My Tiki Torch - .50 Cal Model

SSWaters

SSWaters

Old Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Kannapolis
Was asked to build fire for a trail, goofing in the garage and built this. This is a 1/2 bottle pressure shot, full initial shot was 15' higher. Can't get the video of the big shot off my phone for some reason.
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I found my golden retriever up under a go cart hiding from it.

nctom coming over to brainstorm on a pilot light set up or ignition coil. It's got check valves in it so I'm not completely stupid.
 
There are skeeters at Portsmouth Island that would STILL not be skeerd of that.
 
Went over to Scott's shop last night. He already had the thing working good so we just "tested" it for a while after it got dark.
This picture was snapped a little early in the explosion. You can see a blue ghost arround the yellow flame where it is about to fully involve. I estimate that it will shoot 25-30 feet in the air and about 10 feet in diameter. Scott knocked a homerun with the design and fabrication. It sounds like a F16 hitting the afterburners. These flame cannons are special effects for a Haloween trail called "Judgement Woods" It is being set up beside the Afton Ridge shopping center in Concord on the George Lyles Parkway. Ya'll come!
 

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Scott says... "I Can't get the video of the big shot off my phone for some reason".

It probably melted your memory card!
 
Can that be rigged to come out of a tail pipe?
 
GONOVRIT said:
Any of yall see the one near our pit tent @KOH? Everyone was hangin outside the tent one night when, WhoOOSH! The sky lit up a couple tents down, everyone thought something blew up, lol. Very cool.
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Yes! :lol: Straight up mushroom cloud... that was ridiculous!

Can't say for sure but I'd guess Sobe bomb... people either think you're the devil... or they think you're the devil and they want to party with you. :lol:
 
I want one!!! What are you using.. I might have to get to work in the lab!
 
This space reserved for picture when I get around to it. Got to it;

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So, this is not directions, just random suggestions, not liable;
GOING UP
Find old empty propane tank and remove valve
3/4" pipe screwed into tank
3/4" to 1/2" adapter next and then short 1/2" pipe
1/2" T to short 1/2" pipe to 1/2" nice valve (not china) and another short 1/2" pipe
One way check valve to 4' long 1/2" pipe to flame holder/spreader on top

GOING SIDEWAYS
From 1/2" T to the right
Short pipe to another 1/2" T
Short 1/2" pipe to 1/2" nice valve (not china)
Adapter in 1/2" T to line from full propane tank
0 - 160 PSI pressure gauge in top of 1/2" T for monitoring pressure
Line from propane tank needs to be unregulated so you can get higher gas pressures (see end of line that goes to full tank)
This line needs to be rated for propane and at least 200PSI (will add a one way check valve on this later)

The outside air temperature and tank temperature greatly depends on how much gas pressure you get in accumulator, will range from 50 to 120PSI, of course the higher the pressure the greater the flame. It will poof all the way down to 10PSI but very small. One long blast will empty the accumulator pretty quick.

Spring is a dead man I rigged up on the flame valve.
Always have the fill valve closed before you open flame valve.
Pilot light right now is a fitting welded into the top flame holder using a small campstove bottle for gas. (probably rework this later)

My 1st gen Flame Holder, it goes up about 4" in that 3" pipe, the 3" pipe is around 8" long. I have slots cut in upper half of the big pipe to try and pull a venturi effect (kind'a like the exhaust augmentors you see on trucks these days). Will rework this later with some tapered stuff. The pilot light fitting is welded inside this near the bottom with the flame trickling up around the top edge of it. Clear tube hanging down is for the pilot light gas.

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It's a very cheap build, propane gas is what I'm using now, have used axcetylene, but propane is cheaper and more plentiful.
Try experimenting with different sized pipe, 3/8" would probably work good, any bigger than 1/2" and you'd be running through gas very fast.

If money was no object I'd have electric valves and spark plug/coil ignition.
Maybe later I'll get to that!

DON"T TRY TO MAKE A FLAME SPREADER ON TOP, I FAILED PRETTY BAD ON THAT ONE, THAT'S WHAT MADE ME PUT THE DEAD MAN ON IT. WITH THAT MUCH FLAME IT TRIED TO MUSHROOM TO THE GROUND. (Might have worked at lower PSI)
 
I have known Scott since we were kids... I aways knew he was going to do great things with explosions!:shaking:
 
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