The next step ..... explosions

[DesmondD]

Tonight I put together another sound activated switch



and instead of wiring it up to a flash I wired it up to my other invention .... the sparking machine !



Now when there is a sound it triggers the coil which switches via a relay at around 20X per second and generates up to 25000 volts .
I took an old power cord and joined the wires to the output and modified the end of the cable to provide a controlled gap for the spark to jump across - probably around 10000 volts .
Now I need to work out how to fill a balloon with gas without letting too much escape , then I place it on top of the power cord , make a noise .... boom !






.

[ameerat42]

Des. In theory you should get a big bang. If you don't, then we're not all here because nothing will have ever happened. I think you're having a lot of . Can't wait to see the results. That's if I even get to exist. Am. (No, maybe.)

[I @ M]

Desmond, you are quite clearly destined for immortality in the photographic hall of ---- insanity

Wanna come round for dinner mate?

[DesmondD]

Des. In theory you should get a big bang. If you don't, then we're not all here because nothing will have ever happened. I think you're having a lot of . Can't wait to see the results. That's if I even get to exist. Am. (No, maybe.)

Desmond, you are quite clearly destined for immortality in the photographic hall of ---- insanity
Wanna come round for dinner mate?

Can you foresee the discussions ?
" Did you know that Desmond had blew eyes ?"
" BLEW eyes ???"
" yes , one blew to the left and the other one blew to the right ! "

[DesmondD]

Tonight I did a few tests - first I set up the contraption just to see how well it would ignite some white spirits [ benzine ]



Initially I was interested to see what effect flash would have on fire - just for interest .





I need to do some more tests to find the right settings before committing to time consuming setups .



.

[DesmondD]

And a few more tests ...

[DesmondD]

And the last few - I notice that flash simply adds the smoke to the exposure .

[peterking]

This is scary. I want to play.
If I paid you would you be willing to make one of those units for me & how much.
I can't solder for nuts!! Let alone read a schematic!
Keep doing what you're doing. It's brilliant.

[DesmondD]

This is scary. I want to play.
If I paid you would you be willing to make one of those units for me & how much.
I can't solder for nuts!! Let alone read a schematic!
Keep doing what you're doing. It's brilliant.

I haven't finished my 'design' yet .... last night I opened an old flash and did some research , apparently the trigger circuit of the flash fires at a few thousand volts so it may be simpler to modify an old flash and get instant triggering with the shutter ....

[DesmondD]

Tonight I disconnected the trigger wire that goes to the flash bulb itself and ran an earth wire next to it .
I can trigger a 2mm spark across the gap via a wireless flash trigger but unfortunately it wasn't enough to ignite the mixture





.

[DesmondD]

I think I need to modify the spark gap a bit . Tonight I set up some 'almost' empty paint cans and shot them , with the sparking circuit leaning up against the can . I had the sound activated trigger connecting the sparking circuit through its relay and had to unplug the battery each time - I think the load is a bit much for that relay and it sticks a bit .
I shot with the D90 in high speed mode at iso 200 , F9 and 1/1000th sec and only got one real fireball out of the lot , none of the others ignited . Since it was raining I stood in the garage with the can just out of the shelter ....



I should have used a wider lens because the fireball crept along the ground and wasn't all in the picture . There was a bit of a 'Boom' and I think the garage window opened a few more inches behind me .



That was a bit disappointing so I set up a plate of white spirits again .




.

[I @ M]

Desmond, I want to see the results of a fruit juice tetra pack (prima or similar) filled with an ignitable mixture of oxygen and acetylene (simply insert oxy set nozzle into said tetra pack through the straw hole, fill to swollen, duct tape the straw hole and ignite) that should shift the garage window a bit more and provide an interesting picture (if the camera survives) as well as test out the speed at which your trigger reacts.

BTW, wear ear, eye and gonad protection ya crazy bugga.

[DesmondD]

Desmond, I want to see the results of a fruit juice tetra pack (prima or similar) filled with an ignitable mixture of oxygen and acetylene (simply insert oxy set nozzle into said tetra pack through the straw hole, fill to swollen, duct tape the straw hole and ignite) that should shift the garage window a bit more and provide an interesting picture (if the camera survives) as well as test out the speed at which your trigger reacts.

BTW, wear ear, eye and gonad protection ya crazy bugga.

I had a pair of safety goggles on - I was wearing shorts and felt the warm breeze on my legs .

[TEITZY]

Haha. You'll either put NZ on the map or wipe it out completely

Interesting stuff as usual Desmond.


Cheers
Leigh

[DesmondD]

Haha. You'll either put NZ on the map or wipe it out completely

.... or my chances of having children one day !

[DesmondD]

What really annoyed me was the fact that the 'easy to take ' pictures of a fire burning in the plate looked nicer than the set-up picture that never came out so well ... for now .

[beaco]

you have way too much time on your hands - cool pics though.

[DesmondD]

you have way too much time on your hands - cool pics though.

That took half an hour - less time than most people spend watching TV
But then I don't have a TV

[DesmondD]

Saturday night - this is what my table looks like ....



the coil switching module works very nicely and gives a good spark . I've wired in a resistor and when I flash the switching wire across positive I get a nice fat spark .
Now the trouble is :
When I connect my wireless flash trigger/receiver to this SSR with a 12 volt feed ....

The little red light flicks on and off but no matter which way I connect the wires on the switching contacts nothing happens at the coil .

Then when I wire it up to this SSR



It switches the relay on .. and it stays on .
If I hold one of the wires on the switched terminals and trigger it with the remote and then take the wire off it sparks .... once it switches the 12 volt feed it just stays on . If I can get it to simply pulse on and off I will get my spark when I push the shutter release .
Anyone have any ideas ?

[DesmondD]

Success ! ..... yeeeeehaaaaaaa