Step 13: Fire Effects
An art car, or anything I make for that matter, would not be complete without having a fire effect.
To keep with the oilpunk look and to make sure it always works, I decided on a very low tech approach to add fire to the snail. We mounted the liquid propane tank in the neck and a plenum tank for gas accumulation just behind it. Fittings were welded to the tank to make the plumbing easy and clean.
Next, I forged 2 eye stalks out of pipe, making sure the centers remained hollow. I then welded hollow hemispheres, with pilot rings on top and a 1/2" hole in the base of the bowl, to the eye stalks. The pilot ring is a hollow tube with a slit cut around the entire inside ID with a NP fitting welded to the outside for plumbing the gas. Each eye was then plumbed with a venturi fitting to mix air with the gas for a clean burning pilot. The pilots were then plumbed back to the plenum tank using 1/4" copper tubing, 45 Deg compression fittings and a needle valve to adjust the gas flow.
Then, 1/2" globe valves were plumbed to the base of each eye stock and plumbed using 3/8" copper lines attached to the plenum tank. When these valves are opened a giant fire ball erupts from the eyes. We attached leather reins to the valves that could be pulled from inside the car.
Finally, for safety shut off, a regulator and hose were attached from the liquid propane tank to the plenum tank with a 1/4" turn ball valve.
To keep with the oilpunk look and to make sure it always works, I decided on a very low tech approach to add fire to the snail. We mounted the liquid propane tank in the neck and a plenum tank for gas accumulation just behind it. Fittings were welded to the tank to make the plumbing easy and clean.
Next, I forged 2 eye stalks out of pipe, making sure the centers remained hollow. I then welded hollow hemispheres, with pilot rings on top and a 1/2" hole in the base of the bowl, to the eye stalks. The pilot ring is a hollow tube with a slit cut around the entire inside ID with a NP fitting welded to the outside for plumbing the gas. Each eye was then plumbed with a venturi fitting to mix air with the gas for a clean burning pilot. The pilots were then plumbed back to the plenum tank using 1/4" copper tubing, 45 Deg compression fittings and a needle valve to adjust the gas flow.
Then, 1/2" globe valves were plumbed to the base of each eye stock and plumbed using 3/8" copper lines attached to the plenum tank. When these valves are opened a giant fire ball erupts from the eyes. We attached leather reins to the valves that could be pulled from inside the car.
Finally, for safety shut off, a regulator and hose were attached from the liquid propane tank to the plenum tank with a 1/4" turn ball valve.
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