October 18, 2013

babysteps

not that I've taken any other kind before, but the past 6 months it's the pace of a sloth in hibernation too :) . I was finally able to do some little things lately however and today wanted to test the lights of my laptop because I still needed to before I can go on. But they don't do a thing, zilch, noppes, nada, no-thing... at all.. :(


I don't get it, I test them after every step and the last one was just before I closed the powerbox of the laptop in May and it all worked fine. I haven't tested since, but nothing should have changed for the lights not to work. I just put some glue between two halves of the box, with the wires already in glue when they díd work, so it couldn't be ruined by gluing the halves together, could it? Loosening the connections somehow I mean.. I've switched all the connections while testing to be sure I'm not crossing any reds with blacks where it should be the other way around, but it stays dark.. I always have a testlight in my testing setup that works for sure, so I know it's getting power and that light goes on just like it should. I have no clue what the problem could be... Sometimes the wires don't connect properly despite the scotch tape I use to hold them together, but I always press all of them down to make sure that is not keeping it from lighting up.

but one of the things I've been able to do is make the top of the desk a few weeks ago that wasn't too difficult and I finally could use my new and supercheap pastamachine! (although the white edge that I added after the black was baked, didn't come out as straight as it should've). The powersocket is something I made somewhere in April and was supposed to be a functional one, with a working (ie: connecting & pluggable) plug from the laptop (such a cool idea I thought), but somehow I couldn't get it to work. Will try to work that out for some other project since finishing the laptop as it is is challenge enough, so there you just have the powersocket, which I like too for added realism to the scene. I build it up with several layers to make as much as a real one as possible.
  
I had to use my phone as our charger from our camera is m.i.a. and the battery is empty, but the quality isn't even too bad I think.
  

18 comments:

  1. Yay...someone else who adds power outlets! :D I usually fake mine with carved wood or the new stickers from miniatures.com. I love it! Sorry to hear your having so many issues with the laptop. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is eager to see it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was yey-ing in myself when I saw yours a while back ;)
      I just hope the result will not disappoint with the dragging of the show instead of just tell... It will work out probably (hopefully), really want it finished! Thanks for the ongoing support, appreciate it!

      Delete
  2. Hi Monique,
    superglue and resin based glues do not conduct electricity so I don't think it's that which has caused the lights to fail. 99% of the lime it is a loose connection between the wires and the light (normally a dry joint) I really hope you find out what it is. It would be great to see the laptop working. The table is looking very cool too. Hope you are feeling well =0)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pepper, thanks for thinking with me, greatly appreciated! What I meant about the glue was actually that gluing and fiddling with it, might have loosened the connections, but since they were already well covered in glue and worked, the problem couldn't be in that section. I hope I find what it is too, without having to break open anything.. I still have hope it's just a wire that doesn't have enough insulation taken off (I have to work with some very small endpieces since pieces broke of in previous testing, the downside of very thin wiring (the upside being I could make it look like a nicely in scale cord. Looking at it with a pair of fresh eyes next week (my boyfriends that is).

      Delete
  3. Hoi Monique, je bureau ziet er geweldig uit; het doet me aan jaren 60 design denken.....mooi hoor. Dank ook nog voor je aardige berichtje op mijn laatste post. Ik zal zo nu en dan wel met een comment opduiken hier en daar, als ik ruimte heb ( in mijn hoofd en simpelweg qua vrije tijd). Lieve groetjes, Liduina.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hai Liduina, dank je wel! Ik denk dat je zomaar gelijk kunt hebben, het bureau is naar voorbeeld van een Gispen typiste bureau, dat voor zover ik weet jaren '50 of '60 is. Ik vind het erg leuk en fijn om je zo nu en dan nog eens ergens te zien verschijnen, maar kan me er alles bij voorstellen dat het afhangt van hoe het gaat en tijd, take care meissie!

      Delete
  4. Hi Monique! Ook ik wilde je vragen wat voor bureau het is, maar ik lees net Liduina's comment en jouw antwoord, dankjewel! Ik hoop dat de problemen met je laptop opgelost kunnen worden, het zou vreselijk zijn om er niet verder mee te kunnen gaan. Ik zie dat Carol/Pepper je al wat hulp heeft geboden, persoonlijk kan ik je echter niet helpen, het is voor mij totaal onbekend terrein, sorry....
    Groetjes, Ilona

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ik zocht een industrieelachtig bureauvoorbeeld voor de mijne en kwam deze toen tegen, vond het een leuk model en viel vooral voor de witte rand om het blad, gaf het wat extra's. Geen probleem Ilona, dank voor je mee willen denken, ik hoop dat m'n vriend er een 'lichtje' op kan werpen, hij is technisch opgeleid en dankzij hem heb ik de electra voor dit laptopje überhaupt kunnen toepassen (mijn kennis over electra gaat niet verder dan stekkertjes kunnen aanbrengen, ik wist/snapte niets over voltages, ohms, weerstanden, hoe het moest met meerdere lampjes op 1 stekkertje etc). Wie weet kan hij het raadsel van nu ook oplossen, ik hoop het van harte!

      Delete
  5. Je Gispen bureau ziet er fab uit, Monique en ik heb dr alle vertrouwen in dat je het probleem met de laptop ook nog wel tackelt, vind het een spannend en gedurfd idee, leuk!!
    Groet,
    Gee

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Monique! I love the addition of the power socket and yours look so real too; Well done! I hope that the laptop project comes to a successful conclusion for you soon. I admire your persistence to make it happen and I know that it will because you refuse to take 'NO' for an answer. I always have problems with the installation of the lights and ( like you), I also test them all along the way and it is INEVITABLE that Something will NOT work when it should. It is a Nasty Shock and It drives me crazy so I hope that you will take some comfort that this will eventually resolve itself. It is just a matter of time. Your work is Always Superb! :D

    elizabeth

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tnx Elizabeth! Haha, you're right about that NO, I'm not very good at that when it comes to making something and if it's not working one way, than I will do my best to find another, and another. I hope you're right about the lights, I really do not know where the problem can be anymore, checked everything I know what might be the problem and it isn't.. Thanks for your great compliment!

      Delete
  7. Good luck! I don't know anything about electricity, but I hope to bring some lights to my dollhouse later =) I'm always impressed by people that can deal with electricity. Hannah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tnx Hannah! I can't really deal with electricity either, in the sense that I had to ask my boyfriend to help me with it in this project, didn't have a clue how to do it (and I blew up one of the first lights testing because I didn't even know about voltage and that small (low-voltage) lights needed resistance for example. But when I think of something, like making this laptop and a certain way (that I wanted it with light), then I just think/look for a way to make it happen, knowing anything about it or nothing at all..... ;) But I am lucky in this case, having a boyfriend who understands this stuff to ask for help every step of the way I get stuck because of my lack of knowledge and understanding electricity. I hope it all works out!

      Delete
  8. Oh no! Electricity and you are just not friends at the moment :( I had to smile at the idea that you made the desktop with a pasta machine - I wonder what a non-miniaturist would think about that if they stumbled on your blog :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, we aren't Norma... I really don't understand what the problem can be, but it will work out hopefully. Haha, they would raise an eyebrow (or two) I think ;)

      Delete