Winter Challenge 2024/2025 - Flat Iron Corner Building - Tom Langford.

[ACL1504]

Since I decided to light the bottom floor, which also is the cafe, I chose 3mm (millimeter) Warm White LEDs.

These have two prongs on the bottom of the LED. For those not familiar with LEDs, the longest prong is the positive and the shorter one is negative.

After bracing the bottom of the ceiling section, I punched holes near the front and added six 3mm LED. I epoxied them in place so they stay put.

I marked on the top of the ceiling a + for positive and a - for negative.

[ACL1504]

For the past 15+ years several of us here in the Saturday Butty Group have been using Slim's Current Limiters. Slim is a nickname for Bill Satore. Bill is the owner of Micro-Lumina and also the owner of all the FSM casting molds. Bill also took over Jimmy Deignan's railroadkits models.

www.railroadkits.com

The next photo shows two current limiters. There is a flat side and a rounded side. When looking at the current limiter from the flat side, the left side is the + positive .



Back in a few, Diet Pepsi time.

[Philip]

Tom, That should be "Lit up like Levy's"

https://armdthornton.wordpress.com/category/levy-building/

Philip

[ACL1504]

All my wiring is on the top of the ceiling panel. The wires will feed down between the interior wall and exterior rear walls.

I forgot to mention how the current limiter works.

Using the current limiters, removes all questions about what wattage resistor you need to light the LEDs. One current limiter rates from 9 to 99 volts. It is very hard to burn out a current limiter. I've never burned one in 15+ years.

Slim gave this cheat sheet out at one of his clinics. The diagram shows two and four LEDs. However, you can use three (3) LEDs with one current limiter as I did for this build.

[ACL1504]

Tom, That should be "Lit up like Levy's"

https://armdthornton.wordpress.com/category/levy-building/

Philip

Philip,

What a great photo with Levy's lit up. To bad it wasn't in color.

Tom 

[ACL1504]

Here is how the cafe looks all lit. Now I will have to add interior.

[Philip]

Woo Hoo!

[deemery]

I got a chance to talk to Slim Sartore a bit at Springfield.  His day job is definitely interfering with the hobby business :-) 

dave

[Rick]

Tom, another great update.
Thanks for sharing how you do lighting and the current limiter.
Things are looking very bright at the Flat Iron.

[elwoodblues]

Another great update Tom,

Current limiters are great way to use LED's even though I always use resister as I can control the LED brightness with them.

Can't wait to see how the interior turns out.

[cuse]

Very nice Tom...looking forward to seeing it in place.

John

[Jerry]

Another beautiful build so far  great work Tom.

Jerry

[Michael Hohn]

Your flat iron building is going to look right for the neighborhood.  Good work. 

Mike

[friscomike]

Howdy Tom, 

Thanks for the current limiters notes.  I bought a bunch 12 years ago, and lost the instructions on how to use them during my move to Georgia.  I am back in business.  

The structure is progressing well.  It is looking fantastic.


Have fun,
mike

[PRR Modeler]

Outstanding modeling Tom. You are another lighting master like Bob.