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Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...
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Author:  Howard [ Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

Greetings to all…

It’s a new month…and what better way to start than with a new project…an illuminated miniature fireplace and a series of interchangeable houses…

Lynn will be designing and posting patterns for the houses…each sits on a 2” x 2” square base with a strategically placed light hole that aligns with holes in the top of the mantel…I’ll concentrate on the fireplace and the simple illumination system…

You’re invited to build along with us…please post pictures of your version of the fireplace and the houses here on the forum…we look forward to seeing your personal touches…


FIREPLACE PARTS…

Main body…folded cardboard…3” x 3” opening…¼” x ¼” wood strips…ignore gray reinforcing paper strips…

Base…laminated corrugated cardboard…¾” thick …¼” x ¼” wood strips…6 1/8” x 1 1/8” hole for light box…

Mantel…laminated corrugated cardboard…½” thick…three ½” diameter light holes…¼” x ¼” wood strips…

Light box…folded cardboard…6” x 5 ½” x 1”…¼” x ¼” wood strips…white poster board reflector on inside…clear acetate cover held on with tape…

LED lights…string of 20…AA battery powered…mine were from Wal-Mart…similar items are available at other stores and on-line…

Graphics for bricks, wood and flames…I used ones I found via a Google search…

Paul also has several brick and stone patterns available…go here…

https://bigindoortrains.com/indoor_resources/resources.htm

Then scroll down to “Building Textures“, “Tinplate Textures“, “Christmas Building Textures” and “Halloween and Fall Textures”…

Andirons…cardboard…toothpick mounting pins on backside that glue into small holes in base…


FIREPLACE NOTES…

After covering with printed brick and wood graphics, the base, body and mantle are glued together to make one piece…

The flame graphic is glued to the inside of the 3” x 3” fireplace opening…


LIGHT BOX NOTES…

Three LEDs are glued in the small holes in the top edge of the light box…this directs the light through the holes in the mantel and into the holes in the base of each house…the remaining LEDs are randomly arranged in the light box…

I did add a double layer of yellow tissue paper between the LEDs and the clear acetate cover to “warm up” the color of the “bluish white light” emitted by the LEDs…

“Orange“, “red”, “yellow” or “warm white” LEDs might work better and make the fireplace flames “glow” even more…a “flickering” LED light setup might really bring the flames to life…I may look into that at a later time…

The light box slips in the opening in the fireplace base…it is not glued in…the battery box wire is fed thru the hole in the back of the light box and sits in a shallow relief slot in the bottom of the fireplace base…

More fireplace photos plus house patterns and photos will follow…stay tuned… :)

Attachments:
miniature concept only.jpg
miniature concept only.jpg [ 308.29 KiB | Viewed 26821 times ]
fireplace-sheet-1-of-2.jpeg
fireplace-sheet-1-of-2.jpeg [ 84 KiB | Viewed 26821 times ]
fireplace-sheet-2-of-2.jpeg
fireplace-sheet-2-of-2.jpeg [ 62.79 KiB | Viewed 26821 times ]

Author:  Lucy [ Fri Feb 03, 2017 3:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

This sounds like a lot of fun, much like the witch's lair and the Dollys and the pack o'fun houses. I'm in. I really like seeing your concept sketch too.

Author:  Howard [ Fri Feb 03, 2017 6:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

good morning to all...

here are some additional photos of the fireplace parts and how it all goes together...

i'll post pictures of the light box and other details later...

Howard...

Attachments:
1-fireplace-inside-outside-001.JPG
1-fireplace-inside-outside-001.JPG [ 103.42 KiB | Viewed 26811 times ]
2-fireplace-body-base-mantel-001.JPG
2-fireplace-body-base-mantel-001.JPG [ 181.52 KiB | Viewed 26811 times ]
3-fireplace-mantel-underside-001.JPG
3-fireplace-mantel-underside-001.JPG [ 62.97 KiB | Viewed 26811 times ]

Author:  PutzinVT [ Fri Feb 03, 2017 11:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

Howard:

I'd looked at this a few years back.

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/fire-led.html

If I ever made a putz fireplace I was going to try this.

For only $6.00 I figure it was not a big investment to try.

Steve

Author:  OKPat [ Fri Feb 03, 2017 4:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

Hey guys....

Steve's link will take you to what is essentially the product I used to light up the bonfire in the 2016 putz village. It's cheap,
easy to use and effective looking. The only downside is that, like any battery operated device, you have to turn it on, then remember
to turn it off.

Author:  BrianB [ Mon Feb 06, 2017 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

I LOVE the concept drawing!! It's so fun to see inspiration before finished product. :) Super awesome project!! Cant imagine making micro putz houses to fit on the mantel.

Author:  Howard [ Mon Feb 06, 2017 3:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

good afternoon...

thought i'd go ahead and post two more progress photos of the fireplace and the completed light box...

the three major fireplace parts are shown assembled just for the photo...i still have to cover them with brick and wood printed graphics...then i'll glue the base, body and mantel together and glue the flame graphic in the opening...

the light box photo does not show is the layer of yellow tissue paper under the acetate cover to warm up the bluish light emitted by the cool white LEDs...

stay tuned for more...

my very best regards...howard...

Attachments:
4-fireplace-assembled-001.JPG
4-fireplace-assembled-001.JPG [ 160.26 KiB | Viewed 26745 times ]
lightbox-001.JPG
lightbox-001.JPG [ 147.54 KiB | Viewed 26745 times ]

Author:  Howard [ Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

good afternoon to all...

my fireplace is now finished...all the graphics have been applied and the andirons put in place...the light box is also finished and working...

i know Lynn is very busy with the little houses...i've had an "advanced look" at them...you will find it hard to believe they are miniatures...trust me...

you'll also really like a few other personal touches she had added to her version of the fireplace...

by the way...is anyone else making this project?...we'd like to know...

my very best regards...

Howard...

Attachments:
fireplace-assembled-front 003-001.JPG
fireplace-assembled-front 003-001.JPG [ 176.25 KiB | Viewed 26701 times ]

Author:  BrianB [ Thu Feb 16, 2017 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

Great fireplace!! Can't wait to see the mini houses. You are a master at applying those graphics...No easy chore in my book!
-Brian

Author:  JCass [ Fri Feb 17, 2017 5:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Illuminated fireplace and miniature houses...

WoW - That fireplace looks real! I can almost hear the wood crackling! What a nice project. Going to add this to the 'to do' list. Which now is about a mile long LoL! Thx for sharing Howard

John

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