Vintage House light bulb hole question

[PutzinVT]

Hello:

I am looking into making my own low voltage LED lighting system for my houses.

I figure some of the collectors out there would know this answer.

Across the years they were made, how many size light bulb hole sizes were there.

Could I make one size to set into a house or would it have to fit several sizes.

Thanks for any info.

Steve

[Howard]

Steve...

I've wondered the same thing...how many different light holes were there?...I hope some of the "major collectors" will chime in...

Please share your LED lighting project with us...

My very best regards...Howard...

[paulrace]

As I understand it:

When the houses started getting holes in the back, most were sold in sets of 8 because that's the way the C-6 series cone-shaped bulbs were usually sold by the late 1920s. The base socket size was 3/8" so the hole would have been a little larger to accommodate the outside of the socket. (5/8" or so?)

When C-7 parallel bulbs took over in the 1960s their base socket size was 15/32". So it's possible that the last generation of putz houses had a larger hole (9/16" or so?). Much later, Dept. 56 settled on individual C-7 bulbs to light their houses. All currently made ceramic, resin and cardboard houses have holes large enough to accommodate C-7s.

So it seems to me that those are the only two sizes to worry about. C-6 if you're trying to make an "authentic" copy of an early house and you'll be lighting it with C-6s or leds or mini lights anyway. C-7 if you're making it for other people who might want to stick one of the Dept. 56 lights in the back.

Sorry, I don't have precise measurements of the holes because all my houses are in the attic at present.

[PutzinVT]

Interesting.

My plan is to have a plastic plug that will insert into the light bulb hole.

So I need pretty accurate measurements.

Maybe when people start pulling out their collections, I'll be able to get some
to measure them for me.

Thanks for the info.

Steve

[paulrace]

Steve, it occurred to me after I sent my previous e-mail that C-7 bulbs are significantly wider than their sockets. (C-7 bulbs weren't THAT much wider). Phillips lists their nightlight bulbs (the same kind most people use in Dept 56 houses) as .875 in diameter. Since that's what people are using today, I think you're looking at a .9" hole. The older houses would have had smaller holes, but very few people are using serial strands to light them these days.

Hope this helps.

Paul

[Lynn]

Hi Steve,

I use led lights 20 on a string, they stay cool but I'm sure they do not offer the same amount of light as the C6 or C7 bulbs do. I put multiple bulbs in each house to provide more light and I really like the white cords I can tuck them under the batting and bring them up small holes I make just behind the back of the house. I also like the fact you can take off any light bulb so there in no light shinning through the batting when I sting them over to the next house. I do have to replace the batteries every 10 days or so but it works well because I don't have an electrical plug near by. I purchased my lights from eLight bulbs http://www.elightbulbs.com/?source=Micr ... LightBulbs item number HS17599.

As far as the holes I have used all different sizes. For most of my own design I cut a 3/4 of an inch hole, this is must so I can fit multiple light bulbs and the wires in the house. For the reproductions houses I use the same dimensions as the original house some have been over an inch.

I hope this help, I am looking forward to hearing more about lighting our houses!

[PutzinVT]

Thanks for all the info so far.

I have been using some high output LEDs at work.

Great thing is they product little heat.

My vision is to have a distribution box with multi points to plug in each house.

I'm location some small plastic round hole plugs to mount the led to.

You could then push it into the hole.

The reason for the hole size is so I can have a good fit.

I figure across the years and brand there maybe a few different sizes of holes.

steve

[Barb]

HI Steve,

Have you considered Pete Oehmen's collectors guide? It contains photos and precise measurements of every aspect of almost every kind of house, including the light hole dimensions.

If you were to contact him, I'm sure he'd share that info with you.

Barb

[Lynn]

Good info Barb that's what I use!