I love that foil tape from them wee poundshops! Getting harder to find so I grab a few when I find them! Beats buying them sheets for models for tenner a sheet! I'm a modeler myself armour nowadays but was cars years ago when younger and I still grow and train bonsai trees! The silver foil tape is Brilliant for making light reflectors for bringing trees innthe greenhouse over winter mornin the house! I'm away to build a light defuser for my bench for the models soon with it too! Need a clear light frosted acrilic for the front of the reflector I have these LEDs but they hit the middle of the desk to much!
this sir, is the most helpfull video i found in hours of reserching for my electric-smoke-granade project i am working on right now. i will need WAAAY more smoke, but looks like it is just a matter of voltage i guess. maybe i just try out my 2s-Lipos for the first try
Hey I made one even smaller, it is a 3.7 volt mini lipo connected to a 28 gauge nichrome wire coil that is wrapped around some cotton that is soaked in vegetable glycol. It makes billows of vapor that I imagine would be perfect for an electric smoke grenade
wondering if there is a way to increase the thickness or change the colour of the smoke? Also it would be cool to have a smoke chamber after the initial outlet where it can accumulate and be discharged in a great puff or be manipulated by mechanical means.
As for changing the colour, if you find a way I think you'll be the first. It's a bit of a Holy Grail among the radio control community in particular to make black smoke for model boats and "coal rolling" trucks. Nothing has yet worked, as far as I'm aware. To increase the amount of smoke, up the current to the heater. This will shorten the life of the heater and generate more heat, increasing the risk of fire. An accumulator might work. I've never tried it myself but it's worth looking into.
Would this work as ground fog for a 1:12 scale kelpie forest diorama? It would be under the base, coming up through strategic holes. Maybe without the fan part, so it just kind of "drifts" upwards?
You could certainly try, but for something like that, you might want to consider a fogger. You can get them on Amazon and ebay and they basically make a mist using water. If you dio will stand up to the water, that might work. I honestly don't know if they're any good, but it might be worth a go. Something like this maybe - amzn.to/2Sh3Q9S
Im so glad you have done a nice video of how you make one, Thank you As an idea, why not ad a micro potentiometer and then use a 5v fan , you can then control your airflow and also save power and use a smaller voltage battery.
You could do that, sure. I tend to build them very basic, but a friend on mine has one I built for him that is Arduino controlled, has temperature sensors and all sorts. It really depends how far you want to go with it.
@@SteamGeezerUK Basic is a good option for simplicity , Personal an Arduino is a lot of extra work with all the wiring to put somewhere, But nether the less if one needs those features then at least he has leant how to do it. Oh i have a question for you SteamGeezer . Can you make different colour smoke, as i would like to have black or grey.
@@spudnickuk If you ever find a way to make different coloured smoke, you'll make a fortune, because as far as I know, no-one has ever figured that out :-)
I'm afraid not. As far as I'm aware, there's no way to colour the smoke without using some extremely toxic and noxious chemicals, the kind they use in smoke grenades. If you add food colouring, it will simply stick to the wick and probably catch fire or stop the thing working altogether. If anyone ever figures it out, it'll make them rich... 🙂
Hello there. Great video first of all. I've been looking for a way to replicate fire for a diorama. Basically i just want to make an unfortunate engine fire in 1:25 scale. Didn't know how to nail that properly untill now. If i can get the smoke to slowly seep through small crooks with a bright orange led under it i think that could work. I've seen stationary explosion effects by using cotton (and led) but i'm just looking for a regular fire. So thank you for the inspiration and keep it up!
How long before the coils breaks? Using vaps before they don't last hell of a long! Try one of them discs from a pond fogger!? I wonder how big there coils are in them Heng long RC tanks for the smoke feature! That would actually be quite interesting to see a breakdown of there smoke system!
No, they don't last long, but they're easy enough to replace and, because there's generally less power going through these than in a vape, they last quite well comparatively. As for the Heng Long smoke machines, I thought about getting one but they're pretty expensive to get just to take apart.
Did the coil actually go in the fluid? Does it matter if it's in the fluid? I didn't see you bend the wick down. The wick was straight through the coil so I don't know how it would been kept out of the fluid. If that's the case then why would you need the wick? ❓
Ideally you want the coil above the fluid and the wick to carry the fluid to the heater coil, otherwise the coil would have to heat all of the fluid at once, rather than just the small amount in the wick.
What would you say is the best way to reduce the risk of the generator overheating/catching fire? Would using the fiberglass rope be less risky? Would using the fiberglass rope make any other sort of difference in any way? Is there another method to help dissipate the heat? How long would you say it could be left running without issue? Also-and forgive my complete ignorance of electrical engineering-how would one go about rigging this up to be plugged into an AC outlet?
The best way to keep the heat down is don't run the machine too long. I can't really give a hard and fast rule because every machine will be different, but I generally work to a base idea of maybe five seconds on and then at least ten seconds off. The fibreglass rope is used as a wick because it has a melting point of about 900 degrees Celsius, so it won't melt or burn. As for cooling methods, there are all kinds of things one could do, like heatsinks, cooling fans and so on, but then you start making the machine much more bulky. The best option for a small machine like this is to run it only for a few seconds and then give it time to cool down. I really wouldn't advise running this thing for much longer than that - there's a reason why commercial smoke machines cost a fortune - they have the tech inside them to shut them down if they overheat. This one doesn't. As to your last point, to run a USB powered smoke machine from a wall socket would be as simple as plugging in a wall charger and then connecting the cable to the smoke machine, exactly as you would with a phone or tablet.
I would like to produce a slow smoke stream (fog) through a "manifold" where the smoke ca be channeled to several 1/22-1/24 scale house chimneys to help simulate a winter scene. Although unlikely as shown, would your unit installed with a stronger fan be able to produce such a stream through tubing or duct? Thank you
It actually requires very little airflow to move the smoke. I would suggest that, even as it is, it may well do what you want. I think the main thing would be a larger diameter outlet - I made another one recently with a 10mm outlet that would probably be more suitable; ruclips.net/video/X9ZnzoizvDo/видео.html
So I made one just like you. Same size coil. I hooked it up to the usb power supply and it just turns off. I think the coil and fan are to much for it. So I ordered 2-18650 batteries with a charger and a 2 pack box so I can have 7.4v I’m Hoping this will work
You'll definitely get a better effect with more power, but you might find the coil won't last as long. The problem with USB power supplies is they're often very low power output, 1 amp or lower, whereas vape coils need more. You might find even one 18650 will give you better results, just because it will flow more power.
That's very possible. The main purpose of this video is to show how the basic machine is made, but there's all kinds of bells and whistles one can attach. A friend of mine has one in one of his projects and it is controlled by an arduino that monitors the temperature and dials the heat up and down so it doesn't overheat, for example.
@@SteamGeezerUK The arduino is probably an overkill as there are few external factors changing the temperature of the wire (an exception might be running out of glycerine mix). I made a learning circuit that does that for peltier cooling a cpu...but that's changing all the time...so worth it. Your idea of keeping it simple is a good one!
It controls other things too, but the main issue isn't the heater element itself but that these small boxes heat up fast and can eventually melt or even catch fire. The thermistor allows the arduino to toggle the smoke machine on and off and controls a cooling fan.
you dont need a bigger battery or a different coil if you want to get more smoke, just change your fluid. use pure vegetable glycerin for denser vapour. yours is a 50/50 mix, the PG (Propylene Glycol) dilutes it so the vapour isnt as thick as it could be.
I usually do use pure VG in them. I have a couple of gallons I bought a while back to preserve some plants, so I usually use that if I'm not using actual commercial smoke fluid.
You went from 5v to 12v and slowed the flow, but what if I was looking for that slow creeping eerie fog effect? To specify, I am doing a sculpture and I am planning my first attempt at integrating lighting (and other) effects, utilizing the base of the sculpture for components. To not get too into specifics, at the top of the sculpture is a crystal (acrylic) ball that I plan to position a 1.6mm 3v led underneath to have the light shine through. Because that's not enough, I set on the mission to find a tiny fog machine solution that I could channel the fog up and out small slits I would have around the bottom edge of the ball. My goal is to have it slowly creep out and sort of envelop the sculpture, not necessarily just pump out a stream of smoke. What would you recommend?
That sounds like a great project. It's going to be tricky to get the effect you want, because the smoke from a smoke machine is basically a cloud of vapour, so it will have a tendency to rise. There are two things that spring to mind - first would be to use dry ice, but that's a pain because you have to keep refilling it, and of course buying and storing dry ice. The second solution might be to use the sculpture itself to slow down the smoke. In the video I made of the prototype of this machine, I use a cardboard tube to slow down the smoke and create more of a cloud than a stream. Not knowing what shape your sculpture is, I don't know if this would work, but if you could create some kind of hollow under where you want the smoke to come out, it would allow the smoke to spread out and slow down. That might work... Anyway, here's a link to the video. ruclips.net/video/dsFNSFOjFCo/видео.html I wish you all the best with it, and hope you'll show us what you come up with - it sounds very cool.
hi m8 made a smoke machine 7.2 v bbattery 50mm x50mm fan just about working fan is correct way but more smoke is coming from fan ive made outlet much bigger but same prob using 23 gauge vape coil wire any tips please ty
Air will always take the path of least resistance, so increasing the size of the outlet should help, but if the fan is creating pressure in the box, then the smoke will come out any way it can. Try slowing the fan speed down, see if that helps.
@@SteamGeezerUK hi thx for reply its goin in a boat it would look like its on fire lol would make difference if i use bigger box/fan? my fan/battery are wired together but can change if have to but it was easier that way many thx again
@@ravenxbmc1456 It might do. I have to say smoke machines are a bit of witchcraft at times - sometimes you have to experiment to see what gives you the result you want.
Awesome! How long can you keep this running? I heard in other videos that the coil gets too hot after about 20 seconds and you need to turn it off and let the coil cool down before turning on again
It really depends on the machine and how it's made. Commercial smoke machines can theoretically run continuously, but small ones like this are pretty much as you described - if you run them for too long, the coil will overheat and potentially catch fire. These are definitely made for short bursts, not continuous use. I would run this one for maybe a minute before shutting it down.
@@SteamGeezerUK great thanks! Could you help me with the wiring circuit. I got a 5v fan and the same coil set that you had in the video. But I don't know how to calculate the circuit
Is it possible to create black smoke by adding a colored additive of some sort? I've recently started working again on some of my old 1/16 scale RC Tanks and I might actually be interested in adding a smoke generator to one of them but the idea of white smoke exiting the vehicle is kinda... meh?
As far as I know, no-one has been able to change the colour of the smoke. It's a bit of a Holy Grail thing among RC car builders especially. If you find a way to do it, please let me know :-)
How do you know what coil to use, I am thinking of trying to use a 12v PSU with a ceramic wire wound resistor but I didn’t know what specs I needed, whether 30 ohm 5 Watts would be any good, so then I though about using a 5v step down with the 12v psu but I don’t know what spec vape coil I need, would you be able to help me out with this?
I confess I'm no expert of vape coils. I bought a box with a variety of coils and tried different ones until i found one that worked. One thing that might work would be to build your power supply and then take it to a vape shop and ask them. Something to bear in mind stepping down power is that most 5v transformers are limited to an output of 1 amp, so you'll need a coil capable of heating sufficiently with that power output. I believe a lot of higher quality vape machines run at 6v with a battery up to 20A. I don't know how they do it, but I wish I did. Thanks for watching. Let us know how you get on.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders Ok, so after a bit of research I have seen that at 11:32 you picked out a 0.85 ohm Clapton coil, after looking up vapes I have seen a lot of them use a 18650 battery and to the best of my knowledge that is a 3.7v battery so I popped those two pieces of information into a Ohms Law Vaping website: imagebin.ca/v/4VEijYM01Sl1 where is told me that it would draw 4.35 amps at 3.7v which is also 16.11 Watts, so this then allows me to look for step down to 3.7v that takes 5 amps such as: vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=283335040239&category=181925&pm=1&ds=0&t=1547187106000&ver=0&cspheader=1 so then I can power the smoke machine along with the arduino that will control the coil using a transistor (MOSFET)
The battery in this case was an LG HS2 18650. I wasn't using anything other than the charging circuit show in the video, but one does have to be careful in such cases not to over drain the battery. If it gets too flat, it can be difficult to recharge. I have a smart charger that can rescue over-discharged batteries, but most normal chargers may not have that ability.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders Ok thanks, I know very little about hooking up circuits, so if you have another vid on hooking up the rest of it that would be great
I did make a video on making a 3.7v charging circuit. It's exactly the same as what I did here other than a the battery type. The only difference would be a battery holder for the 18650. ruclips.net/video/qLUQw4uVg1s/видео.html
It really depends on the setting. On the tank build this went in, it was open to the air so it just blows away. If you were to enclose it in a display case, then over time I would expect there to be some residue, but I think it would take a while. The problem is, the glycerine in the vape fluid doesn't evaporate (ironically), so any residue would remain indefinitely.
It came from ebay - search for "vape wick". Quite often vendors will supply some when you buy vape coils. If you can't find any, you can also use a few strands of flbreglass rope. That's usually sold to line the doors of wood burning stoves and such.
I've started to build this, my first problem is that the 12 volt fan doesn't start unless there's about 10.5 volts supplied to it. Once going it will run on 5 volts. Are there different brands of motor or what? I'm enjoying the challenge anyway!
I honestly don't know. The fans I use are the cheapest, generic fans I could find on ebay, from a Chinese vendor. I'm going to be away all day tomorrow but I can have a look tomorrow evening, but I don't recall them having a manufacturer on them, but I'll take a look and see.
Absolutely. Most of the smoke machines I make are 12v. The one thing I would say is that, if you're planning to go to 12v, a vape coil will most likely burnt out like a fuse - they're not designed for that kind of voltage. The highest I've gone safely with a vape coil is 8.8v (2x 18650 batteries), but when I tried a 12v battery it just burned out really fast. You could use 12v in really short bursts (maybe one second or less), but I would advise using a different heating element, either nichrome wire or buy a cheap hairdryer and use some of the heater wire from that. If you have one near you, you could try visiting a vape specialist store and asking them if they have a coil that can withstand 12v. Also keep in mind it may well generate far more heat, so a smaller box might melt or distort.
@@SteamGeezerUK Thank you. I assume it needs to be a DC adapter as the fan is DC. I have an old toaster so will be using part of the heating element from that which I assume should be OK.
I would think so. I've not used anything like that, but it works on the same principle - using resistance to turn electricity into heat. I would just reiterate the need for caution - it's very easy to get things way too hot :-) I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Hi, this is amazing and I really hope to be able to make my own for a diorama I’m planning! I’m afraid I’m a complete novice about this sort of stuff and didn’t really follow the part right at the end where you had it all connected up to the battery and the charging circuit-I have no idea what those bits are! Would you be able to tell me a little more? Thanks :)
I made another video on the charging circuit, hopefully that will help you out. If not, let me know and we'll see what we can do to help you out. ruclips.net/video/qLUQw4uVg1s/видео.html
Thanks, I appreciate it. I usually just refill it through the tube with a syringe. You could take the lid off but there's no real need. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for watching. I believe it's an RX2007 box, approximately 46x32x19mm. I'd have to double check to be sure. I've made smaller ones - the smallest is less than 25mm square, although it does tend to overheat quickly.
I found them on ebay, but they can be quite hard to find and seem to go out of stock a lot. You just have to keep searching. I can't find any at the moment anywhere.
Hello there! Impressing video and I'm happy to found it! I know lots of people bombing You with questions but I've had one too. How do you think it is possible to use this in an RC car from a servo? I mean a servo circuit? I have a few broken ones but the circuit boards are OK. So I wanna solder the fan and the heater coil to the servo motor output. It gets about 6V from the ESC through the reciever. What do You think? It's a gogo or a nogo? Thank You anyway! Greetings from Hungary! 😉
It's an interesting idea. I think it's likely you'd only get the fan spinning at full power, but it would probably give you a way to turn the smoke on and off using the car's controller, so it's certainly worth a try. I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it :-)
@@SteamGeezerUK thanks, im trying to make a smoke system for my trx4 bronco that comes out of the exhaust and a smoke system for my drift car to make it look like there is tire smoke when it drifts. The heng long tank smoke generators i got dont work at all.
@@munkeynutzmcgraw4680 If that's the case and you want to power it from the car's battery, I would suggest finding a vape shop, taking the battery with you and seeing what vape coils they have that will hold up to the charge in the battery. I'd also recommend trying to find an aluminium box instead of plastic for the smoke machine as it will handle the heat better and, if the wick catches fire, it won't burn your cars to the ground :-)
That’s great, thanks for that. I’d like to have a go at making one as an exhaust for a 1:8 scale model, was your smaller one made the same way? Really appreciate your video, I can’t wait to give this a go
No, I'm afraid not. They can get warm during operation and they do need to be monitored quite closely. If they run dry, in extreme cases they can even catch fire if left unattended and I'm sure you can understand I don't want someone coming after me because they left it alone and burned their house down :-)
I am an okay model builder, but absolute noob when it comes to what you're showing here. Can I not simply BUY a complete generator from you for my next project?
I'm afraid I don't sell these. They do require a fair amount of baby-sitting as they can get hot and even catch fire if used incorrectly, and I'm sure you can appreciate I don't want to be held responsible for such a thing happening.
I don't, I'm afraid. They need to be monitored quite closely as they can get hot, being so small., so I don't feel comfortable selling them in case someone had an incident with one. That's why I made the video, so people could make their own.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders that’s understandable just with you having “independent traders” in your name wonder if you had a store but no worries many thanks :)
I don't have a specific list of materials, but everything mentioned in the video is sourced pretty much from ebay. You've basically got the box, a fan, the heater coil, some fibreglass rope, a battery, a small tube for the outlet, some aluminium tape (optional) and some vape fluid.
Not as a rule, no. The problem is that, because of the small size, they can get hot quite quickly and need to be handled with care. I'd rather not take the risk of selling one to someone who ends up burning their house down and blaming me :-) That's why I made the video, so people can make their own. I have sold a couple of them, but only to people I know who appreciate the inherent risks in such a device.
I'm not sure what you're referring to. I don't remove posts, unless they're spam or in some manner offensive (profanity etc). Having said that, RUclips's automated systems will remove posts if they've been flagged by another user. I've barely been on RUclips for months, so whatever it was, it wasn't me :-)
One of the best instructions!
This is amazing! Just what I’ve been looking for.
I'm glad it was useful for you. I've posted some other designs too, so feel free to check those out - ruclips.net/p/PL6Tibx9kQcv7tWMijdEOj7yrhuwu6a2Pq
Exactly what I want to build next! For a scale model tugboat
I love that foil tape from them wee poundshops! Getting harder to find so I grab a few when I find them! Beats buying them sheets for models for tenner a sheet! I'm a modeler myself armour nowadays but was cars years ago when younger and I still grow and train bonsai trees! The silver foil tape is Brilliant for making light reflectors for bringing trees innthe greenhouse over winter mornin the house! I'm away to build a light defuser for my bench for the models soon with it too! Need a clear light frosted acrilic for the front of the reflector I have these LEDs but they hit the middle of the desk to much!
this sir, is the most helpfull video i found in hours of reserching for my electric-smoke-granade project i am working on right now.
i will need WAAAY more smoke, but looks like it is just a matter of voltage i guess. maybe i just try out my 2s-Lipos for the first try
Thanks, glad it's helped you. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
@@SteamGeezerUK i try to remember leaving you a comment when we have something to show^^
Hey I made one even smaller, it is a 3.7 volt mini lipo connected to a 28 gauge nichrome wire coil that is wrapped around some cotton that is soaked in vegetable glycol. It makes billows of vapor that I imagine would be perfect for an electric smoke grenade
This was well done. I appreciate your time and expertise. I’m looking at ways to put s,oo into a book nook diorama.
Wow this is glorious man
You are a best
Thanks, I appreciate it :-)
Thanks so much, I was looking for that exact thing for my 1/24 wind tunnel ... Perfect amount of smoke \o/
You rock 🤘🎉🎉
Thanks, I appreciate it. I just posted another one I built recently that might be of interest too.
ruclips.net/video/X9ZnzoizvDo/видео.html
Hola. Se podra poner varias resistencias dentro de la caja y todas conectadas a la misma bateria para generar mas humo?
I honestly don't know. You could try, but I'd advise being very careful it doesn't catch fire.
wondering if there is a way to increase the thickness or change the colour of the smoke? Also it would be cool to have a smoke chamber after the initial outlet where it can accumulate and be discharged in a great puff or be manipulated by mechanical means.
As for changing the colour, if you find a way I think you'll be the first. It's a bit of a Holy Grail among the radio control community in particular to make black smoke for model boats and "coal rolling" trucks. Nothing has yet worked, as far as I'm aware.
To increase the amount of smoke, up the current to the heater. This will shorten the life of the heater and generate more heat, increasing the risk of fire.
An accumulator might work. I've never tried it myself but it's worth looking into.
Very nice video tutorial 🐶
Would this work as ground fog for a 1:12 scale kelpie forest diorama? It would be under the base, coming up through strategic holes. Maybe without the fan part, so it just kind of "drifts" upwards?
You could certainly try, but for something like that, you might want to consider a fogger. You can get them on Amazon and ebay and they basically make a mist using water. If you dio will stand up to the water, that might work. I honestly don't know if they're any good, but it might be worth a go. Something like this maybe - amzn.to/2Sh3Q9S
Im so glad you have done a nice video of how you make one,
Thank you
As an idea, why not ad a micro potentiometer and then use a 5v fan , you can then control your airflow and also save power and use a smaller voltage battery.
You could do that, sure. I tend to build them very basic, but a friend on mine has one I built for him that is Arduino controlled, has temperature sensors and all sorts. It really depends how far you want to go with it.
@@SteamGeezerUK Basic is a good option for simplicity ,
Personal an Arduino is a lot of extra work with all the wiring to put somewhere,
But nether the less if one needs those features then at least he has leant how to do it.
Oh i have a question for you SteamGeezer . Can you make different colour smoke, as i would like to have black or grey.
@@spudnickuk If you ever find a way to make different coloured smoke, you'll make a fortune, because as far as I know, no-one has ever figured that out :-)
I am currently building a 3" gauge model of a steam engine, and would like to get much more smoke that you have.. is that possible? if so, How? please
How could I get "billows" of smoke out of a similarly sized generators?
You can also use any 3.7 volt lipo battery for way more vapor than 5 volt usb
If you add a food dye to that vape juice. Will it come out the color of the dye?
I'm afraid not. As far as I'm aware, there's no way to colour the smoke without using some extremely toxic and noxious chemicals, the kind they use in smoke grenades. If you add food colouring, it will simply stick to the wick and probably catch fire or stop the thing working altogether. If anyone ever figures it out, it'll make them rich... 🙂
Hello there. Great video first of all. I've been looking for a way to replicate fire for a diorama. Basically i just want to make an unfortunate engine fire in 1:25 scale. Didn't know how to nail that properly untill now. If i can get the smoke to slowly seep through small crooks with a bright orange led under it i think that could work. I've seen stationary explosion effects by using cotton (and led) but i'm just looking for a regular fire. So thank you for the inspiration and keep it up!
I'm glad it was useful. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
How long before the coils breaks? Using vaps before they don't last hell of a long! Try one of them discs from a pond fogger!? I wonder how big there coils are in them Heng long RC tanks for the smoke feature! That would actually be quite interesting to see a breakdown of there smoke system!
No, they don't last long, but they're easy enough to replace and, because there's generally less power going through these than in a vape, they last quite well comparatively. As for the Heng Long smoke machines, I thought about getting one but they're pretty expensive to get just to take apart.
Did the coil actually go in the fluid? Does it matter if it's in the fluid? I didn't see you bend the wick down. The wick was straight through the coil so I don't know how it would been kept out of the fluid. If that's the case then why would you need the wick? ❓
Ideally you want the coil above the fluid and the wick to carry the fluid to the heater coil, otherwise the coil would have to heat all of the fluid at once, rather than just the small amount in the wick.
do you have a link for the 8-1 pac of coils you show?
Thanks for the lesson.Just wonder where to get the assorted coils brand or keyword .I can only find the wire or huge coils for appliances.
I bought a box of assorted coils from Amazon. The exact set I bought seems to be out of stock, but this one looks similar - amzn.to/2POnacq
Do you think a mobile charger lead usb cable type would work plug into mains or a usb battery bank. Chop end off to fit coil .
It might, but I'd be very cautious about such a thing, especially if it's a mains power adapter.
What would you say is the best way to reduce the risk of the generator overheating/catching fire? Would using the fiberglass rope be less risky? Would using the fiberglass rope make any other sort of difference in any way? Is there another method to help dissipate the heat? How long would you say it could be left running without issue?
Also-and forgive my complete ignorance of electrical engineering-how would one go about rigging this up to be plugged into an AC outlet?
The best way to keep the heat down is don't run the machine too long. I can't really give a hard and fast rule because every machine will be different, but I generally work to a base idea of maybe five seconds on and then at least ten seconds off.
The fibreglass rope is used as a wick because it has a melting point of about 900 degrees Celsius, so it won't melt or burn.
As for cooling methods, there are all kinds of things one could do, like heatsinks, cooling fans and so on, but then you start making the machine much more bulky. The best option for a small machine like this is to run it only for a few seconds and then give it time to cool down. I really wouldn't advise running this thing for much longer than that - there's a reason why commercial smoke machines cost a fortune - they have the tech inside them to shut them down if they overheat. This one doesn't.
As to your last point, to run a USB powered smoke machine from a wall socket would be as simple as plugging in a wall charger and then connecting the cable to the smoke machine, exactly as you would with a phone or tablet.
@@SteamGeezerUK Brilliant, thanks!
Loved the video. Definitely subscribing to your channel.
Thanks, I appreciate it :-)
Hello. Does ur battery get hot with the resistance from the coil
I would like to produce a slow smoke stream (fog) through a "manifold" where the smoke ca be channeled to several 1/22-1/24 scale house chimneys to help simulate a winter scene. Although unlikely as shown, would your unit installed with a stronger fan be able to produce such a stream through tubing or duct? Thank you
It actually requires very little airflow to move the smoke. I would suggest that, even as it is, it may well do what you want. I think the main thing would be a larger diameter outlet - I made another one recently with a 10mm outlet that would probably be more suitable;
ruclips.net/video/X9ZnzoizvDo/видео.html
excellent!
Thanks!
So I made one just like you. Same size coil. I hooked it up to the usb power supply and it just turns off. I think the coil and fan are to much for it. So I ordered 2-18650 batteries with a charger and a 2 pack box so I can have 7.4v I’m
Hoping this will work
You'll definitely get a better effect with more power, but you might find the coil won't last as long. The problem with USB power supplies is they're often very low power output, 1 amp or lower, whereas vape coils need more. You might find even one 18650 will give you better results, just because it will flow more power.
@@SteamGeezerUK thank you very much for all the info. Have a happy New Years
hi . how long cane u run continuous on that amount of oil?
It's not oil, it's vape fluid, but to answer your question, about 20 minutes usually.
Minor upgrade: Chuck a small variable resistor in a voltage divider on the fan to vary the speed of smoke?
That's very possible. The main purpose of this video is to show how the basic machine is made, but there's all kinds of bells and whistles one can attach. A friend of mine has one in one of his projects and it is controlled by an arduino that monitors the temperature and dials the heat up and down so it doesn't overheat, for example.
@@SteamGeezerUK The arduino is probably an overkill as there are few external factors changing the temperature of the wire (an exception might be running out of glycerine mix). I made a learning circuit that does that for peltier cooling a cpu...but that's changing all the time...so worth it. Your idea of keeping it simple is a good one!
It controls other things too, but the main issue isn't the heater element itself but that these small boxes heat up fast and can eventually melt or even catch fire. The thermistor allows the arduino to toggle the smoke machine on and off and controls a cooling fan.
Your telling us how to make but your not telling were to get this from were do you get all the bits and peices
Good video.
could leave the link to buy the resistances!
There are links in the description to buy pretty much everything you need to make one of these.
Just wish I’d found channel 3 years ago .... 👌
Not sure this video was up three years ago, but I appreciate the sentiment :-)
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders ..... thanks .... the channel is brilliant.... just going through your back catching up on your vids ...
you dont need a bigger battery or a different coil if you want to get more smoke, just change your fluid. use pure vegetable glycerin for denser vapour. yours is a 50/50 mix, the PG (Propylene Glycol) dilutes it so the vapour isnt as thick as it could be.
I usually do use pure VG in them. I have a couple of gallons I bought a while back to preserve some plants, so I usually use that if I'm not using actual commercial smoke fluid.
You went from 5v to 12v and slowed the flow, but what if I was looking for that slow creeping eerie fog effect? To specify, I am doing a sculpture and I am planning my first attempt at integrating lighting (and other) effects, utilizing the base of the sculpture for components. To not get too into specifics, at the top of the sculpture is a crystal (acrylic) ball that I plan to position a 1.6mm 3v led underneath to have the light shine through. Because that's not enough, I set on the mission to find a tiny fog machine solution that I could channel the fog up and out small slits I would have around the bottom edge of the ball. My goal is to have it slowly creep out and sort of envelop the sculpture, not necessarily just pump out a stream of smoke. What would you recommend?
That sounds like a great project. It's going to be tricky to get the effect you want, because the smoke from a smoke machine is basically a cloud of vapour, so it will have a tendency to rise. There are two things that spring to mind - first would be to use dry ice, but that's a pain because you have to keep refilling it, and of course buying and storing dry ice.
The second solution might be to use the sculpture itself to slow down the smoke. In the video I made of the prototype of this machine, I use a cardboard tube to slow down the smoke and create more of a cloud than a stream. Not knowing what shape your sculpture is, I don't know if this would work, but if you could create some kind of hollow under where you want the smoke to come out, it would allow the smoke to spread out and slow down. That might work... Anyway, here's a link to the video.
ruclips.net/video/dsFNSFOjFCo/видео.html
I wish you all the best with it, and hope you'll show us what you come up with - it sounds very cool.
hi m8
made a smoke machine 7.2 v bbattery 50mm x50mm fan just about working fan is correct
way but more smoke is coming from fan ive made outlet much bigger but same prob
using 23 gauge vape coil wire any tips please ty
Air will always take the path of least resistance, so increasing the size of the outlet should help, but if the fan is creating pressure in the box, then the smoke will come out any way it can.
Try slowing the fan speed down, see if that helps.
@@SteamGeezerUK hi thx for reply its goin in a boat it would look like its on fire lol
would make difference if i use bigger box/fan? my fan/battery are wired together but can change if have to
but it was easier that way
many thx again
@@ravenxbmc1456 It might do. I have to say smoke machines are a bit of witchcraft at times - sometimes you have to experiment to see what gives you the result you want.
Awesome! How long can you keep this running? I heard in other videos that the coil gets too hot after about 20 seconds and you need to turn it off and let the coil cool down before turning on again
It really depends on the machine and how it's made. Commercial smoke machines can theoretically run continuously, but small ones like this are pretty much as you described - if you run them for too long, the coil will overheat and potentially catch fire. These are definitely made for short bursts, not continuous use. I would run this one for maybe a minute before shutting it down.
@@SteamGeezerUK great thanks! Could you help me with the wiring circuit. I got a 5v fan and the same coil set that you had in the video. But I don't know how to calculate the circuit
Is it possible to create black smoke by adding a colored additive of some sort? I've recently started working again on some of my old 1/16 scale RC Tanks and I might actually be interested in adding a smoke generator to one of them but the idea of white smoke exiting the vehicle is kinda... meh?
As far as I know, no-one has been able to change the colour of the smoke. It's a bit of a Holy Grail thing among RC car builders especially. If you find a way to do it, please let me know :-)
How do you know what coil to use, I am thinking of trying to use a 12v PSU with a ceramic wire wound resistor but I didn’t know what specs I needed, whether 30 ohm 5 Watts would be any good, so then I though about using a 5v step down with the 12v psu but I don’t know what spec vape coil I need, would you be able to help me out with this?
I confess I'm no expert of vape coils. I bought a box with a variety of coils and tried different ones until i found one that worked.
One thing that might work would be to build your power supply and then take it to a vape shop and ask them. Something to bear in mind stepping down power is that most 5v transformers are limited to an output of 1 amp, so you'll need a coil capable of heating sufficiently with that power output. I believe a lot of higher quality vape machines run at 6v with a battery up to 20A. I don't know how they do it, but I wish I did.
Thanks for watching. Let us know how you get on.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders Ok, so after a bit of research I have seen that at 11:32 you picked out a 0.85 ohm Clapton coil, after looking up vapes I have seen a lot of them use a 18650 battery and to the best of my knowledge that is a 3.7v battery so I popped those two pieces of information into a Ohms Law Vaping website: imagebin.ca/v/4VEijYM01Sl1 where is told me that it would draw 4.35 amps at 3.7v which is also 16.11 Watts, so this then allows me to look for step down to 3.7v that takes 5 amps such as: vi.raptor.ebaydesc.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemDescV4&item=283335040239&category=181925&pm=1&ds=0&t=1547187106000&ver=0&cspheader=1 so then I can power the smoke machine along with the arduino that will control the coil using a transistor (MOSFET)
What was the battery you were using? And how did you wire it up? Are there resistors or anything else needed?
The battery in this case was an LG HS2 18650. I wasn't using anything other than the charging circuit show in the video, but one does have to be careful in such cases not to over drain the battery. If it gets too flat, it can be difficult to recharge. I have a smart charger that can rescue over-discharged batteries, but most normal chargers may not have that ability.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders
Ok thanks, I know very little about hooking up circuits, so if you have another vid on hooking up the rest of it that would be great
I did make a video on making a 3.7v charging circuit. It's exactly the same as what I did here other than a the battery type. The only difference would be a battery holder for the 18650.
ruclips.net/video/qLUQw4uVg1s/видео.html
Bonjour Monsieur.
Qu'elle est le liquide que vous mettez.
Merci beaucoup.
Génial votre chaine.
Merci. C'est du fluide vape (if Google translate works)
@@SteamGeezerUK merci beaucoup
Does it give any residue on the miniatures?
It really depends on the setting. On the tank build this went in, it was open to the air so it just blows away. If you were to enclose it in a display case, then over time I would expect there to be some residue, but I think it would take a while. The problem is, the glycerine in the vape fluid doesn't evaporate (ironically), so any residue would remain indefinitely.
Hi I have made a smoke generator like your but can not find the Japanese linen can you tell me ware you got yours from
Many Thanks Steven
It came from ebay - search for "vape wick". Quite often vendors will supply some when you buy vape coils. If you can't find any, you can also use a few strands of flbreglass rope. That's usually sold to line the doors of wood burning stoves and such.
I've started to build this, my first problem is that the 12 volt fan doesn't start unless there's about 10.5 volts supplied to it. Once going it will run on 5 volts. Are there different brands of motor or what? I'm enjoying the challenge anyway!
I honestly don't know. The fans I use are the cheapest, generic fans I could find on ebay, from a Chinese vendor. I'm going to be away all day tomorrow but I can have a look tomorrow evening, but I don't recall them having a manufacturer on them, but I'll take a look and see.
Did you find out about these in the end?
Would it be possible to use a different power source - I'm thinking of a 12v adapter rather than batteries.
Absolutely. Most of the smoke machines I make are 12v. The one thing I would say is that, if you're planning to go to 12v, a vape coil will most likely burnt out like a fuse - they're not designed for that kind of voltage. The highest I've gone safely with a vape coil is 8.8v (2x 18650 batteries), but when I tried a 12v battery it just burned out really fast.
You could use 12v in really short bursts (maybe one second or less), but I would advise using a different heating element, either nichrome wire or buy a cheap hairdryer and use some of the heater wire from that.
If you have one near you, you could try visiting a vape specialist store and asking them if they have a coil that can withstand 12v.
Also keep in mind it may well generate far more heat, so a smaller box might melt or distort.
@@SteamGeezerUK
Thank you. I assume it needs to be a DC adapter as the fan is DC.
I have an old toaster so will be using part of the heating element from that which I assume should be OK.
I would think so. I've not used anything like that, but it works on the same principle - using resistance to turn electricity into heat. I would just reiterate the need for caution - it's very easy to get things way too hot :-)
I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
Hi, this is amazing and I really hope to be able to make my own for a diorama I’m planning! I’m afraid I’m a complete novice about this sort of stuff and didn’t really follow the part right at the end where you had it all connected up to the battery and the charging circuit-I have no idea what those bits are! Would you be able to tell me a little more? Thanks :)
I made another video on the charging circuit, hopefully that will help you out. If not, let me know and we'll see what we can do to help you out.
ruclips.net/video/qLUQw4uVg1s/видео.html
That’s very helpful! Thank you! :)
You're very welcome. I hope you get it all working.
Thank you very much. This was very informative. Love your accent!
Thanks for watching :-)
Thanks for the in fo I found them on amazon £1.69 for 20 pads
Steven.
Hi, great gadget! How do you refill the box? Is it through the tube or do you have to unscrew the lid? Antony
Thanks, I appreciate it. I usually just refill it through the tube with a syringe. You could take the lid off but there's no real need.
Thanks for watching.
that"s awesome
Where do I get the small boxes? Thx
There's a link in the description to the boxes I use the most, the RX2008.
Hi can you give me the size of the box you used the smoke generator will make a good addition to my three D printed fpv rover
Thanks Steven.
Thanks for watching. I believe it's an RX2007 box, approximately 46x32x19mm. I'd have to double check to be sure. I've made smaller ones - the smallest is less than 25mm square, although it does tend to overheat quickly.
where can Iet the sound card Thanks.
I found them on ebay, but they can be quite hard to find and seem to go out of stock a lot. You just have to keep searching. I can't find any at the moment anywhere.
Hello there!
Impressing video and I'm happy to found it!
I know lots of people bombing You with questions but I've had one too.
How do you think it is possible to use this in an RC car from a servo?
I mean a servo circuit? I have a few broken ones but the circuit boards are OK.
So I wanna solder the fan and the heater coil to the servo motor output.
It gets about 6V from the ESC through the reciever. What do You think? It's a gogo or a nogo?
Thank You anyway! Greetings from Hungary! 😉
It's an interesting idea. I think it's likely you'd only get the fan spinning at full power, but it would probably give you a way to turn the smoke on and off using the car's controller, so it's certainly worth a try. I'd be interested to hear how you get on with it :-)
@@SteamGeezerUK Thank You!
I'll inform You in case I make it work. Maybe I use a 5V fan so it can spin from start. Will see.
;)
Where do you get your materials and hardware for projects like this
Chinese vendors on ebay mostly. If there's anything specific you're after, I'll see if I can find a link.
@@SteamGeezerUK thanks, im trying to make a smoke system for my trx4 bronco that comes out of the exhaust and a smoke system for my drift car to make it look like there is tire smoke when it drifts. The heng long tank smoke generators i got dont work at all.
@@munkeynutzmcgraw4680 If that's the case and you want to power it from the car's battery, I would suggest finding a vape shop, taking the battery with you and seeing what vape coils they have that will hold up to the charge in the battery. I'd also recommend trying to find an aluminium box instead of plastic for the smoke machine as it will handle the heat better and, if the wick catches fire, it won't burn your cars to the ground :-)
@@SteamGeezerUK thanks for the help
@@SteamGeezerUK how would i be able to make the element pulse to keep it controlled rather then just running constantly
Hi mate, you appeared to have skipped over the part about the exhaust and tube. What did you use for those?
In this case it's a piece of 6mm styrene tube. I usually use copper pipe, but I wanted to see if the styrene could handle it, which it did.
That’s great, thanks for that.
I’d like to have a go at making one as an exhaust for a 1:8 scale model, was your smaller one made the same way?
Really appreciate your video, I can’t wait to give this a go
Yup, they're all made the same way. Just be careful the box doesn't get too hot and melt :-)
I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders Thanks again, brilliant video :)
If I lined the box with rubber than copper foil, do you think that might help with heat?
Do you sell these to the public?
No, I'm afraid not. They can get warm during operation and they do need to be monitored quite closely. If they run dry, in extreme cases they can even catch fire if left unattended and I'm sure you can understand I don't want someone coming after me because they left it alone and burned their house down :-)
No worries
I am an okay model builder, but absolute noob when it comes to what you're showing here.
Can I not simply BUY a complete generator from you for my next project?
I'm afraid I don't sell these. They do require a fair amount of baby-sitting as they can get hot and even catch fire if used incorrectly, and I'm sure you can appreciate I don't want to be held responsible for such a thing happening.
Do you happen to sell these ?
I don't, I'm afraid. They need to be monitored quite closely as they can get hot, being so small., so I don't feel comfortable selling them in case someone had an incident with one. That's why I made the video, so people could make their own.
SteamGeezer and Son Independent Traders that’s understandable just with you having “independent traders” in your name wonder if you had a store but no worries many thanks :)
Hi great Video. Could I buy one from you
I'm afraid I don't sell these, but thanks for watching.
No worries I'll follow your instructions and make one lol
@@SteamGeezerUK could you give a list of materials used please
I don't have a specific list of materials, but everything mentioned in the video is sourced pretty much from ebay. You've basically got the box, a fan, the heater coil, some fibreglass rope, a battery, a small tube for the outlet, some aluminium tape (optional) and some vape fluid.
Man, do you sell these?
Not as a rule, no. The problem is that, because of the small size, they can get hot quite quickly and need to be handled with care. I'd rather not take the risk of selling one to someone who ends up burning their house down and blaming me :-)
That's why I made the video, so people can make their own. I have sold a couple of them, but only to people I know who appreciate the inherent risks in such a device.
Ok.
“Bait shops” sell worms and minnows, don’t they?
I assume so...
ultimate box mod vape LMAO
Technically it is a vape, so yup :-)
It's battery powered. Not USB, it may charge via USB, but the without the battery is useless. Ugh
You can run this by plugging a USB charger into it, trust me...
Sell one to me
AvE
There's better options out there than this. Wouldn't use this. Mate
video is very long
Love that british accent, lol
Will make one too, thx
wtf? deleting posts?
I'm not sure what you're referring to. I don't remove posts, unless they're spam or in some manner offensive (profanity etc). Having said that, RUclips's automated systems will remove posts if they've been flagged by another user. I've barely been on RUclips for months, so whatever it was, it wasn't me :-)