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Dollhouse Wiring Quickstart Guide
Tools, Techniques, and Planning
The most robust wiring has a single loop of tapewire all the
way from the cellar to the ceiling of the attic, then back down
the other side into the Cellar again. This "Main Loop" gives
reliability to the dollhouse by being in one piece (the fewer
connections, the better) and by being connected to the jack on
both ends.
Electrification Slots make running tapewire from floor-
to-floor easier. If your kit has electrification slots in all the
floors, that's good! If you need slots (or more slots), you can
cut the floor with many small cuts of a sharp utility knife to
give a slot
3
/
" wide by
1
/
4
depth for houses with grooves for the floors).
www.DollhouseWiring.com/ESlot.html
Cutting an Electrification Slot before building
The House is already built? That's OK. Run the Vertical
Feed up the stairwell (that's been the "go-to" solution for
years) or cut slots after construction with an Oscillating Multi-
Tool (my new favorite tool!).
" exposed (add that to the groove
32
DollhouseWiring.com/Multitool.html
Ceiling Loops that connect to the Main Loop on both ends
give extra security. It is easiest to lay the Ceiling Loop before
installing the Dividers, and if Dividers are already in, a slot at
the top of the Divider makes the Ceiling Loop simple. Here is
a third option that is also reliable (the Ceiling Loop connects
to the Base Run on both ends):
Base Run
24 gauge speaker wire
Pro Note: When I build and wire a house for a customer, I
don't often know where they will want fixtures, so I prepare
for all the options I can. In addition, this house will travel to
far away places and I must do everything possible to make it
trouble free for many, many years. The diagram on the first
page is standard wiring practice for tapewire, but this diagram
shows what I do... every run is connected on both ends and the
Main Loop goes through electrification slots all the way into the
cellar. This does take a bit more effort and a few more feet of
tapewire, but it eliminates questions about where things should
go (they go everywhere), and when the house leaves my care, I
don't have to worry a bit about the durability of the wiring.
Page 2
Ceiling Loop
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