Working lights on a cake

[JeanneCake]

I have an order for a replica of a local, beloved baseball park to be made entirely of cake - and they want the lights to work (the stadium lights). I have not done anything illuminated in/on a cake before so if you have any ideas how to accomplish this (safely!), I'm all ears! The cake part is easy. It's the lights that are baffling me. I have about 6 weeks to figure it out.... Help!

There should be at least 3 (there are 7 stadium lights total, but 3 is ok with the client) working lights. I was wondering if I should get some of those battery operated candles (the ones you use for windows at Christmas) and outfit it with an appropriate outer covering (no, I don't have any ideas for this yet. Most of the modeling is going to be done in colored chocolate and I think this little bit of heat would probably melt if I covered the outside of the candle with chocolate. And wouldn't the bulb be too big?

The actual light part I'm not sure how I would do - sheet gelatin might melt so maybe I'd have to use a laminated piece of plastic over the bulb??

and, no - it's not for a bar mitzvah

[Kayakado]

you can get really small led lights with small round batteries that might work. I've used small string of battery operated christmas lights for decorating which were purchased at the local craft craft store. In either case you'd need to hide the battery, wiring or both. I hid the batteries in the base of the decoration.

[Kent Wang]

LED lights will not generate nearly as much heat. They are a bit pricey though.

[Dave the Cook]

I'm with Kent. LED arrays are cool (temperature-wise, I mean), lightweight, and don't require a lot of power. (This is sort of what I have in mind, though this specific module wouldn't be appropriate.) You might be able to adapt lights made for model train sets: something from here, maybe.

[K8memphis]

I used white (clear) battery powered lights in a wedding cake. I attached them to the stand though. They were not encased in cake. Whatever heat generated was not a factor. Check out the bridal area of the local Hobby Lobby or Michael's & see if they have those lights. I got a picture of it somewhere. That shows the dimensions of the little battery box to the handle of the scissors. Then they are just little bitty lights, ten of them if I am remembering correctly with an of off switch. The white thing is the stand I was placing them in--btw the black battery box is about maybe an inch deep. Easy peasy. No soldering. There are white battery boxes too, some with green wires. Cheap.

Edited August 16, 2006 by K8memphis (log)

[DerekW]

Yup, LEDs. Your local model shop may be able to provide an 'off the shelf' solution, but if you can solder, or know someone who can then you can probably come up with something cheaper and more effective. Most folk involved in servicing computer or audio equipment would be able to do what's needed in minutes.

In the last couple of years, white LEDs have become commonplace cheap as cycling lights. This one from the Mountain Equipment Co-op is about three bucks and you would certainly not need an array of them - the single LED would be all that each stadium light required. Similar lights are sold in dollar stores &c.

The LED in the 'turtle light' will be soldered onto a small circuit board. It can be unsoldered, and attached to the end of a pair of wires which are in turn soldered back onto the circuit board. Suitable twin wire can be readily stripped from the side of computer 'ribbon cable'. It's important to preserve the relationship of LED legs to circuit board holes, but if your friendly local tech is doing the soldering then they should already know that...

Pictures of the finished result are of course obligatory

[chefpeon]

So, like, what if you got a bunch of these?

Take the keychain part of it off, and build some sort of gumpaste "casing" around it to make it look like a stadium light. These would be handy in that you don't have to mess with any wires...they are all self contained and powered. These also have an on/off switch so they stay on without having to squeeze them.

I have one of these.

It might even work better, since it's on a flexible neck.

Edited August 17, 2006 by chefpeon (log)

[rooftop1000]

Jeanne

Try the local version of PepBoys or Strauss Auto, they have racks of mini LEDs for lighting up your car interior or whatever the kids are lighing up on their cars now ...plus all those key chains too

tracey

doll house accesories also

[K8memphis]

Hey look what I found. Check the last item in the list. Two bucks.

Edited August 20, 2006 by K8memphis (log)

[JeanneCake]

these are great suggestions! The ballpark is Fenway and I was watching Ace of Cakes tonight - one of the teasers was a ballpark cake with lights! I might just watch and see what he does.... after Bripastryguy's post on that thread I was considering emailing Charm City and asking what he would do - now I can watch and see if I pick up any tips.

I was thinking that maybe the keychain light (minus the key ring) might work because I could make it part of the base of the light, use a bubble straw and fashion something for the top (I hadn't gotten that far yet). I like that I could just press a button and have the lights work. No electric cables, etc. But I'm still thinking about it. Well, after next weekend. 7 weddings and various other event cakes. I'm already tired just thinking about it.