[Calloween]

I thought this is a cool idea but how do you do it.
I was thinking a tiki torch with a propane tank with a valve.
What do you think?

WowLights.com - Musical Holiday Lighting - Chino, California

 

[litemareb4xmas]

We've been waiting a while on the LOR forums for him to spill the beans, last I remember he was trying to have them made for resale.

 

[crazybob]

Okay... first off... DO NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION as I am just guessing how it may be done, and I don't want anyone to think this would be a safe route without doing a little research first.
That being said, I assume a propane tank could be hooked up to a solenoid valve, like we use for air control. The output of the valve would be aimed over a pilot lite to ignite the flames. You would have to figure out some sort of backflow valve to keep the flames from igniting the inside of the valve or tubes (screen from a bottle of 151, possibly?)
If you used a valve like the washing machine valves we're all familiar with, you could hook the tank to one input and an air compressor to the other input and the pressure could possibly create larger, shooting flames.

Again, please don't yell about this method being stupid or not safe. I know it's not, it's just a possible way it could be done. Of course, you would want to use industrial parts made for this type of setup, not just the parts we find in our garage!

 

[ELH(Erin Loves Halloween)]

That is sooooooooooooooo cool calloween. If you do it let me know

 

[litemareb4xmas]

Okay... first off... DO NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION as I am just guessing how it may be done, and I don't want anyone to think this would be a safe route without doing a little research first.
That being said, I assume a propane tank could be hooked up to a solenoid valve, like we use for air control. The output of the valve would be aimed over a pilot lite to ignite the flames. You would have to figure out some sort of backflow valve to keep the flames from igniting the inside of the valve or tubes (screen from a bottle of 151, possibly?)
If you used a valve like the washing machine valves we're all familiar with, you could hook the tank to one input and an air compressor to the other input and the pressure could possibly create larger, shooting flames.

Again, please don't yell about this method being stupid or not safe. I know it's not, it's just a possible way it could be done. Of course, you would want to use industrial parts made for this type of setup, not just the parts we find in our garage!

I believe this is why he hasn't come out with how he does it yet, fear of lawsuits.

 

[Specter]

There are professional flame projectors out there- can be hooked up via DMX and whatnot... spend a few minutes on google, you'll find them. Otherwise, pretty easy to make, I would think.

 

[crazybob]

I'm sure that's the reason too. Like I said, the idea I posted is just one way to do it. I don't recommend trying it, and I tried to make that very clear in my post, but if someone else on here wants to do some research and modify my idea (at their own risk), then that's their choice.

 

[Grave Reaper]

Okay... first off... DO NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION as I am just guessing how it may be done, and I don't want anyone to think this would be a safe route without doing a little research first.
That being said, I assume a propane tank could be hooked up to a solenoid valve, like we use for air control. The output of the valve would be aimed over a pilot lite to ignite the flames. You would have to figure out some sort of backflow valve to keep the flames from igniting the inside of the valve or tubes (screen from a bottle of 151, possibly?)
If you used a valve like the washing machine valves we're all familiar with, you could hook the tank to one input and an air compressor to the other input and the pressure could possibly create larger, shooting flames.

Again, please don't yell about this method being stupid or not safe. I know it's not, it's just a possible way it could be done. Of course, you would want to use industrial parts made for this type of setup, not just the parts we find in our garage!

First I would not recommend trying to build something it’s not worth the danger you could put yourself and others in. I only provide this information for educational purposes. You have been told DONT DO IT.

The basic idea with a fire cannon is that you will release flammable gas and ignite it. Propane is typically the gas of choice. Propane in a tank is mostly liquid with vapor above it. When you open the valve, the gas vapor flows out. This vapor is what you burn. As you use this propane gas more room becomes available in the tank and more liquid propane evaporates off the top. Your tank should always be upright or else you may get propane liquid in your system and could become dangerous. NEVER put an oxidizer (like oxygen or air) into your lines. Doing so could allow a flame or spark to travel down the lines causing it to explode. The flame coming out of a unregulated lp tank will be large enough.

If you look closley at his video you can see a flame is always burning. He is using the tiki torches as his pilot lite. He then has a seprate 1lb propane tank with a solinoid valve and a line going up to the tiki torch.

There are Chinese units for sale that are dmx controlled. This has been talked about before see my other post.

 

[BoogieMan]

Not sure about any where else , but here , the local fire marshall would be ALL over that . I couldn't even imagine the permits you would need , or the insurance , or even possibly the waiver of ? Real fire ?

 

[Eyegore]

Wouldn't a safer/cheaper alternative be to use quick dissipating fog lit up by orange lights. It should look identical to the video above if done right.

Attach a 90 degrees pvc elbow to fog machine that shoots fog stream straight up
Then attach orange pinspot vertically parallel to fog stream
attach all to prop1 or wireless outlet, etc.

it should look like a burst of fire...

 

[Scatterbrains]

That's cool. I wouldn't try it, but it's cool.

 

[Baron Samedi]

Imho, this kind of effect is really not for the average home haunt, As the potential risks far outweigh the benefits.
There are far safer ways of simulating flame effects effectively that are adequate for most haunts, such as Eyegor has already suggested.

A faulty non-return valve or shut-off valve, air in the propane line..anything that may cause a blowback into that propane tank and up goes half the neighbourhood.

It's just not worth the risk.

 

[Mandathewitch]

Here in southern California that would NEVER work out. Real Flames at Halloween are a death sentence. Literally. Every year we typically have massive Santa Ana Winds that would cause even tiny bursts of flame to ignite anything nearby. Our biggest problem with our Haunt/Party every year is figuring out how to secure everything so the winds don't blow it all away.

That being said... That's a pretty cool effect...if you live in a place that would allow something like that.

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

For reasons other people have mentioned I will also say this is not a good idea to try at home. Fear of incarceration and fines being at the top of the list. Then blowing up your house or yourself right are also good reasons never to try this. However I do know a guy that did something with propane last year. He took the back pressure valve off of a BBQ and hooked it up to a copper tube and then had that coming out the top of a pumpkin. He hooked it up to a propane tank just like you would a gas BBQ grill. He also saw this video and he might try this because he has access to lots of washing machine valves and a LOR controller. He would say for safety reasons however that NO ONE should try this at home.

Oh and maybe the reason the guy in the video hasn't posted how he did it is because he burned his house down or got jailed for unsafe use of fire in a neighborhood.

 

[Johan]

Here in southern California that would NEVER work out. Real Flames at Halloween are a death sentence. Literally. Every year we typically have massive Santa Ana Winds that would cause even tiny bursts of flame to ignite anything nearby. Our biggest problem with our Haunt/Party every year is figuring out how to secure everything so the winds don't blow it all away.

That being said... That's a pretty cool effect...if you live in a place that would allow something like that.

But this was done in So Cal. Inland Empire to be precise which is the most prone to fire.
\
Crazy sumbich

 

[yardhauntjunkie]

Crazy sumbich

Awesome!! You don't hear that to much any more. Ha.

 

[Calloween]

I have seen propane tank fires they do not explode the valve pops up so super high presures dont stay contained and they shoot up 40 foot flames but do not explode. Only the grill ones. The small green camping ones do explode.

 

[Mandathewitch]

if he did it in socal, then he is doubly retarded. Our biggest fears during the Halloween season here... Fires that cause us to be evacuated, and Rain. We arent worried about getting things done, or what people will think... lol. Fires are probably the biggest fear I have personally. In the last 2 months we've had 2 separate apartment fires in my complex, and in the last 6 years we've been evacuated 4 times due to county fires....Thanks, but I'll pass on playing with real flames, and work on the fake ones!

 

[TheEighthPlague]

Neat and stupid at the same time!

 

[Big Nick]

other than the flames i find displays like this boring. I would love to do flames like that as well but i don't know how safe i would feel doing it.