How to lengthen wires on dollhouse lights.

If you have a light where the wire is too short to reach to the tapewire or socket/power strip, you can extend the wire by splicing extra wire onto the existing wire.  Splicing wire together is easy with the proper tools and a bit of patience.

Step 1 - Gather the Materials you Need

The following is a list of items with pictures to help identify each item that you will need.  All of the items can be easily purchased from a local hardware store and/or your local miniature dealer or miniature website shops on the internet.

Special Items Needed - Can purchase at hardware store or through miniature/dollhouse dealers.
Liquid Electrical tape Used for protecting newly soldered wires and splices.		Extra Wire - 32 gauge This is used for lengthening wires on lights.
Soldering Iron This is used for splicing wires together and connecting to the tapewire.		Solder Used with the soldering iron to solder.
Light that needs to be lengthened
Additional Items Needed but not pictured
Tweezers	Masking Tape	Wet Cloth	Fire Extinguisher

SPECIAL NOTES:

a) The right type of solder The solder you need is solder for electrical soldering.  It is thinner then regular solder and is made for this purpose.  The one we use is 0.032 diameter.

b) Ventilated work area  Soldering and using liquid electrical tape emits sawdust and fumes.  It is important that you work in a ventilated area while soldering and applying liquid electrical tape.

Step 2 - Remove plug from light and strip insulation

Plug your soldering iron in so it can heat up while you do the next step.

• Remove the plug from the light
  The plug needs to be removed to expose the bare wires to be spliced together.  To do this, take your tweezers and gently pull off the brass points that are on the end of the plug.  Push the bare wire through the plug head and pull the plug head off the wires. 

• Measure the length of wire
  Take the spool of wire and measure a length of wire you need to extend the existing wire.  Remember, you can always shorten the wire but it's more difficult to add on so make sure you make the extension long enough.
   
• Stagger the cuts
  Trim one of the strands of wires on the light about an inch or so shorter then the other one.  Do the same thing for one of the strands of wires on one end of the extension.  This will stagger the splices to reduce the chance of creating any shorts when the wires are spliced together. This will also reduce any bulk from having both wire spiced together at the same point.

• Strip the insulation
  Take one strand of wire from the light and using your thumb fingernail, pinch the white insulation over one of the strands of wire and pull.  This will pull the insulation off without breaking the wires. You want to have about 1/2" of bare wires showing to give you enough wire to solder together. Strip the insulation from each strand separately.  You will have to do this on both strands of one end of the the wire extension and on both strands of the wire from the light. 
  
  With your tweezers, twist each end to make sure the fine wires are gathered up together.  This will help with soldering and with splicing wires together.

Step 3.  Prepare the wires for soldering

• To prepare the wires for soldering, we are going to use a technique called "tinning" the wires. What this does is apply solder to each end of the wire to make it easier for them to be soldered together and reduces the amount of solder you have to apply when soldering the ends together..

• Take one wire (it doesn't matter what one) and put it between a clamp.  This will hold the wire while you solder it together.  You need both hands to hold the soldering iron and solder.  You could also have someone hold the wire for you, but a clamp is easier and probably more handy then a second pair of hands.

• Take your soldering iron and solder.  Touch the soldering iron to the bare ends of the wire for about 1-2 seconds.  Then touch the tip of the solder to the wires, not the soldering iron.  If the wires are hot enough, the solder should flow between the wires. 

• Do not hold the soldering iron to the wires too long or you will melt the insulation on the wires.  After the solder flowed onto the wires, remove the solder then the soldering iron.  Repeat the process until all four wires are tinned.

Step 3.  Solder the Wires together

• Match the long end of one strand of wire from the light with the short end of a strand of wire from the extension. Using your tweezers, gently twist the wires together to hold them while you solder. Use your clamp to hold the extension wire as you did while tinning the wires. 

• Take your soldering iron and heat the solder that is on both strands of wires.  If you properly tinned the wires, you will see the solder melt together.  Remove your soldering iron and let the solder set (about 1-2 seconds).

• Repeat this process to solder the other strands together.

One strand of wire Soldered Together	Both strands of wires soldered together extending the length of the wires

Step 4. Apply Electrical Tape to Secure the Solder

• Once the solder has set on all four strands, take your liquid electrical tape and dab a bit on each of the soldered joints.  Let that dry (about 5-10 minutes).  This provides an added layer of insulation to the soldered joints.

Step 5.  Test the Lights.

• If you are using the socket/powerstrip method to light your dollhouse, thread the wires through the room out the side of the dollhouse by the socket/powerstrip.  Reattach the plug to the bare end of the extension wire. 

• If you are using the roundwire hybrid method, thread the wire through the room and solder to the tapewire.

• Turn on the power to the dollhouse to test the lights.

Congratulations! You successfully extended the wires on the lights in your dollhouse.

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