Effective Low Tech Solution for Burning Fuse

[Khayaal]

Is anyone able to help me realise an idea for a TIE production? We would like to have a theatrical fuse around the performance area come alight at a point of high tension in the play and then burn at a slow steady pace travelling around the space until a point later in the play when the tension is resolved. I am referring to a powder keg/bomb type of fuse that obviously needs to be clearly visible. We are taking this play to schools so the solution needs to cheat a bit to avoid getting into health and safety issues.

 

Any help/advice/guidance very much appreciated.

[ChrisD]

Magician's flash cord can be made to do what you're after, but I don't envy the guy who does your risk assessments...

[Brian]

Magician's flash cord can be made to do what you're after, but I don't envy the guy who does your risk assessments...

Except it burns at around 1m/sec.

[Martano]

Ditto! I am a magician, and I was just away to say that it would burn far too fast, plus if you are using more that 1 or 2 meters, it can be quite expensive!

[Alpha]

Sounds like you want some pyrotechnic fuse (the sort used for fireworks) known as Plastic Igniter Cord. They all burn at different rates.

 

Blue = 1/4 inch per second

Green = 1 inch per second

Brown = 1 foot per second

 

Hopefully this is helpful to you.

[Jivemaster]

An animatronic flame?

 

Get a length of cord. make a really tiny motorised trolley with an AAA cell and a tiny motor and a "flicker flame" made from LEDs

 

Have the length of "Fuse" together with a separate string and power then with 6vdc to send power down the line, Adjust the voltage to rate the travel.

 

ebay 200269176195 may indicate the small motor possible

 

 

 

Alternatively can you put lots (say 100) LEDs in a prop and use a matrix controller. Two 4017s on a clock would let you control 100 LEDs if you use one clocked 4017 to control anode supply and the other 4017 clocked off the last out from the first one controlling some common cathodes. You could end up with rather a lot of wire! Well 20 cores. This would be effectively a controlled ropelight. I'm sure someone could replace the 4017s with a PIC array or a laptop but why! A 555 clocking a pair of 4017s will give you 100 increments of the "traveling fire" Three 4017s would let you have 200 increments of the point of fire. With a 555 a variable resistor would control the travel speed.

 

Alternatively use real Bickford or real visco at £5 - 15 a time with all the RA issues of having kids and fire, oh! and the smoke tripping alarms too!

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Get a length of 6mm bore clear plastic pipe and pull a T3 high brightness LED through the pipe by pulling on the wires

 

Use a motor concealed in the Keg or use a person.

[slipstream]

Sounds like you want some pyrotechnic fuse (the sort used for fireworks) known as Plastic Igniter Cord. They all burn at different rates.

 

Blue = 1/4 inch per second

Green = 1 inch per second

Brown = 1 foot per second

 

Hopefully this is helpful to you.

 

Except for which none are A - suitable and B - still available, ICI (well Nobel Energetics) stopped making them 3 years ago. South African Grey exists but would fill the place with unpleasant smoke, be murder to risk assess and burns about 25mm per sec.

 

Forget live pyro except for the "lighting sequence" possible and look to the led clear tube or similar ideas.

 

Sam

[Jivemaster]

The terralec instrument cables:

 

http://www.terralec.co.uk/instrument_cable...le/22732_p.html

 

Do in fact look a little like real Bickford fuse:

 

http://www.hfmgroup.com/professionalsuppli...ckford-fuse.jpg

 

Get a big "powder keg" and have a small winch inside pulling a 5m mic lead into the keg physically. Use one jack plug with a socket inside the "Keg" as slip ring connections to send 5 volts or so at 20 - 50ma to feed a flickering flame unit on the free end of the cable.