Model Boat Mayhem

Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => Other Technical Questions... => Topic started by: RODDERS on November 26, 2008, 12:45:10 pm

Title: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: RODDERS on November 26, 2008, 12:45:10 pm

Please forgive these naive Q.s!........ Havent built stuff for many years! I assume the mast(s) are hollow(brass,or maybe aly?) tube,allowingthe light wiring to run up inside?
      Rod

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Shipmate60 on November 26, 2008, 01:27:37 pm

Why hide it as the full size ships dont.

Bob

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: RODDERS on November 26, 2008, 04:05:21 pm

Really? S'pose they must do,as they havent got hollow masts! If the wiring is small enuf dia it would be OK.
               Thank You .........Rod

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: gribeauval on November 26, 2008, 04:32:39 pm

Rod if you want very small diameter wires for lighting then go to your local £1 shop and buy a scart lead (usually about 1.5mts long). Strip it down and there you have lots of very thin wires all in different colours. Or use a USB cable, or a computer network cable, again lots of different colours in very thin wire.   8)

Mike

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: portside II on November 26, 2008, 06:38:53 pm

Rod , if you want to hide the wires ,yes stuff them in a hollow mast .
If your mast is alloy or brass cut down on the wires by using the mast it's self as the negative supply .
If you want to use wood then why not run some thin brass wire up the mast for the feeds and then branch off where you want a lamp/led, paint the wire the same as the mast and it will nearly dissapear .
daz

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: RODDERS on November 26, 2008, 08:04:09 pm

All good ideas ! I'll have a think about which to use!

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: wideawake on November 26, 2008, 08:24:11 pm

....and if you need really thin stuff then don't use plastic covered wire but get some enamel covered either by buying or stripping an old transformer or similar.

HTH

Guy

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: norry on November 26, 2008, 08:39:46 pm

Or else make your mast out of a McDonalds McFlurry Spoon Handle...

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: portside II on November 26, 2008, 09:14:52 pm

a visit to Mc Donalds makes your day boat mast {-)  {-)  :-)) .
daz

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: dan on November 26, 2008, 10:13:45 pm

hi Rod
what boat is the mast for and at what scale?

cheers, dan

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Ghost in the shell on November 26, 2008, 10:56:46 pm

what I did with Gemini, my Graupner neptun, was run the wires down the bow and stern mast tubes, however the main mast was not hollow, so the wires had to go down the outside, to hide them, white electrical tape over a white mast

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Martin (Admin) on November 26, 2008, 11:22:54 pm

I cut a slot in wooden mast on Jan's Puffer ..... very, very tricky!
I also used transformer wire.

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Umi_Ryuzuki on November 27, 2008, 05:37:43 am

Some more pictures of mast wiring.
The brass mast is grounded, two wires run up the outside disguised
as conduit. One for the running lamp, the other for the towing lamps.

The mast can be removed simply by lifting it out out of its mounting hole, and
a deans plug disconnects the two hot leads. As shown on this Tito Neri build.

Switches can be hidden behind doors
or in left plain site, shown here disguised as winch controls.

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Bunkerbarge on December 04, 2008, 05:53:57 pm

Umi,

Where do you get hold of those dean's connectors?  They are exactly what I want for a couple of locations on my current build as well as some of my older models.

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: portside II on December 05, 2008, 12:58:59 am

Hi bunkerbarge , try these.

http://www.fast-lad.co.uk/store/product_info.php?products_id=1215

http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/category.asp?catcode=248

http://www.mugi.co.uk/shop_product.php?id=106

and of course the good old flea bay
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Model-pro-Ltd_Deans-Connectors_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ8583633QQftidZ2QQtZkm

daz

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Bunkerbarge on December 05, 2008, 02:52:17 am

Thanks for the links Daz, they are just the sort of thing I'm after, especially the micro ones.  Where's that credit card gone!

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Umi_Ryuzuki on December 05, 2008, 06:21:02 am

 :-))

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Umi_Ryuzuki on December 06, 2008, 05:14:11 pm

That red micro is good, the ultras are large.

Heres a smaller 3 pin connector also

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ws-Deans-3-Pin-Connector-WSD1003_W0QQitemZ330275934927QQcmdZViewItemQQptZRadio_Control_Parts_Accessories?hash=item330275934927&_trksid=p3286.m63.l1177

Title: Re: Hiding mast head light wiring.
Post by: Bunkerbarge on December 06, 2008, 05:45:59 pm

I did see them, very neat.  I eventually went for some small four pin items, not Deans but very similar so I'll have a play with them and if I'm not happy go for the three pin Deans type.