Introduction: Plasma Bulb With Clock Gear
I am a Steampunker from Germany and today I try to create my first Intructables instruction.
I hope you understand all otherwise ask and I will give my best to answer.
Today I will show you how you build a rotating Plasma Stream in a bulb.
You can already watch a video of this machine.
More pictures and stuff you will find on my German Website Steampunk Design under "Werkstatt" and "Werkstatt / Plasma Wirbler".
Step 1: Find the Right Camera
First of all you buy a disposable camera from Fujifilm or other one from the picture.
If you buy other models you will find inside an AAA cell instead of the right AA cell.
In this case the soldering points for the power output are on an other place.
After removing the paper you will find a plastic camera without any screws.
Step 2: Open the Case
Remove or loose the plastic flaps on every side and open the camera.
Now you can pull out the flashligt module.
Attention!!!
The capacitor often is charged.
If you touch the board with your fingers on the wrong place you get a hit.
Step 3: Remove Some Parts
Before you do anything bridge the capacitor with a screwdriver.
After this you must remove the Flashlight, Capacitor and the switch for the flash.
I do it with a solder pen.
So you can use these parts in other projects.
If you are finished the board looks on the part side like this.
Step 4: Find the Right Connection Points
On the back you must solder 6 wires on the right place the picture will help you.
For the power input I use an adjustable DC power supply.
Don't use more than 3Volt otherwise the will burns out.
The module takes around 350mA.
Then you can use two wires to take away the power switch from the module.
It makes more sense as to bridge the two solder points on the circuit and switch the power supply on/off.
The wire of the high power output of the circuit goes to the middle contact of the bulb.
The three arms outside of my bulb are connected to the power -
Step 5: The Right Bulb
Not every bulb starts to glow!
Only some special types who filled with Neon gas produce a glow or a plasma stream.
I use a Bulb which makes a flickering light in form of a candle.
Try some different models everyone looks and works different.
Step 6: Build Your Own Design
Once the bulb is glow you must think about a nice design.
I build a reduction gear from a old clock and use a small engine from a CD reader.
Mounted all on a reversed bowl and you get a rotating plasma stream.
In a next step I will add a control unit for rotation speed and Plasma power.
Now it's time to went in your garage and give your best.
I hope in some weeks I see more crazy plasma machines here!
GOOD LUCK!
Your Admiral Aaron Ravensdale
Finalist in the
Clocks Challenge
Be the First to Share
Recommendations
For the Home Contest
Game Design: Student Design Challenge
Big and Small Contest
101 Comments
11 years ago on Introduction
I make last week some discoveries!
If you don't connect the High Power (-) to battery (-) and use instead Earth / Ground the light gets more powerfully and the transistor don't get hot anymore!
So you can power up "stable" to 4.0 Volts!
I think it becomes hot because the "backfire" from the AC current is too much for the transistor.
So if you use the AC current from the circuit you should also use Earth / Ground to beed of the high power!!!
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
Do you have a wiring diagram that shows how to use higher voltages safely?
I have an AC to 3volts dc adaptor I can use.
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
step 4 on the picture you see the wirering. on the left upper corner you see 2 cables batt- and bulb- remove the bulb- and connect it to earth...
Reply 9 years ago on Introduction
With that change, what would be the new maximum voltage that could be supplied?
Reply 4 years ago
Just wow. Admiral: I know you wanna inspire and teach, but they dont wanna learn, sie wollen es einfach KÖNNEN; ohne zu lernen. Futile.
9 years ago
What did you use as your power source?
Reply 4 years ago
A disposable camera circuit.Duh!
8 years ago on Introduction
Very nice, but the hight voltage emitts also much radiactivity! D:
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
No it doesn't. You probably get more from your computer monitor.
Reply 8 years ago on Introduction
LCD, so no ;P
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
There is absolutely no radioactivity in any high-voltage circuit, from the smallest (like this) to the largest multi-story Tesla coil. It's absolute balderdash, with no basis in the physics of this or any other conceivable universe to say so. I have no idea where you get off making wild-eyed claims like that.
Reply 7 years ago on Introduction
Hi Sehrgut, i dont know if you where asleep in physics but there is a thing called Bremsstrahlung ( you should know it ), which is a process, which emitts radiation.
Reply 6 years ago
Releasing radiation and releasing radioactivity are two entirely different things. For example light and electromagnetism are forms of radiation. Where radioactivity would refer to the ejection of atoms which decay to release radiation. This rig contains no such capacity
Reply 7 years ago
Outside of a specially-constructed x-ray tube, you're still not accelerating electrons anywhere near enough to observer Bremsstrahlung with simply a high-voltage generator.
Reply 6 years ago
A tesla coil does release electrons.
Reply 6 years ago
I've learned a new word, so thank you
9 years ago on Introduction
Cool steampunk idea bro
9 years ago on Introduction
Wow
10 years ago on Step 2
hold down button
wait until the flash is charged
remove the battery
press the button on the camera to make it flash, or tap the thin copper contacts together
it will flash, the compacitor will be drained
10 years ago on Introduction
that is insane!