Help Help Fire

[lobo734]

I want to simulate an active fire coming from a small container. Any suggestions on how to achieve the effect?

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

There is such a thing as a "flicker" LED. Basically flickers from red to orange/yellow, making it look sort of like flickering flames.

Grendals would know what they are called, I am sure he will see this.

 

[The Nylon Gag]

What about those restaurant candles that flicker?

Maybe that would work?

Gag

 

[TiM]

If you fancy a go yourself -

http://fnbcreations.net/Articles/FIREFLICKER.pdf

I am currently gathering the supplies as I want a welding torch effect, depending when you want to try (if you want to try) I will have some parts as I'm buying small batches of chips rather than single items.

A note to the link I saved for myself- if you have a DC source of 5V, the items left of the resistors arn't needed as that is a 5V voltage regulator and capacitor.

I am no expert, in fact I will be posting some questions of my own later as the range of chips is quite baffling if you don't understand the nomenclature. ???

Alternatively, I did find a pre-made fire flicker circuit for dolls-houses, however £17+ was a bit steep for something I can try for myself for under £2.

 

[TiM]

Alternative to electronics -

If you want to paint a simulated effect, look up object source lighting or similar - commonly used technique in miniature figure painting. Key points to note in creating fire are that it is hottest (lightest near to the source if you "paint" a flame and darkens to red / smoke at the extremeties.)

I found these to illustrate what I'm saying;

http://hot-lead.org/advance/fire_theory.htm

http://blog.brushthralls.com/?page_id=1916

 

[Grendels]

There is such a thing as a "flicker" LED. Basically flickers from red to orange/yellow, making it look sort of like flickering flames.

Grendals would know what they are called, I am sure he will see this.

I don't know what they are called and I have never seen a solo flickering LED.

The link that TRM posted looks good, but it is a bit complicated.

I would just take a flickering LED candle and hack it apart. These candles are pretty cheap, and when you do take one apart, you will find that they use a very small circuit to do the flicker.

But those candles will not do what TRM would like, they will never be bright.

And don't forget to search model railroad sites:

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/fire-led.html

http://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/fake-fire.html

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/770-3667

 

[TRM]

LOL...I know you meant "TiM", not TRM right John!!! ;D (all good brotha') I can make fire...especially at work,

Live Dust Explosion at FM Global's Research Campus in West Glocester, Rhode Island



tis what I do, blow things up!!! But have not figured out the "active" fire on the model yet. Love the concept though!! Great discussion an I will be sure to post something if I come up with it!!!! Carry on...will be following now!! :

 

[TiM]

I will obviously be calling him Grundels from now on ;D or something similar...

While reading stuff in the web over the past few days while trying to get my head around what I actually want to try - I have seen LEDs that have more than one colour, by having more than one element in the LED itself and 2or 3 additional anodes with one cathode (or might be the other way round, don't shoot me!) which has got me thinking that a flickering circuit could be done with just a single LED...

I am now trying to find where I spotted it. :-[

Found some - red/yellow single LED for the princely sum of £0,10. There are many types, unfortunately some of the colour varieties are only available in SMD, not through hole.
SMD = surface mount device, the kind assembled by robots that light up mobile phones etc.
Through Hole = the ones with legs!

 

[Grendels]

OOPS....... ???

Sorry, I have been really busy with work and the contest, not getting much sleep.....

TiM: One of the threads I posted talked about doing exactly what you propose. They used a few different flasher LED's to simulate fire. They also had a couple steady LED's too.

 

[huntr]

no?

 

[lobo734]

just picked a couple of those up real cheap I'll tear them apart sometime this weekend and see what I can do with them thanks guys