Dio Sparks

[1988 S10]

ok i figured i would ask all the gifted people on this forum to help me out here. im trying to make sparks for a diorama.....anyone know how i can do this? (like from a side grinder) any help would be appreciated! Erik

[Steve H.]

I've thought about this also... diorama of a guy grinding away on metal. The best way I can think of is to have a big bundle of very fine, shiny craft wire, fanned out, cut to random lengths and shot with tamiya clear red/clear orange. Glue the bundled end near the grinder and you might have something that looks ok.

[jbwelda]

how about one of those zinger kind of kids toys that make sparks? you might have to press a trigger to make it work though. or maybe hook up some kind of electric motor to press the trigger for you. would be a neat effect if you could do it.

[JAFFA]

super thin fiber optics, painted to look like sparks on the ends.

copperwire, instead of that painted stuff??

And mix the two!!

Maybe??

[Guest zebm1]

How about using something like those old fiber-optic sculptures that they used to make. They had a very small lite bulb in tha base and used a motorized color wheel to change tha color of tha lite in tha fiber-optic strands.

Seems like yu might could find one of those items in a Garage sale or Cheap goods store, take it apart and form tha strands to suit. make tha color wheel...red,blank, red, blank, red, etc. That should do for simulated sparks.

Hope this helps.

Zeb

[Daniel Peterson]

super thin fiber optics, painted to look like sparks on the ends.

That's just what I was going to suggest...depending on the color of the light and manner in which the fibers were cut, you might have a pretty spiffy looking visual effect.

[paulcolt]

or you could use the flint and wheel out of a disposable lighter.

[62rebel]

and; a randomly flashing led to simulate the work touching the wheel; this would also work for simulating someone welding; the led could be hidden in the work surface instead of trying to hide it in the welding torch head.

this is sounding like a very involved diorama indeed! is there a missing touch that i could help out with?

[Guest zebm1]

Come to think of it, someone did someting like that to simulate a campfire in a military diorama....in FSM...and no I'm not gonna go looking in my stacks...until I wanna do this too.