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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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2nd Aug 2020, 3:30 pm | #521 |
Hexode
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Harwich, Essex, UK.
Posts: 429
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Lilliput that was a word my dad used when he was being silly when I was a child, now I know where it came from he was a qualified electrician, where my interest comes from and my desire to repair old things and not throw them away
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2nd Aug 2020, 6:25 pm | #522 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK.
Posts: 5,224
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
I realised some time ago that for most things, if 3 sizes are called 'S', 'M' and 'L' then they're 'small', 'medium' and 'large' and increase in that order. But for lamp caps they're 'small', 'miniature' and 'lilliput' and go in the opposite order.
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2nd Aug 2020, 10:54 pm | #523 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,130
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Quote:
I made two strings, one consisted of series groups of 3 neons, orange, blue, and green, and a dropper resistance. 12 such groups, so 36 lamps in total. No shades or covers. The other group consisted of series groups of 3 blue neons, all 3 assembled into hollow plastic "icicles" Each group of 3 had its own dropper resistance, with numerous such groups wired in parallel. All reasonably well insulated, but powered from a shaver transformer for "just in case" I wanted to try white neon lamps but could not find them cheaply. |
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3rd Aug 2020, 8:42 am | #524 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
Posts: 5,817
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Lilliput is from Gulliver's Travels of course and the Lilliputians are a bit on the small size.The Blefescu haven't got into engineering but it seems to be a medical term for the folds of skin that may appear under the chin in old age I'd always thought that a "Gulliver" might be a tool or object and certainly a coin but apparently not It's fascinating the amount of complexity and ingenuity that has gone into these coloured [or not] lights and the effort put into them on here. I doubled up a chain once-taking the mean voltage down from 12-8 volts. They lasted well over twenty years and just as bright!
Dave W |
3rd Aug 2020, 7:26 pm | #525 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 9,642
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Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights
Shop closed, reopening in time for Christmas.
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8th Oct 2020, 10:24 am | #526 |
Diode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 7
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Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
Hello everyone,
Earlier this year my dad and me found a set of mums Disney Christmas lights that were given to her when she was a little girl. Sadly Mum has passed away. I want to get them working again so I can put them on our Dads Christmas tree. I have attached some photos, Is there anyone out there in the forum who can "restore them" back to a safe working condition? We are in South Yorkshire but willing to travel to drop them off to the right people to bring them back to life. |
8th Oct 2020, 11:33 am | #527 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,108
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
...Firstly, see how many of the bulbs work..if there's 12 bulbs they are probably 20 volt...i would hope that a new alkaline PP3 battery should have enough 'thump' to get a glow from each bulb if you're sitting in a darkened room. Alternatively use a meter if you have the knowledge.
Each lamp may have the wattage and voltage stamped into the brass. If unlucky you may even have a mixture of ratings fitted by mistake- which won't work. You need to accumulate enough usable bulbs asap- online sellers of them take advantage with the price and the price also rises as we go into winter. This gives you a head start and you appear to have a very desirable set of lights there which would be worth saving even if there were no sentimental reason/s. I couldn't take on this repair by post as i don't think it would be ready until xmas 2021- i have too many other things going on! (Note that a repairer would be wise to find a way of reducing the voltage that the bulbs run at when in use; a small drop in voltage will lengthen their life by a useful margin.) Dave |
8th Oct 2020, 11:33 am | #528 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 5,554
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
They should be easy to repair with the aid of a cheap multi meter from a local DIY shed.
The challenge is going to be getting replacement bulbs. |
8th Oct 2020, 11:44 am | #529 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 682
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
You may find that there is not much restoration to do. I can see on one picture a old plug that would have gone in a lamp holder. Obviously these days you wouldn’t use that . Normally you would put a 13 amp square pin plug on the end of those 2 wires. Making sure you use a 3 amp fuse or lower.
Just make sure all the lamp holders don’t have any loose wires hanging out. Very gently pull them. You can test the bulbs using a 9 volt battery. Same type as in a smoke alarm . That’s safe to do just make sure you don’t short the contacts. It’s probably a 12 light set with 20Volt lamps, you can get them on eBay but they are hard to find and getting expensive. Please remember although it’s easy to get these working . They can never meet current safety regulations. In my opinion they are fine to use but always unplug before replacing bulbs. Andy
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I bet that car doesn't have a suppressor. |
8th Oct 2020, 12:08 pm | #530 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,970
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
Also, don't leave them on when there are unsupervised children around.
As others have said, this is a nice set of lights and well worth restoring. The bulbs are often listed on eBay as 'olive bulbs'. |
8th Oct 2020, 1:45 pm | #531 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,536
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
If you're happy to post them, I'd be happy to fix them for the cost of return postage and any replacement parts required. Pack them carefully in plenty of bubble wrap and a sturdy cardboard box- don't send the original box, that's very much part of their charm (and collectability) and it would be a shame to damage it. It's far more irreplaceable than the lighting set itself!
It'll make a nice change from some of the more modern "designed not to be repairable" stuff that I get to sigh over in my Repair Cafe Volunteer role!
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8th Oct 2020, 3:00 pm | #532 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: West Cumbria (CA13), UK
Posts: 6,130
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
Judging by the image of a sample bulb, these do appear to be the "standard" 20V olive bulbs. They do seem still to be available, though not particularly cheap.
As others have implied, be aware that any exposed bulb contacts have the potential to deliver a dangerous electric shock, as these are connected in series across the mains.
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Mending is better than Ending (cf Brave New World by Aldous Huxley) |
8th Oct 2020, 4:23 pm | #533 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,130
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
Replacement bulbs are readily available on ebay. Suggested search term is "20 volt 3 watt E10"
The lights MIGHT be safe to use as they are, but please do not try this until they have been examined by someone experienced. These lights are inherently somewhat less safe than modern types and should be kept away from damp, metallic Christmas decorations, children and pets. If repair or restoration is needed, ask whoever is doing this if they can add another 2 or 3 lamps in series, so as to give 14 or 15 lamps in series instead of 12. This will extend the lamp life considerably. |
8th Oct 2020, 7:51 pm | #534 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Leominster, Herefordshire, UK.
Posts: 16,536
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
Yes, if they're connected to a 13A (3A fused) plug it's a good idea to ensure that the live side of each bulb holder is the bottom pip not the threaded outer part. Even better if the plug is an RCD type.
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....__________ ....|____||__|__\_____ .=.| _---\__|__|_---_|. .........O..Chris....O |
9th Oct 2020, 2:00 am | #535 |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,724
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
I always wire a series diode (1N4006 etc) inside the plug with heat shrink sleeving. Apart from improving the appearance by making them less bright, they last and last. (I have sets that have been used for 25 or more seasons) also the slight 50Hz flicker they exhibit I find quite attractive.
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9th Oct 2020, 9:14 am | #536 |
Diode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 7
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
Thanks for the help and advice, I bought a Multimeter yesterday and the bulbs appear to be "ok", but I haven't wired it to the mains yet.
I notice some of the bulb sockets are loose and can be pushed out of the plastic surround- how can I better secure these inside the plastic mount? |
9th Oct 2020, 9:52 am | #537 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Somerset, UK.
Posts: 2,130
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
I would advise against re-fixing the lamp holders into the outer plastic covering just yet. If the wires are perished or otherwise unsafe they will need replacing and doing this is much easier if they are already accessible.
Do not connect to the mains yet though. Touching the metal parts could be fatal. |
13th Oct 2020, 5:44 pm | #538 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Colchester, Essex, UK.
Posts: 4,108
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
-Incidentally- what multimeter did you get?
Dave |
19th Oct 2020, 12:59 pm | #539 |
Diode
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 7
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
LAP Multimeter from Screwfix.
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19th Oct 2020, 3:22 pm | #540 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,970
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Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights
While this would be an easy repair/restoration job for someone with the right skills, it involves mains electricity so you should take care to stay within your level of competence. If you're not certain you know what you're doing, you should accept one of the repair offers in this thread.
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