I think we already discussed flame effects on
stage at one
point but more ideas from others would be of interest. A few things not mentioned were REEL EFX machines and use of Ripple Machines when colored red/amber. More ideas by others would be good but here is mine to start out.
You might want to look at some flicker bulbs such as these, they are 120v lamps but will work under battery if you can get the
voltage correct:
Type: Brand: Description: Wattage:
Bulb:
Filament
Arc Gap
LCL/
MOL Base: Notes /
CRI Color Temp Output: Life:
FF6406 Norman Lamps Orange Glow,
Clear Neon Flicker Lamp 1/4 w F-1.17" Flicker
MOL 3.8" Candb. 8mA,
120K Resistor in
Base 25,000
2CA8C/ CL/ FL/ BL Osram/Sylvania #13497 CL, Flicker Lamp, Incd. Vacuum Filled, Alum.
Base 2 w CA-8 Flicker
MOL 3.1/2" Candb. Blister Pack 3,000
3CA5½/FLK Abco #03661 CL, Incd. Flicker Lamp 3 w CA-5½ Flicker
MOL 3.1/4" Candb. Carded Available #03761 1,500
3CA8/FLK Abco #03656 CL, Incd. Flicker Lamp 3 w CA-8 Flicker
MOL 3.7/8" Candb. Carded Available #03756 1,500
CFTC3 Halco #2502 CL, Incd Flicker Flame Lamp 3w/130v CA-8 Flicker
MOL 3" Candb. 1,500
CFC3 Halco #2008 CL, Incd. Flicker Flame Lamp 3w/130v CA-10 Flicker
MOL 4.1/16" Candb. 1,500
FF7706 Norman Lamps Orange Glow,
Clear Neon Flicker Lamp 1/4 w F-1.17" Flicker
MOL 3.1/2"
Med.
Scr 8mA,
120K Resistor in
Base 25,000
2CA10/CL/FL/BL Osram/Sylvania #13496 Incd.
Clear Flicker Lamp, Vacuum Filled, Alum.
Base 2 w CA-10 Flicker
MOL 3.1/2"
Med.
Scr Blister Pack 3,000
3CA10/FLK Abco #03657 CL, Incd. Flicker Lamp 3 w CA-10 Flicker
MOL 4.1/16" E-26 Carded Available #03757 1,500
EFC3 Halco #2510 CL, Incd. Flicker Flame Lamp 3w/130v CA-10 Flicker
MOL 4.1/16" E-26 1,500
3EFC/FL Fiet CL, Incd. Flicker Flame Lamp 3 w CA-10 Flicker E-26
2CA10/ CL/ FL/ BL Osram/Sylvania #13620
Incandescent,
Clear Flicker Lamp 10 w CA-10 Flicker
MOL 4.1/8"
Med.
Scr 3,000
You can also go with an amber colored flame shape lamp and put a flash insert into the lamp
base such as you might find at Home Depot as a circular dot that's fiber on the outside and metal in the middle. I don't think it will work under DC
Voltage however. And DC battery
voltage would be the easiest way to
power it up.
With the lamps above, the flame
effect kind of sparkles or flickers in the flame shaped
filament so you do not have to
gel or dip the lamp.
Lamp dip would be the best way to do it but for a low wattage lamp any kind of
glaze might be sufficient.
These would be more candle
effect and not much for a flame
effect or output.
On the lamp, F-15 or F-10.1/2 lamps would be the
incandescent lamps shaped like a flame, sometimes with coloring added to it and flame like filaments but the
filament does not move like a flicker lamp. In any case unless you have 120v, flicker
button, flame lamp, or flicker lamps won't work off a battery very well. On second thought, the flicker lamps and buttons might need AC
voltage to work properly. That about lets them out but there is some electronics on the market for doing a DC flicker
effect.
Otherwise since it's
portable I expect than I would head towards something say 6 volts rather than 12 volts because it's easier to achieve with batteries and have it last a while.
For high output I might try for a low
voltage capsule lamp such as a 6v/30w lamp. Add to that some colored silk flame shaped material and a micro fan also run off the battery and you have a mini
torch. LeMaitrie and
City Theatrical might probably already have similar or better things amongst other suppliers, it's a popular idea, but if the idea is to
build it than that's how I might go. Batteries,
switch, fan, lamp &
Base in some kind of
torch like tube with a @ like bracket to slide the silk ribbon or flame shape into.
Otherwise you can get a amber, red or blue
lens covered MR-11 or MR-16 lamp to pre-color especially white silk fire streamer but might have more problems with the fan unless you had the light shining
thru the fan. Also you would have more of a flash light than a
point source of light with lots of flame as with the capsule lights such as these:
#64265 HLX Osram/Sylvania #53999 CL, Quartz 30w/6v T-2 G 4 “Xenophot”
CRI 100 700 lum 100
#5761 Philips #25713-9 (#25713) CL, Quartz Capsule (Square
Filament) 30w/6v T-3.5 C-6F
LCL 19.6mm G 4 (Filmt.1.5x1.5mm) Universal Burn Pos. 3,200°K 765 Lum 100
#5761 Helco #257139 (JC30/6v) CL, Quartz Capsule 30w/6v T-3.5 C-6F
LCL 1.1/5" G 4 3,000°K 765 Lum 100
JC 6-30 G4 Philips #924809310177 CL, Quartz Capsule (
Flat Filament) 30w/6v T-9mm 7x2.5mm
LCL 19.5mm G 4
Base Down ±90° 3,100°K 800 Lum 50
JC6v-30w Ushio #1000867 CL, Quartz 30w/6v T-9mm c-6 T-19.25mm G 4 Univ. Burn 3,300°K 800 Lum 50
#778 G.E. #49718 CL, Quartz, Hi-Temp
Fixture 20w/6v T-2.3/4 c-6
LCL 0.77" G 4 Bulk Pack #49719 32 Lum 100
#778 Halco CL, Quartz 20w/6v T-2.3/4 c-6
MOL 1.05" G 4 32 Cand 100
ESB G.E. #34718 (?disc.) (M-30) CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-10mm Transv.
LCL 19.5mm G 4 3,200°K 440 Lum 100
ESB Osram/Sylvania #54019 (#64250 HLX) (M-30) CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-3.1/2 2.3x0.8mm
LCL 19.5mm G 4 “Xenophot” (
CRI 100)Any Burn Pos. 480 Lum 100
ESB Philips #25678-4(409867) (#7388) (M-30) CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm c-6
LCL 19.5mm G 4 (Filmt. 1.6x0.6mm) Universal Burn Pos. 3,200°K 420 Lum 100
ESB/FHE Wiko CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm c-6
LCL 19.5mm G 4 3,200°K 450 Lum 100
ESB Norman Lamps (#64250) (JC-0620) CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm
MOL 30mm G 4 2,800°K 2,000
ESB Halco CL, Quartz 20w/6v T-3 c-6 2 Pin Any Burn Pos. 3,200°K 420 Lum 100
ESB-AX Norman Lamps (#64250AX) (JC-0620AX) CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm
Axial Fmt
MOL 30mm G 4 2,800°K 2,000
FHE/ESB Ushio #1000532 CL,
Halogen Capsule, 20w/6v T-9mm c-6
LCL 19.5mm G 4 Any Burn Pos. 3,200°K 450 Lum 100
20T3Q/CL6v Reflekto #163910 CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-3 cBar-6
MOL 33mm G 4 Dimmable/UV Protect. Glass 350 Lum 1,000
20T3Q/CL6v Reflekto #115910 CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-3 c-6
MOL 33mm G 4 Dimmable/UV Protect. Glass 350 Lum 2,000
JC6v-20w/c-8 Ushio #1000865 CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm c-8
LCL 19.5mm G 4 Univ. Burn N/A 435 Lum 100
JC 6v-20w/c-6 Ushio #1000866 CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm c-6
MOL 19.5mm G 4 Universal Burn 2,850°K 280 Lum 2,000
JC6v20w20H/G4 EYE #63677 CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-3 c-6
MOL 33mm G 4 2,850°K 280 Lum 2,000
20JC6v A & H CL, Quartz 20w/6v c-6
MOL 1.5/16" G 4 Available w. C-Bar-6
Filament 280 Lum
JC 6v/20w Jiadair CL, Quartz 20w/6v T-10mm
MOL 31mm G 4 350 Lum 2,000
ESB (FR) Norman Lamps (#64250-FR) (JC-0620FR) FR, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm
MOL 30mm G 4 2,800°K 2,000
#12345 Philips #924043117100 (M-35) CL, Quartz Capsule 20w/6v T-9mm 2.9x0.8mm
LCL 19.5mm G 4 Universal Burn Pos. 3,100°K 420 Lum 400
One more note would be on the lamp outputs which is why I posted all the data on them. Note the lumens in output and
color temperature. While it might be nice to have a 3,300°K
color temperature for a very piercing white/blue center of the flame, especially with colored flames, it might be better to use something at around 2,800°K and slightly under
voltage it for more amber
shift - in other words a more amber fire like light. The Osram
Xenon lamp might be above 3,300°K and into the 3,400°K range by the way, unfortunately it's not published.
In any case with luminous output, it's going to
drop sharply with undervoltaging or when the batteries wear down. A 700
lumen lamp at 30 watts will tend to wear down the batteries faster so the 20w lamps are also included to decide with. I would go with what ever is most powerful in output but lowest in
color temperature.
On the other
hand that #64265 HLX with it's xenon filler - expected to be above 3,300°K and with 700 lumens output is really interesting because it's only a T-2 lamp meaning 1/4" wide. If still made that is. Might be discontinued. 700 lumens is brighter than a 75w
incandescent bulb and at a higher
color temperature than a S-4
Leko lamp.
Have fun, hope it helps.