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new to trains · 01-04-2005

you can produce smoke with the commercially available smoke/ fog oils (£18 for 5 litres from maplin) these are non combustable and non toxic, you need a small length of wire as an element the same stuff used in hot wire foam cutters and many electric toasters ! apply a voltage across the wire and immerse a section of the wire into this oil, and hey presto smoke, -

there are cheap hot wire foam cutters on the market that use a pp3 9 volt battery these are ok, they do however draw alot of current so your batteries dont last long.....

the other way of making cheap smoke is more risky ! that is use one of the solid fuel pocket warmer charcoal sticks, light it until glowing hot ( but not flaming) then crumble bits of fire lighter onto the glowing charcoal, this then smoulders producing smoke, the firelighter does not flame or combust, - this is a good method of producing smoke in a large scale model, all the charcoal and firelighter needs to be contained in a non combustable container.....

i used this method for a big electric tug boat, i use half a drinks can as the container this then hangs inside the boats funnel in a cradle without touching the funnel, as you need clearence all round ( which is a section of drainpipe) and it smokes realistically for a few hours until the charcoal stick burns out..... this method does produce heat and is not really suitable for small or plastic models !- but may be useful to other modellers building large 'steam era' models.

01-04-2005	#4 (permalink)
new to trains Scale Model Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: thames valley Real Name: Guy My Models: model boats, subs, and N scale railways, but all types really! Visit new to trains's Gallery Posts: 739 Images: 30	you can produce smoke with the commercially available smoke/ fog oils (£18 for 5 litres from maplin) these are non combustable and non toxic, you need a small length of wire as an element the same stuff used in hot wire foam cutters and many electric toasters ! apply a voltage across the wire and immerse a section of the wire into this oil, and hey presto smoke, - there are cheap hot wire foam cutters on the market that use a pp3 9 volt battery these are ok, they do however draw alot of current so your batteries dont last long..... the other way of making cheap smoke is more risky ! that is use one of the solid fuel pocket warmer charcoal sticks, light it until glowing hot ( but not flaming) then crumble bits of fire lighter onto the glowing charcoal, this then smoulders producing smoke, the firelighter does not flame or combust, - this is a good method of producing smoke in a large scale model, all the charcoal and firelighter needs to be contained in a non combustable container..... i used this method for a big electric tug boat, i use half a drinks can as the container this then hangs inside the boats funnel in a cradle without touching the funnel, as you need clearence all round ( which is a section of drainpipe) and it smokes realistically for a few hours until the charcoal stick burns out..... this method does produce heat and is not really suitable for small or plastic models !- but may be useful to other modellers building large 'steam era' models.