Build a Miniature Fun Fair Ride with Flashing LEDs

[@Boylei]

This turned out great, Kathy! So much fun. And thanks for the shoutout as well!

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks so much! I’m using tea lights again today…

[@carombonation]

I admire this finetuning

[@johnodonoghue7381]

Great Build Kathy informative too

[@HighEyeWorkshop]

So much fun 😁

[@srocarg]

always amazing your work my lady

[@HomeAutoBuddy]

I whant one, i whant all! Lovely builds

[@KathyMillatt]

Thank you so much!

[@DarkMatterWorkshop]

So cool 👌 Been dreaming a while of a themapark wargame table, stop encouraging me !!

[@KathyMillatt]

Do it!

[@LaserGadgets]

The thumbnail alone is : O

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks!

[@claudenewbolt2659]

GREAT WORK, KATHY!

[@CM-ARM]

I thought it was another commercial at first, 😆 LOL. Only thing missing is people having fun. Anyway keep having fun, Chris

[@KathyMillatt]

I hope to do a much larger diorama so people will come in that… it is odd at the moment without them.

[@CM-ARM]

Kathy this just put a big smile on my face. Kinda brings the kid out,right?

[@hydroxacte]

@@KathyMillatt Yeah, eventually it wants a little ticket-seller bloke in the booth, too.

[@KathyMillatt]

I think I left the lid loose to do that.

[@sharonshields1482]

Great job with this kit! Thank you for sharing this video. Please, make more!

[@cheekytek]

Kathy wow - have to say that was a very intense build you set yourself there and what great modifications - by jolly you pulled it off by far and so brilliantly - just love that 👍 Well played 😁 Garry

[@bcostell69]

lovely work, fluorescents are interesting, if your trying to block light , silver is better than any other colour

[@KathyMillatt]

That’s a great tip. Thanks.

[@bcostell69]

@@KathyMillatt no problem, it wouldn't work with something so small but I usually use silver builders metal tape , great for light blocking

[@ronm6585]

Very cool. Thank you.

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

When I was a kid I used to go to a place in Rhode Island called Rocky Point amusement park. They had a ride there called the Musik Express, and I would sometimes spend all day riding it. I loved the mix of great 80's hair band music along with the spinning. This is pretty much that ride. I'd love to own something like this.

[@KathyMillatt]

It does bring back memories.

[@ahmadziq]

You outdo yourself Kathy with every new video, It's a true joy watching you work.

[@craft-o-matic2377]

Super cool build Kathy! This would be a cool piece tricked out for Halloween with an old school fun house theme. I love it Kathy! Thank you! Lisa

[@NScaleDystopia]

I appreciate your patience with these projects. Fantastic upgrade. Thanks for sharing.

[@MorseB]

One of my favorite videos you have made. Brilliant use of UV light for that center portion.

[@vezhopkins714]

so awsome!

[@kitt3813]

Kathy this is amazing! You are such an inspiration to us women modellers everywhere 💖

[@jefflizotte4758]

thank you,very nice

[@sunrisesimmegastar5681]

So great 💯👍💯

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks!

[@hurc888]

well done

[@tamsinp7711]

Quick tip for painting yellow over a black basecoat - first apply a layer of yellow ochre or a flesh colour, then paint on the yellow. The carnival ride looks great.

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks! That’s a great tip.

[@paulgee1952]

Building a working 1/56th scale funfare (early) 20th century is on bucket list of projects. Love this type of more modern ride build. Hope to be back in workshop when in order. Thanks for upload.

[@moragmckay7673]

I'd love to see yours. I was just thinking I would personally find a traditional old fair more appealing as a layout, even though I like this one modern ride.

[@brianmicky7596]

Hi Kathy, what can you say, all the fun of the fair, Fantastic , worked out well in the end, All the Best Brian 🤗😎

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks Brian.

[@bigsparky65]

Cool looking kit, amazing with the LED lights

[@cerisekappes580]

I love the end result!

[@DashDonivan]

Just incredible looking!

[@DiggerEvans]

Wow Kathy that does look fantastic, I really don't think I would have the patience to put in the amount of work that you did to make this look so awesome

[@glen9651]

Brilliant absolutely brilliant

[@moragmckay7673]

I hope you get the chance to build up your funfair. It looks fascinating to make, but I'm in awe of your patience. I can't imagine how hard it will be to replace the flexible LEDs when they fail, having to undo so much of your work to access them. Surely they could have designed access to LEDs and motor to be easier? Well done for your skill, patience and ingenuity.

[@KathyMillatt]

The original kit used bulbs glued in place. I’m just hoping the LEDs have a long life time!

[@gameoggle4760]

gel pens and Invisible ink for florescence is a really clever idea.

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks! I just couldn’t work out how to get LEDs in there.

[@srrfounder1]

Another fantastic creation, Kathy!

[@colinrimmer789]

A lot of work Kathy looks amazing 😁

[@izaakz12]

Nice video

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

looks good good job keep up the good vid and work you do stay safe lee

[@davidhughes4448]

As always, you have done a fantastic job with this model, Kathy. The "problem" with novelty structures like this is that in order to make it plausible on a layout it would need to be accompanied by a strong handful of other carnival rides in close proximity. This would gobble up too much valuable real estate on most layouts. So at this point we have to decide are we modeling railroads or modeling carnivals? I'm always a bit amazed manufactures offer kits like this, and wonder just how many they sell to justify all the research and tool-up. Nonetheless, it can probably be proclaimed your rendition is the best ever assembled.

[@chriscreativecontent]

well done. That looked like a lot of hard work :)

[@KathyMillatt]

It felt like it at times!

[@chriscreativecontent]

I’d looked at this kit myself but it was quite pricy. I believe there’s a Ferris wheel kit too.

[@KathyMillatt]

They have quite a few rides but the larger ones do get pricy.

[@chriscreativecontent]

One day maybe 😁 keep up with the great content 😁

[@michelleford405]

Cool!

[@stephencameron4032]

Hi Kathy, another stunning model, will this be a stand-alone diorama, or are you going to incorporate it into your layout?, anyway, stay safe, all the best from Scotland, Stephen.

[@KathyMillatt]

It will probably be a standalone series because I don’t have any spare real estate on the layout.

[@jaw2112]

Great content as always 👍🏻

[@andrewstevenson5449]

That was great. I've seen the modified and scratchbuilt fairground rides on the Miniatur Wunderland channel, but they always seem a bit secretive about the details of what their modifications are (rebuilding it all in metal seems most common, as it's running all day, every day, I think), so it's good to see what you might need to do to get the best out of the Faller kit, without the all-but-unlimited resources of Miniatur Wunderland. The fluorescent pen idea is brilliant: if you were building it into a diorama or layout, you could mount a black light above it. Just needs some people now! Your 3D printers must have broken out in a cold sweat when they saw you open a plastic kit, but glad to see you reassured them they were still needed. :-)

[@KathyMillatt]

My printers know I love them but it was nice just to open a box and build.

[@KathyMillatt]

I will do an overhead black light. I have an LED strip of them somewhere.

[@TimberSurf]

You have done a great job, perhaps back light UV LED's on the back of the lollipops to make the spokes glow? I have just bought 9 Faller fairground kits second hand, they need fixing up and putting LED lights in, some have bulbs, but I want to replace them. This gives me lots of idea's and I appreciate your learning curve that flex LEDS are very useful.

[@KathyMillatt]

Hi Timber. It was definitely a learning curve. I may add those black light LEDs but I hope to put this in a diorama eventually and I was going to put the LEDs in a lid. If I don’t then I will go back and add them.

[@trainroomgary]

Cool - Looks like a fun ride 👀 • Cheers from the Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂

[@thomasdecker7631]

Wow. Just Wow! Great build. Superb results. I would never even attempt this.

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks. I did wonder why I tried it when I was half way through!

[@4449John]

Words escape me. That looks like a big headache. Don't know if you've ever watched any of the Dirty Harry films, but in the one with the vigilante motor cops, Harry's line was, "A man's gotta know his limitations." And that looks like one of those sort of kits to me; well outside my limitations. I salute your stick to it-ness. It looks great even if the cups did not spin, might a piece of lead shot or tiny pellet on one side of the bottom of a cup help give those some weight to help them spin? Not sure you can find that sort of thing in the UK, but that might help. Find a bird hunter and see if you can get some #4 or #6 birdshot ( you DON'T want Buck Shot). Added thought, some fine powdered graphite (NO OILs!) where the parts are supposed to move (KADEE sells some) might help as well.

[@KathyMillatt]

Hi John. I should have tried the powdered graphite! I do have some of the kadee stuff as well as a random bag too. I will eventually put people in so I’m waiting to see if they weight it a little too.

[@donaldkormos5529]

Great video Kathy!!! Gave me lots of ideas. Have a McDonald's restaurant model to build ... the flexible LEDs might work well to light up the "Golden Arches!" Question: Where did you get the neo gel pens and invisible ink that works under UV light? Cheers!!

[@KathyMillatt]

The LEDs have so many uses. I got the gel pens on Amazon. Neon gel pens. Just check that they say fluorescent.

[@donaldkormos5529]

@@KathyMillatt Thank You !!!

[@britishgypsum4347]

Superb effects there Kathy. Looks a smashing kit. How many hours overall do you reckon it took from start to finish?

[@KathyMillatt]

It took a few weeks but a lot of that is waiting for paint to dry and it wasn’t the only thing I was working on.

[@normanrowe2831]

Hello Kathy. Now that was fantastic. Those flexible LED lights are really cool. Although it’s extra work for you, I always like when you go to plan B. It’s always a learning experience. Is this build the beginning of a themed diorama? As always, I look forward to your next episode. Take care. Bye.

[@KathyMillatt]

I do hope to do more in this line as I have a few other kits to build up and I have a 3D printed helter skelter to do.

[@maxanddad1]

This is way to cool, Kathy! Love the lighting effects! Where did you find the flexible LEDs?

[@KathyMillatt]

Aliexpress. There’s a link on the website post that goes with this (see description)

[@geoker55]

I have often seen rides in magazine ads and if I ever put in a county fair on my layout, I would like to add some rides. Do you think HO Scale seated people would fit in the cups? I am always making miniature amputees out of the HO seated folks to get them into the seats of railcars.

[@KathyMillatt]

I didn’t try them but I think Faller designed specifically for their set that goes with the rides. That means that HO seated figures would fit.

[@swindon6931]

Cracking kit building, the flexible LEDS look useful. Where did you get your cutters?

[@KathyMillatt]

I get my cutters from Amazon. The nice one’s are DSPIAE but the others probably came with a 3D printer.

[@1dianep]

Wow fantastic, where did you learn how to do all the electrical stuff?

[@KathyMillatt]

KZbin 😁.

[@tucsonlaserguy]

This is amazing. What module etc would I need to get started on the different strobes/flashes needed for the led strips?

[@KathyMillatt]

I used an arduino and the tutorials I followed were Adafruit neopixels and Kamui Cosplay

[@KathyMillatt]

learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide/the-magic-of-neopixels

[@KathyMillatt]

www.kamuicosplay.com/product/animated-leds/

[@craigdrenkow7561]

How did yu power the filiment light strips. was it battery of did you have a power suppy?

[@KathyMillatt]

I use a micro USB lead but step it down to 3V for the LEDs where needed.

[@ianhuxstep211]

Great video, the flexible LED's look great, I need some for a project can they be cut shorter?

[@KathyMillatt]

Thanks. I don’t think they can be cut but they fo come in different lengths and colours.

[@kool-k-kel]

amazing skills, are these easy to obtain in the uk?> thx :)

[@KathyMillatt]

I bought mine in the UK from Gaugemaster.

[@rwh09384abc]

Amazing build! Is this the first step in a while carnival??

[@KathyMillatt]

I hope so!

[@TwmosBayliss]

Great Video Kathy! Really interesting and informative video :) Love the flexible led tube are you able to share a link to where to get it or how you made it?

[@KathyMillatt]

I put the link on my website but basically try AliExpress 130mm flexible LED

[@TwmosBayliss]

@@KathyMillatt Thankyou Very Much! Keep up the great Videos and modelling look forward to seeing what you next video will be :)

[@ukewarrior]

Do you share the .stls of the light channels you designed? Do you share your arduino lighting code?

[@KathyMillatt]

I haven’t I’m afraid because I had to do manual fettling afterwards to get it to work and I haven’t gone back and sorted the files.

[@ukewarrior]

@@KathyMillatt Well, darn. Remember, the open source community is built for this kinda thing. We keep improving each others designs! Hopefully, you will reconsider posting.

[@jacquessomavilla5524]

Waow 🤩🎠🎡🎪😍

[@bbuubbo]

hi, i really want to know how to power it on and where u found the power supply if u used it

[@KathyMillatt]

I bought a 16vAC supply for the flipper from Gaugemaster. The LEDs are USB power stepped down to 3V.

[@bbuubbo]

@@KathyMillatt tysm

[@bbuubbo]

@@KathyMillatt i cant find it😓

[@KathyMillatt]

@@bbuubbo I got mine via Amazon. I just searched on 16v ac power supply.

[@bbuubbo]

@@KathyMillatt how do i Connect it on the ride ?

[@jakesgreatadventures]

Where can I get this model?

[@KathyMillatt]

It’s by Faller and it’s called the Flipper. I bought it online years ago.

[@petrosgkoufas788]

How can I found it ?

[@KathyMillatt]

I bought mine at Gaugemaster in the UK.

[@Denxtty]

Where could i buy this

[@KathyMillatt]

This is a Faller kit.

[@bobbybrooks4826]

Do you sell these.. you seem to be a Internet seller

[@KathyMillatt]

I don’t sell dioramas. I do sell the odd STL file but I’m not sure I’d say I was a seller at the moment.

[@bellyblister7867]

The man who operates this ride is 14.