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Old 2nd Aug 2020, 3:30 pm   #521
Records
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Default 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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Old 2nd Aug 2020, 6:25 pm   #522
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Default 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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Old 2nd Aug 2020, 10:54 pm   #523
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rubberfingers View Post
Not strictly vintage, but "Big Clive" 3d printed some Xmas light shades and made a set of neon Xmas lights. Raises the interesting possibility of printing replacement shades for old sets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iJ2QkbCYIo
Years ago I made some neon Christmas lights.
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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Old 3rd Aug 2020, 8:42 am   #524
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Default 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!

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Old 3rd Aug 2020, 7:26 pm   #525
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Default Re: Vintage Christmas Tree lights

Shop closed, reopening in time for Christmas.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 10:24 am   #526
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Default 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.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 11:33 am   #527
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Default 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
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 11:33 am   #528
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Default 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.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 11:44 am   #529
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Default 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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Old 8th Oct 2020, 12:08 pm   #530
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Default 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'.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 1:45 pm   #531
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Default 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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Old 8th Oct 2020, 3:00 pm   #532
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Default 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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Old 8th Oct 2020, 4:23 pm   #533
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Default 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.
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Old 8th Oct 2020, 7:51 pm   #534
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Default Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave Moll View Post

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.
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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Old 9th Oct 2020, 2:00 am   #535
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Default 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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Old 9th Oct 2020, 9:14 am   #536
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Default 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?
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Old 9th Oct 2020, 9:52 am   #537
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Default 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.
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Old 13th Oct 2020, 5:44 pm   #538
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Default Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights

-Incidentally- what multimeter did you get?

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Old 19th Oct 2020, 12:59 pm   #539
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Default Re: Vintage Mazda Christmas lights

LAP Multimeter from Screwfix.
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Old 19th Oct 2020, 3:22 pm   #540
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Default 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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