How to make a smoke machine for your big scale tanks and boats for next to nothing!!

JR

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That's so realistic Terry. Well done .:thumb2:
 

tigertc

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update...its a bit messy, had to rush it due to busy mothers day- I had to cook!!!!
 
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Hi - a quick question which may be utterly stupid, but I'm a complete novice, so please let me down gently!
I need to put something similar to this set up in a handheld prop - ideally run on a 9v battery. No fan is required, and I need it to smoke for a few minutes at a time.
From watching the build, I'm thinking that a connection from the wrapped nichrome to the battery clip with a switch could produce a decent amount of smoke for a short time. Am I mad?! Will I need to factor in a resistor? Any help very, very gratefully received...
 

JR

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Hi - a quick question which may be utterly stupid, but I'm a complete novice, so please let me down gently!
I need to put something similar to this set up in a handheld prop - ideally run on a 9v battery. No fan is required, and I need it to smoke for a few minutes at a time.
From watching the build, I'm thinking that a connection from the wrapped nichrome to the battery clip with a switch could produce a decent amount of smoke for a short time. Am I mad?! Will I need to factor in a resistor? Any help very, very gratefully received...
Welcome to the forum Carolyn, hope you will post what ever it is your building as it sounds interesting.
 

boatman

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YES IT DOES i have a steam unit in my ships but they are not cheap
chris
 
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Welcome to the forum Carolyn, hope you will post what ever it is your building as it sounds interesting.

As odd as it sounds it's for a 'smoking' crystal ball! Lights are a doddle for it but getting the inside of the globe filled with swirling smoke while it's carried around on stage has been proving to be a bit more challenging...
 

boatman

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As odd as it sounds it's for a 'smoking' crystal ball! Lights are a doddle for it but getting the inside of the globe filled with swirling smoke while it's carried around on stage has been proving to be a bit more challenging...
HI Carolyn ON stage eh wont you be better off with dry ice ? if you can get it that is
chris
 
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HI Carolyn ON stage eh wont you be better off with dry ice ? if you can get it that is
chris
Dry ice would be amazing but getting hold of it over the length of the run would blow my budget.
Carolyn
 

Tim Marlow

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Hi Carolyn. Could you perhaps rig up something from a vape device?
 

boatman

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Come on guys cant anyone eles think up something for this young lady ? an Carolyn how big is your
crystal ball ?
chris
 
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Hi Carolyn. Could you perhaps rig up something from a vape device?
I've investigated them, as people are getting some great results - the downside is you have to have a pump to force air into the system (to simulate the 'inhale') and that starts making it more complicated and noisy!
 
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Come on guys cant anyone eles think up something for this young lady ? an Carolyn how big is your
crystal ball ?
chris
The crystal ball is an acrylic globe light fitting - about 8 or 9 inchesø.
I've got hold of an old hairdryer to strip down for the nichrome wire, so just need to get some fibreglass wadding and see how well it works on the 9v battery!
 
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Update on the smoking crystal ball - the 9v battery got the wire warm, but didn't have enough juice to vapourise the smoke fuel. 6 AA batteries did the trick quite nicely. If I can get a video with a small enough file size I'll upload it! Thanks all for the help
 
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Hurrah, a video at last...
 

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