Practical Firing Pyro Wand

[mthompson113]

Hi All,

 

Been rattling my brains and need some help with links, suggestions, manuals into how I can make a wand that fires robotics for this year's panto. I'm and sound and LX guy and never had to think about this kind of stuff before , so I'm a bit nervous!!

 

Thanks in advance!!

 

Max

[ImagineerTom]

Simple answer; you don't.

 

By definition if you're feeling out of your depth and having to ask strangers on the internet how to make something then it won't have been made to the standards and compliance requirements needed to pass even the most basic of safety tests / risk assessments.

 

There's also an industry-wide consensus that you don't put pyro's in the hands (or direct control of) performers; they just aren't equipped for that responsibility and the question isn't "if" they miss-trigger it but rather how many times and just how much damage they do. There are a few performer triggered gadgets that do exist (example http://www.lemaitreltd.com/p/Flash-Wands/R%5B%5DAVKqBQ--20) but you'll notice they are all designed to work with flash paper because of the relative safety of flashpaper when compared to other pyro's. Don't think of trying to modify one of these gadgets to shoot anything other than flashpaper because a) you'll clog it up, b) anything that slows/changes the burn dramatically increases the danger and c) as modifier you would be personally liable for any and all accidents or incidents that occurred.

[bigclive]

While a robotic would be nice, they do spit out hot sparks for quite a distance. A misfire into clothing or skin could be quite unpleasant.

 

There are effects wands that shoot fireballs. They usually use a set of internal batteries to power a glow igniter to fire a loose ball of flashpaper, giving a bright yellow flaming ball that shoots out the wand and then disappears.

Loading them is critical for reliable results. You need to use fresh dry flash cotton and flash paper, and put a fluffed up puff of the cotton down into the barrel followed by a gently balled up piece of flash paper with a tail to make lighting more reliable. Always have an alternative effect in case it doesn't fire.

Flash wand link.

 

Or do it super-safely with a bright LED on the wand and suitable sound effect.

[cedd]

Or another pyro-free option (I've done this one before myself);

Wand is a hollow tube with a number of LED's installed along its' length (holes drilled in the wall and LED's poking out - wires up the middle). Then build a small handle (it'll be within the actor's hand so could just be a small project box) containing batteries and something like an Arduino which is driving the LED's. Now when the actor presses a button you can get a sequence of LED's running up the wand to look like "magic" flowing from their hand up to the tip, with a super bright one at the end.

The wand I built (I've built a few actually - I seem to be getting a reputation! Just call me Ollivander!) was for a "fairy of the forest" and used 10 WS2811 LED's (SPI controlled - only 3 wires between all LED's). I got a suitable branch and wrapped purple super-thin mic cable around it which went between the LED's. Handle as described above. It worked really well and because the WS2811 LED's are RGB (and 0.3W - nice and bright) you could select the colour too. Mine dimly twinkles in green and then they go to bright white sequenced as described above when the button is pressed. A bit of fake ivy wrapped around it and the purple wire looks like a creeper.

No photos sadly - we're moving house and it's in my storage unit currently.

[Brian]

There's also an industry-wide consensus that you don't put pyro's in the hands (or direct control of) performers; they just aren't equipped for that responsibility and the question isn't "if" they miss-trigger it but rather how many times and just how much damage they do.

 

I think that's a bit of an over-statement, I can think of plenty of productions where pyro is under the direct control of performers.

 

In a properly rehearsed production there really is no good reason not to. I'd rather a performer, with direct sight of what's around them pushed a button rather than an over-worked DSM or a technician in the wings with poor visibility. We happily give performers stabby things and hitty things; why not burny things?

 

I know of several instances where accidents have happened but in all cases the root cause has been a screw-up by the technical crew preparing the device.

 

 

There are a few performer triggered gadgets that do exist (example http://www.lemaitreltd.com/p/Flash-Wands/R%5B%5DAVKqBQ--20) but you'll notice they are all designed to work with flash paper...

 

 

While a robotic would be nice, they do spit out hot sparks for quite a distance. A misfire into clothing or skin could be quite unpleasant.

 

Agreed. Off-the-shelf robotics would not be my first choice for such an effect. There are pyro devices out there that would be though.

 

There are effects wands that shoot fireballs. They usually use a set of internal batteries to power a glow igniter to fire a loose ball of flashpaper, giving a bright yellow flaming ball that shoots out the wand and then disappears.

 

As linked by Tom above but note that as they use a glowplug there is a considerable delay from pushing the button to the effect firing.

 

 

Loading them is critical for reliable results...

 

Practice, practice, practice.

 

 

@OP - what effect are you looking for? Short or long duration? In fact, how long a duration? Is this effect to take place during a spell casting or at the very end? Could it take place all through the casting? How big an effect do you want?