Wiring for lights by: GF Willmetts. With all model-making, there’s a level of preparation, so let’s start off with what you need. If you’re just reading first, don’t feel intimidated by what’s needed as things like equipment would be used in other model-making and can be bought relatively cheaply. If anything, its the model kit that is the major expense.

Model Kit:-

War Of The Worlds Martian War Machine made by Pegasus Hobbies No. 9001

Equipment:-

Model knife
Model files – these actually can be bought cheap and are a godsend
A finger drill with a drill width a little wider than LED wire.
Small screwdriver
Soldering iron and stand
Solder
Masking tape – the wide variety
Fine sandpaper
Insulating tape – red and black.

Wiring And Lighting:-

Bell wire
Single strand red wire
Single strand black wire
Blu-tac or something similar. Don’t use chewing gum!
1 * 5mm flashing red LED
5 or 8 * 5mm green LEDs – if you can lay your hands on an oblong containing 3 * 3 mm green LEDs in then so much the better. Alternatively, 5 or 8mm white LEDs
2 * 4 square connectors
2 * battery connectors for 9v batteries
2 * press button switches – for preference go for the screw in option
2 * 9 volt batteries



Paints:-

Undercoat:

Zinsser White Primer-Sealant aerosol – any will do as long as its acrylic

Overcoat:

Hycote Toyota Copper Double Acrylic aerosol

Halford Plastic Bumper Paint – Black aerosol

Again, if you live outside the UK, check your local car paint shop for something similar. Don’t go for the titchy small aerosols. They don’t give a fine enough spray and run out too quickly and splutter. Bigger cans are actually more economic and don’t have such problems. The copper aerosol was actually half-size so don’t necessarily go for the biggest.

Raw Sienna acrylic paint
Bright Blue acrylic paint

For touching up:
Humbrol Enamel 33 Matt Black

Humbrol Enamel 12 Copper

Humbrol Enamel 16 Gold

Picking another model to wire for lights happened purely by accident when I came across ‘The War Of The Worlds War Machine’ model kit at a reasonable price. Consisting of only fifteen parts, putting the model together would be the least of the problems so I could focus on the problems of wiring and build around it.

I chose 5mm green LEDs before the kit arrived and although they would be all right for the base lights. I thought they were too big for wing tips, so had some 2mm green LEDs ready, however they did not give enough light and had to make space in the wing tips to accommodate 5mm LEDs there as well. If you do have tiny bright LEDs, you might consider drilling holes through the flap for the wires, otherwise you’ll need to either carve or melt a suitable gap for the bigger LEDs. Melting with a soldering iron is a good option as long as you’re prepared to shave off the waste plastic with a knife.

A single green 5mm LED didn’t have enough light spread to light the forward section but a 3 LED green oblong would get around that. If you can’t get one of those, then consider a similar direction as described in the previous paragraph for placing them evenly through the flap. Considering how dark the green transparent plastic is, you might consider using white LEDs if you really want it well-lit.
The red filter plastic supplied for the eye stalk wouldn’t be needed but fitting a flashing red LED putting wires inside the neck itself looked a little problematic. Spraying the wires might look at though they belong to the design but I would examine that later.

Looking the kit over and it would be easy to put a power lead wire down the stand and hide the battery and switch under the base. There are problems but nothing that couldn’t be thought out.
If you’re new to modifying model kits than all this planning can save a lot of problems later, hence my listing of equipment at the beginning of this article and what I was thinking at the time. If you know how to think these things through, you can apply the technique to any model kit. Although I site the number of LEDs in the shopping list above, always have a few spare of each in case of problems and if they aren’t used are available for further model work.

While I was doing this thinking, it was time to soak the parts in soapy water and rinse in cold water before allowing them to dry to remove any manufacture grease. Spray all parts with undercoat first. Do this carefully and don’t spray too thickly. I should point out that I did all of this work over a week so don’t rush. It’s not a race. Have a suitable tray you can leave the parts on.
Don’t be intimidated by spraying. It gives an even finish and is very quick. Remember to do it outside and have somewhere sheltered you can leave the pieces to dry. If you need to, wear cotton or latex gloves to protect your hands. I caught a couple of my finger-nails but acrylic paint rubs off over a few days if it gets on your skin.

Use some masking tape to cover the world area base and spray the sign matt black as well as the base stem. Once try, paint the letters in with gold. Don’t worry if you go over them too far or if the paint runs as this can be touched up with matt black.

The rest of the planet base I brushed with acrylics. It’s a lot easier to paint the land areas first and dab blue sea into the land edges than the other way around. Acrylic paints do have a tendency to shrink a little when dry, leaving white specks. Assuming you’re using acrylics to do this if you want the sea to look a little smoother go over it with a damp brush while still drying. Unlike the model instructions I didn’t add any white clouds. As this was going to be under the model, I felt it would be more a colour distraction and less likely to look realistic. Always remember that the model instructions are a guide, NOT something that has to be explicitly followed. Then again, adding lights and such is already doing that so you’re making some rules up as you go along.
One thing I did discover was when I put the model support in, it was so rigid that rather than take it out to glue it, it stayed secure as it was.

The main two parts of the hull can be spray painted copper separately but be aware that you need to paint the inside edge of both except the wing tips and the front plastic area or you’ll have to hand-paint it when put together. It looks like a good fit and considering the wiring inside, it might be an option not to stick it down. In fact, I was pleased it was such a good fit. If it doesn’t need glue then it makes life easier to get inside if ever repairs are needed.

One of the dips on the hull base ended up looking a little rough. I’m hoping it was just me but if it happens to you then let it really dry, sand the area and re-spray. If you get an accumulated drip, use a cocktail stick rather than a tissue to remove or risk more sanding. I was careful not to darken the inner plastic where the LEDs are to be placed. Logistically, it would make sense to make this white but I won’t know this for sure until I put the LEDs in to see how it looks. When completed, I discovered the transparent green model pieces are so dark that it doesn’t make much difference what extra colour goes inside.

Lining the three base landing lights is actually very simple. Drill two fine holes for each light and slip the wires of each LED through. On the inside, bend the wires over and between the internal supports so they are not too close to each other. I did start with cutting the wire to join them all but found linking each cathode wire (that’s the longer one) together but it was simpler to strip the wire away where they meet and solder together. Don’t try melting through the wire plastic because you’re never sure if it’s gone through. Shave some plastic off carefully with a knife is a lot quicker. Always try to cut away from yourself. I have enough cuts on my hands to show me forgetting that. When all the cathode (the longer) wires are connected, leave a few inches to play with.

You can cut waste off, but it’s a lot harder to stick wire back on. Do the same with the anode (small wire). I used black for the cathode and red for the anode although as long as you don’t mix them up, they can be any two colours. Any exposed wire around the LED connections should be covered with the appropriate coloured insulating tape. I doubt if many of you will have a tight fit with the LEDs through the hull and would suggest using a little Glu-Tac on top of each to ensure they don’t move.

The front lights are likely to vary. As I noted above, I found an oblong green strip containing three LEDS and soldered its cathode and anode wires together in opposite directions before attaching the main wire to them. If you can’t find one of those, then you’ll have to loop three 5mm green or white LEDs together and drill holes into the upright ledge rather than rely on a cut-out but it’s the same principle as you would use on the wing tips. The important thing is wiring them in series so ultimately only one cathode and one anode wires come off that can be placed inside the connector. The reason a connector is used is because it’s a lot more secure than soldering and can link more wires through them securely. If you ever have to replace a LED, it’s a lot easier to isolate and change.

The eye stalk was the most problematic to sort out. Logistically it would have been easier to conceal the wires inside the stalk but even hollowing out the plastic connector inside doesn’t get around the problem that the eye-piece itself does not have a hollow access tube. Therefore it made sense to place the wire externally along the underneath of the stalk and melt a hole and cut off the excess plastic into the base of the eye-piece. I chose to use bell wire because it would keep the two wires together and it could be moulded to the inside edge of the stem and glued into place. Bell wire proved exceptional for this and I’m seriously considering using it again in future.

The flashing red LED was attached to the wires being threaded through the base and tested. I used the black side of the two wires for the cathode wire although to tell the truth by the time it’s sprayed you won’t know the difference until the final wiring and make sure you have three or four spare inches at the bottom inside the model. Check every connection as you go to ensure the LEDs light up. The top half of the eye-piece was a snug fit so I didn’t bother gluing that – if you ever have to replace the LED then that’s a saving grace but the rest of the assembly was glued together. I tucked some cellotape into the eye socket to cover the LED and then undercoat and a couple coats of brass spray and its base separately. Spraying at this stage ensured that the wire was part of the stem.

Combining the base and the stem together, the parts could only go together one way. I wasn’t sure about that because I sprayed on the plastic skeleton. I still think that is the better way to go. For the size of the holes required, the delicate use of a soldering iron might be a better choice than drilling. Putting the stem assembly in was a tight fit so I didn’t even bother to glue that in. Considering the later work on the underside of the hull, the fact that the stem could come out made working this way a lot easier and less fear of breaking anything.

I discovered that when all the lights were linked together the light wasn’t particularly strong and made the decision to split the top and bottom lights to separate battery and switches. That wasn’t difficult because for the top section lights, it just meant splitting them into a second connector and a slightly bigger hole out of the bottom of the hull near the support. The exposed LED wires with taped to their respective sides and with the base lights some glu-tack to keep them in place or at least not to wobble. Glue in the base light green transparent plastic at this stage. They should fit snugly.

The LEDs for top and bottom go into separate connectors and through them to the battery wires. Ensure you strip sufficient plastic off the tips. I found the battery wires to be a bit on the fragile side for this and actually stripped one down and put in some replacement wire. The switch is only needed on one of the wires for each battery connector. Using switches with screws made things easier to do. You cut one wire and strip the ends and put one in each hole and screw down. When fixing the two hull pieces together, ensure the batteries aren’t connected so you have less weight flopping around. Those of you who are a bit more clever with electrics might figure away of only using only one switch but you need to keep the battery power separate for each set of lights. Restricting the voltage will also prevent any LEDs burning out.

If you can’t get press button switches, a similar thing would apply to any on/off switch. If you want them stuck into the actual base, it shouldn’t be that difficult to drill holes for the wire into the base and a melt a hole for the switches although be careful about covering any exposed wire. I might even do something similar myself at some point but ensure you do have enough free wire to do this. In fact, it always pays to only shorten the wire when you have to cos it’s a lot harder to stick or solder wire back on.

The best way to solder is to melt some solder on the soldering iron tip and coat it along the wire tip. When you solder them together there’s already solder to melt together. If you’re nervous, practice on some wire scraps first. If you’re worried about dry joints – which means that it isn’t conducting electricity - as long as the solder has a shiny look and the wiring works then you should be okay. Gently tug the wires if you’re not sure if they’re secure together. If they aren’t, try again. Practice makes perfect.

At this time, for the sake of the photographs, I haven’t wrapped the battery wires together with insulating tape. If you’re skilled enough, subject to the length of the battery connector wires, you might want to have longer wires so you can hide the batteries under the base. As mine is essentially a prototype, I’m leaving mine showing for the time being.

If you’re happy that the lights switch on and off OK then you can press the two halves of the hull together. I didn’t screw the war machine to the base support as per instructions because it was snug enough already. The front green plastic wasn’t glued in place neither.
The real problem came with the wing tips. I thought first of all that the LEDs were sticking out too far, they weren’t, but either the paint had thickened the inside edge or it was less than perfect. If you have to use a model knife or file be very careful and cut away from you. A little work on the narrowest edge should get them to fit although you’re have to glue these in place to stop them popping out. You’ll have to hold them in place as the glue dries. If you ever have to take them out to get inside the model, popping them out shouldn’t be too big a problem.

If I was to build this model again, I would be tempted to use white LEDs, especially in the wing tips, if you want the light to really shine but as you can see from the photographs, green works.

The model’s lights are really effective when it’s darker and will make an interesting showcase on your windowsill. If this is the first time you’ve ever wired a model for lights and you’ve carried out the instructions you’ll probably get the desire to try this kind of technique on other models. Good luck.

article and photographs (c) GF Willmetts 2010
all rights reserved other than for building your own model.

no liability is given for any accidents of your own making.