MrBoomal

If you're making a project box, why not use a potentiometer instead.

That way you could adjust it depending on how shouty the person is.

Having recently bought one of these delightfully dodgy machines from China, I can explain why the original poster was just getting a small blue flame from the unit. He most likely used a standard butane lighter refill can. This fits and seals fine, but lacks the dip tube inside the can which is required to blow out enough gas volume to create a fireball or plume of flame. In his case the standard butane can just vented gas alone which was

of a low enough volume to mix with enough air to create a nice efficiently burning blue flame.

 

These machines use a DMX receiver board reminiscent of the type used in basic smoke machines, so there is no real safety system involved. However, they are very simple machines with basically a gas solenoid valve and ignition transformer wired in parallel so that whenever there's gas there's a spark to light it. I'd say that while the machines are not idiot proof by a long chalk, they are no worse than many bits of equipment used by the professional FX companies.

 

Back to the gas. Nobody would be foolish enough to put a can of aerosol air freshener in one of these things would they?

 

 

Oh wait! It appears I've done it and videoed the results.....

 

Next up WD40. But I won't be doing that indoors!

But does it smell nice ?