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My Secret Switch
By Rich Knapfel
Drawings by Rich Knapfel
Controlling the lights in a dollhouse or room box can provide a bit of
realism to your miniature setting. Switches, for all practical purposes,
have a simple, yet single function, to turn your lights on and off. But what
if you added a little mystery to the electrical functions of your project?
Yes, something to keep your visitors searching for that little electrical
component, which will make a room come alive!
Many unique possibilities came to mind, once I looked more closely at the
project that I was rewiring. Flower pots, staircases and trashcans are just
a few of the many places that I have found to conceal an electrical
component. When you look closely, there are endless possibilities!
Finally, I decided to put my idea to the test using an old miniature
flowerpot. I had a few of these left over from a previous project and
thought that this would be a great time to make use of them.
The following steps provide a solution for hiding your light switch:
Tools & Materials:
2 - 12 inch pieces of 24-gauge insulated wire
1 - Miniature micro-switch (obtained from your local electronics shop)
1 - Wooden pot
1 - 1 inch wooden circular disc
1 - Artificial plant stem
1 - Super Glue or Epoxy cement
1 - Drill motor and 1/8th inch bit Procedure:
1. Using a 1/8th-inch drill bit, make a hole in the center of the one-inch
circular disc.
2. Paint the disc. I would recommend a brown earth color to make the disc
resemble dirt.
3. Next, using one of the pieces of 24-gauge wire, solder the first piece to
the outer terminal of the micro-switch. Solder the other wire to the
remaining terminal (Figure 1).
4. Drill a 1/8th-inch hole through the bottom of the wooden pot. Route the
wires, from the switch, through the hole in the bottom of the pot and secure
the switch in place with some quick drying cement such as Super Glue or
epoxy.
5. Using some cement, secure the plant stem in the hole of the disc (Step 1). After allowing adequate drying time, the glued disc is ready to be
assembled into the flower pot. Figure 2 shows how everything fits together
after completing all five steps. 6. After everything is put together, and the glue is dry, the final piece
should look like the photograph in Figure 3.
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