How to Add Working Lights to a Diecast Model Part Three

Where are the batteries? In this case the model doesn’t feature an opening trunk but the space beneath it is empty and nicely kept hidden by the underside plastic plate so it made for a great home for the batteries.

Glue and strong sticky tape is the best way of fixing the wires in place which will be necessary especially when the wires run around a wheel arch for example.

While it will be easy to wire the lighting system first and then install it in the model often this will not be possible due to the limitations of the sizes. So often you will have to wire and solder components straight on the model. If you’re patient and have steady hands you’ll do just fine. A standing magnifying glass will also be helpful but it’s not a necessity.

One important thing that is often neglected. Light insulation. This means that each light should only be visible from the place where it’s intended to be visible. Sounds obvious enough but diecast models are not built like real cars so light “seepage” is an often occurrence.

If we’re talking about an underbody neon then it’s easy, but if we’re talking about a headlight or a fog light, then things have to be perfect and light has to emit only from the front of the detail. To make that happen and avoid lighting the wheel arches you can use simple foil which you can wrap and even glue behind and around the said details.

It is also a good idea to do as much tests as possible as you don’t want to have glued a LED in place, light sealed it and then find out that the LED in question is burnt and not working.

Using fiber optics makes lighting even the tiniest of details possible and relatively easy as you only need one light source for them. Working with fiber optics is quite delicate though and requires some patience and experience so if it’s your first time, be prepared for some setbacks here and there.

Of course it’s not that difficult and in the end you will achieve the desired result and it will be worth it. Adding working lights to a diecast model might be difficult but it’s a bona fide method of making even the simplest model look absolutely stunning

We hope you had as much fun as we did.
Part two is here