UPDATE - "How To" series: Homemade (HO) Light poles (Rev. 1.1)

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I was able to finally put together a step-by-step instruction sheet for fabricating the scratch-built light poles that I posted on this past Weekend Photo Fun thread. The top pic is a visual reference sheet; the second, the written step-by-step process:

Click diagram to enlarge

Click tutorial to enlarge

Link for updated information: http://home.earthlink.net/~tgstage/id3.html

Cost:
Materials for the above dual light post: ~$3.25; a single light post: ~$1.80.

Materials:

  • 4-1/2" long piece of brass tubing

  • (2) Miniatronics 1.5V incandescent bulb (with 8" leads)

  • (2) Miniatronics brass HO lampshades

  • 3/64", 1/16", and 1/8" OD heat shrink

  • 22 ga. stranded wire

Hoping this is helpful for someone.

Tom

2

Well, now we’re going to have home-made light poles popping up all over the place.

Good post Tom.

3

Have you made any [?] Got pictures of one installed on the layout, sounds feasable to try it for some areas where I need light.

4

Tom,

Thanks for the instruction sheet. I just copied the images and then pasted them into a Word document then adjusted the orientation to fit the page.

Was the diagram made from Visio?

5

Gerald,

How’s this:

Tom

6

Ryan,

Probably water under the bridge but I redisplayed the pictures in the post and provided a link for easier viewing. I actually drew the diagram in Word. Took a while but it works. Trust it will come in handy for you.

Tom

P.S. Ryan, if you want the actual Word file, just e-mail me and I’ll be glad to send it to you. That goes for anyone else. [:)]

7

Great tstage, looks good, I’ll have to try that, it looks good for the old back streets areas where money is an object and they just throw a light up. perfect. tks.
What’s great for me is I have a bag of 50 bulbs laying around, unemployed, brass tubing everywhere equally unused right now. just need those shades, dang and I just order a bunch of detail parts from Walthers.

8

You do such neat work Tom. Your lights look great. I have four poles done now using LEDs and have decided I might just make another diorama just to see how much light they actually put out. I used your idea and did a dual light pole. I’m thinking with 3mm LED light poles all over my little people are going to need sunglasses on the grave yard shift.[:D]
Terry[8D]

9

Kalmbach had a book out Realistic Lighting and Animation. And in this book they have a single version of this light with details how to build them.
But I do like the dual lights better means less bass poles. i did build a few of the ones in the Kalmbach book with standard grain of whear/ or rice cant remember and they light up a lot. One question tho, are these HO scale?

10

Martin,

Thanks for the reminder. Even though it’s eluded to within the document when referring to the size of brass lampshades to use, I neglected to clearly mention that in the subject line and have now remedied that. Yes, they are HO scale. Thanks again, Martin. [:)]

Tom

11

Very Nice Tom! A good document to add to my “projects to try” file.

Thanks for going to the trouble of putting it together.

12

Tom,

Looks great! Wow! Graphic design in Word, I’m even more impressed that you did all that in Word! I have copied it all already, thanks!

13

Tom,

Those night time photos a few posts up are really cool.

Thanks for your effort in posting the instructions. I have taken a copy.

14

Tom,
your welcome I try to remember these things. I personally like yours better than what is shown in the Kalmbach book. wish I didnt have the 10 single light posts. But who says I cant add the two lights and mix it up a little right? again great job on those lights.

15

Well, you hooked me Tom , placed an order for those lampshades, ten or twenty poles here I come. Tks , for the idea.

16

OUTSTANDING, Tom!

I’ll be able to use these all over the place, in one and two-light versions.

This one’s bookmarked!

17

Thanks for taking the time to write that up. Think of the knowledge base we’d have if everyone photographed their projects and posted explanations.

18

I’s too bad the forum doesn’t have a sticky place to put worthy project info like that.

19

There is a thread buried somewhere of a collection of useful threads. I can find it but I don’t know how to attach this thread to it or what to copy?
Terry[8D]

20

Right click on the address bar at the top and then left click copy. Then just paste into the useful threads reply.

Nice poles Tom, I need 20 thanks the cheques in the mail!!

Ken.