder or stained glass solder. Tinning your iron means getting it hot, then wipe it off both sides on a damp sponge and touch it to some new clean solder. You can wipe it on the sponge frequently to keep it shiny silver looking as you work. That makes it flow better, I guess it removes oxidation or something from the solder. Don't try to reuse old solder.. the flux is gone and it won't flow properly. I even solder tape connections, but that requires being a little more skillful.

Bonnie

Lamps: Radio Shack has tiny bulbs, all kinds of wires, transformers, solder and connectors.  Most mini and train stores carry at least some electrical equipment.  Make sure you know what the voltage is; a 3v lamp burns very brightly for but a moment when it's hooked up to a 12v transformer.

Bead stores can provide lots of good lamp bases, and lovely glass shades if you're lucky.

International House minis has a great selection of lamps, plus some electrical, and Royal Minis has some nice glass hurricane lamp chimneys.  They're both wholesalers, but Suzi's Dollhouse can order them for you.   ( http://www.suziesdollhouse.com , I think, and she's got links on her ordering page to IH and RM).  Stuff from Suzie's catalog ships quickly, that from the other catalogs may take a few weeks.

Lee

Lamp Source: Brooke Tucker has several of her lovely lamps for sale on her website - and now has a secure order form to order with your credit card! My favorites are the Book Lamp, White Rose Lamp, and Spring Bouquet Lamp. http://www.brooketucker.com

Anne Gerdes

Hot Transformer, Dim Bulbs: It's been my experience that when this happens, the transformer does not have enough wattage for the amount of bulbs it is powering. ....at least , this is true for Cir-Kit brand transformers. Don't know about the other brands, because I've never used anything but Cir-Kit (with good results, I'd like to add). There is a little 'breaker' built into the transformer; when it is overloaded, it 'breaks' just like real-life circuit breakers and cuts off....after a time, it resets itself and restores the connection to your lights.

I'm thinking this is what's causing your lights to be dim, too....again, if the transformer can't handle the number of bulbs, the bulbs may light, but be dimmer than normal.

Here are some basic guidelines from Cir-Kit for matching up your number of bulbs to the wattage of each transformer....keep in mind that these are maximums (for bulb count); you may still have dimmer bulbs unless you upgrade to a stronger transformer:

3 Watt Transformer - 5 bulbs max
5 Watt Transformer - 10 bulbs max
10 Watt Transformer - 16 bulbs max
20 Watt Transformer - 33 bulbs max
40 Watt Transformer - 66 bulbs max

One more thought: Have you tried plugging the transformer into a different outlet in your house? It may be the outlet itself.

Laura

Flickering Lights: The most likely causes of your flickering lights are 1) copper oxide has developed at the connection of some pins and the copper tape and the connection is less than good, or 2) a pin has become loose where it goes through the copper and the connection is weak. It does not sound like a short, but more like a connection that is opening and closing. I don't know what to suggest but to move all the pins over a little. Copper oxide is not a problem if every connection in the dollhouse is a soldered one.

Barb Jones

Lamp shades: The easiest way I have found to attach shades to lamps is to cut a piece of clear plastic - greeting card box or such - and put a hole in the center just large enough to fit over the socket. Screw in the bulb, and then put your shade over the plastic. From the side, it should look /_()_\ Does that make sense? It's hard to explain without waving my arms in the air!

Dani

Electrifying Chrysnbon Stoves: There's also an orange colored bulb, non-flickering made by Cirkit or Houseworks, forgot which one.   I put one in my parlor stove.

Carol

I've wired a stove. I purchased red GOW bulbs and wired it through the chimney flue. I also added an orange cellophane panel in front of the bulbs. Looks great but for best effect you have to leave the door wide open. I plan to put a pie in so it looks like it's baking!

Andrea Hogarth

Hot Transformers: Don't plug your transformer into an extension cord. Someone informed me that the lightweight cords aren't made for that. I started plugging right into the wall and no more problems.

Gayle

Halloween Lights: At one time I grew some flowers that were called Japanese Lanterns - they were orange. After the frost killed them, they began to dry. I carefully picked them, snipped a bitty hole in the top with scissors and fit them underneath a string of grain of rice/wheat for a Halloween scene. The lanterns now have faded a bit, but I intend to refresh them with an orange food coloring wash.

Connie

To solder to tape wire:

1. GENTLY/CAREFULLY cut the top insulation with an Xacto/craft knife....not too much pressure, or the copper underneath will be cut too, and there goes your electrical conductivity. Do this to both sides of the tapewire, exposing the copper strips as follows...

2. With the tip of the knife, lift up the cut insulation, and peel it off just a little bit - don't need more than 1/4" (max) of the copper exposed.

3. Oh, yeah, forgot: heat up your soldering iron ...that should have been step one - LOL! Plug it in and let it heat up - sorry 'bout that!

4. On your lighting fixture, remove about 1/4" of insulation from the ends of both wires - if needed, pull the double strand of wire apart an inch or so.

5. next, put a bit of solder on the iron tip, place one wire onto the exposed copper and apply the solder to the exposed end of the wire. Do this again, with the other wire, onto the other exposed copper strip. NEVER solder both wires to one copper strip - this will short out your system.

6. Test your solder job by turning on the electricity to your dollhouse, roombox, etc. and see if the light comes on. If it does, you did it right! If it does not, try the procedure again and recheck.

7. When the light is connected and working, you can cover the solder spots with a small piece of electrical tape. This will help keep the connection in place and insulate it from whatever is going to be covering it (flooring, wallpaper, etc.).

ALTERNATIVE: you can use the little brass nails/brads which come with wiring kits and wrap the exposed lighting wire around it, then just insert it straight thru the tapewire insulation into the copper underneath. Again, one to one on the wire to the copper tape. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of this alternative method, but it is faster.

Laura

Wheat-grain Christmas Tree Lights:  If you can stand to wait 9 months for the after-holidays sales, check the drug stores in your area.  In Ohio, CVS Drugs carries off-brand Dickens Village-type holiday decor that includes a multi-color battery operated light string.  Sometimes they're on sale before the holidays for $2.99, but afterward they are 50% off!  They seem to be exactly like the kit mentioned, except that you have to wrap the battery box yourself, which is no biggie.  CVS  sells other related mini-useful items like garlands, street-lights, fencing, etc., which are sort of sloppy scale -- most 1:16, some   1:12... stumbled onto this stuff on a quest for tape whilst wrapping gifts last year.

Loretta

Tree Lights: I am experimenting using a string of mini Christmas tree lights to light the inside of a section of a house, which has an attached garden, so that the lights are visible outside through the stained glass windows.   Some of the lights are also in the garden. I made a foamcore base with a second level underneath (like a shallow basement) to contain the light string, making holes in the top layer where each garden light can be pushed up from below.  I plan to add jewelry findings with a hole in the middle, which will fit over the tip of each bulb, to make light "fixtures."

Cindy McDonald

Electricity: I have used tape wire for three structures and have had no problem.   I am now into 1/4" which is basically tape wire, so am used to that also, but do have problems striping the plastic off the wire, but have friends that do that for me. 

Isabel

Doll house wiring: Just this weekend I had to repair a portion of my wiring.  My lights were flickering.  It was very easy to do with the tester.  And the error was mine.  I had made the hole to big and the connection was not good.  I fixed it in no time and now the house is bright and beautiful.  I highly recommend tape wiring.  It's very easy to conceal, even under paint.

Tonya

Battery operated light strings.  Try www.christmasdepot.com.

Gene Ann

Tape wiring: The wet stuff will not hurt the tape in tape wiring. Any time moisture is a problem is only when you stick the connectors to the tape. When you do that it will all be dry, so I see no problem.

Barb Jones

Applying Mortar Over Tape Wiring:

When I get to the point of applying mortar, is the moisture going to ruin the tape runs?

Probably not. The tape is covered with a thick layer of plastic. If you are shaky about it, put another layer (in the form of packaging tape) over that and it will put your mind at ease even if it isn't strictly necessary. I usually do that when taping over a floor that will be covered with carpet or wooden flooring to help protect the tape wire.

Dottie