I’m planning to scratchbuild a blacksmith’s shop for the mine on my layout, and I’ve been looking into flickering fire effects. I’ve come to the conclusion that the simplest approach would be for me to use the lighting outputs of a suitably-programmed TCS M1 with dodgy motor outputs which I have lying around.
Unfortunately, this is only going to limit me to two LED outputs. I have red, orange and yellow LEDs, which I’m planning to put through multi-core optic fibre (with the cores distributed between the two LEDs at random), to create an overall effect. My question is which two colours would be more effective - orange and yellow, or orange and red?
Instead of using a decoder, you could use LEDs with built-in flasher circuits. All Electronics sells them in RED, GREEN, YELLOW, and WHITE; catalog numbers LED-4, 4G, 4Y, and 4W, priced at 50 cents each or 2 for 90 cents.
I’d like to see pictures of your blacksmith shop when you have it done because I also have a mine scene with a blacksmith shop planned in my layout.
You mention a “flickering fire” effect but my understanding of a blacksmith’s hearth at work would be of a very strong constant glow in the red/orange range. What would add interest to the scene would be sparks flying from the anvil when the hot metal was being struck. For that I think yellow or orange would be appropriate. The trick would be to have the reasonably bright constant glow from the hearth augmented by the appearance of sparks on a regular basis as the theoretical hammer strikes. For that I think the use of two separate LED circuits might give the best effect. The challenge would seem to be finding or building a circuit that will accurately represent the regular hammer strikes. If anyone knows of one, please speak up.
Here is my blacksmith shop so far. I have not installed an anvil, workbenches or tool racks yet. I have a single red LED in the hearth.
Please let me know what you think, and by all means show your pictures.
Dave
Edit: Sorry tbdanny but I didn’t see your response regarding making use of items you had on hand before I posted this to the thread. In your case I would just use a red LED. Unless you are going to be looking into the hearth from very close on the variation of red vs red/orange won’t show.
A little different application, I wanted a campfire.
One day in Walmart, I noticed some little battery operated tea-lights and candles. They use a single LED that has a random flicker to it inserted into a translucent piece of plastic shaped like a flame. You can find the cheaper ones for about 99 cents.
Although its a lot more than 99 cents, there was a campfire module produced. I believe it was made by Circutron. IIRC they also made a unit that simulated flashes from an arc welder. I agree, to model a blacksmith’s forge a steady red glow is more appropriate than a flickering light. Maybe a glow that would slowly brighten and then dim to simulate the bellows blowing on the coals.
I don’t know what you have on hand, but I have an idea about making your sparks-- if you’re using fiber optics, you could arrange the tips of the fibers in a “spark shower” arrangement, and then under the table, arrange the other ends in a line, in the order you want the sparks to fire. Then, you’ll want to light the fibers with yellow or white leds to get the color right. I’m thinking that maybe you could rig up a motor with a disk on it, and put a diagonal slot in the disk. Then if you have the fibers arranged right, they’ll light up in the order you have them laid out when the slot comes around. You also wouldn’t have to have a simple linear line of sparks / fibers either. You could spread them around a bit which would help fill out the “shower of sparks”.
