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I want to put 10 bulbs on our wall mirror to make it full size vanity. Here are my questions hope someone can help me .

  1. Is it OK to use 12gauge for 10bulbs 3W?
  2. I want to use plug for turning it on and off. Is it OK?
  3. Framing of my mirror is made of leather. Will it melt or something when the bulb becomes hot?

The lighted mirror will look something like this: enter image description here

Instead of a metal frame, though, it will be covered in leather.

I'll be using 2 1/4" 4A 240V receptacles, I have available this 10A 250v plug:

enter image description here

And I am planning to buy this small switch:

enter image description here

I'll just use electrical tape to cover each connection. I'm not going use any other stuff.

If you guys have suggestions to make it better and safer please let me know because I'm just doing a DIY project here.

I hope you can make the explanation more understandable for people like me who knows basic electrical work only.

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    What type of socket/fixtures are you going to use for the bulbs?
    – JACK
    Aug 17, 2020 at 18:56
  • I wouldn't think leather would melt. If an incandescent bulb gets close enough and is high enough wattage, it might start to burn it, but not melt. Agree with others - we need a lot more details. Edit the post to include a sketch (doesn't have to be fancy or even to scale, just write on measurements so we know). Describe the construction - the whole thing isn't made of leather is it? There's gotta be something holding the leather up. "10 bulbs 3W" - are these incandescent, CFL, LED, halogen, mercury vapor, what?
    – FreeMan
    Aug 17, 2020 at 20:40
  • Why do you want to plug/unplug it to turn it on/off instead of using say, an in-line cord switch? Also, are these 3W bulbs LED, incandescent, ...?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Aug 17, 2020 at 23:45
  • Hi guys thank you so much! There, just updated it.
    – R_A
    Aug 18, 2020 at 3:25
  • There now seems to be almost enough info to reopen this question. Please tell us what kind of lighting you're planning on using: incandescent, CFL, LED, other? Based on your plug/switch, it appears that these will be AC mains powered, not low-voltage DC, so that's helpful info.
    – FreeMan
    Aug 18, 2020 at 13:15

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All of your construction methods either need to

  • comply with the UL White Book standards, if it is a removable fixture; or
  • otherwise comply with NEC wiring standards (or your electrical code which will be substantially similar).

Aside from that, Mrs. Lincoln... yes, 12 AWG is acceptable as interconnect wire.

If you are hellbound and determined to disregard such standards, my strongest possible advice is to make it a low-voltage setup, where you use common 12-volt bulbs, and the thing that plugs into the wall is a UL-listed "wall-wart".

While switching a 120V fixture by plugging and unplugging would never be allowed, nobody's going to notice or care if it's a 12-volt wall-wart, because such a lamp would basically be disregarded by the AHJ. The flipside of that is that it would not satisfy the requirement for a switchable light in the room; you'd still need another light on a switch.

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  • OP may not be in the US, so local standards may apply instead.
    – Phil Freedenberg
    Aug 17, 2020 at 19:01

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