I made an electric log fire!

[Night Train]

Today I have finally put together a collection of daft ideas and made a log fire for the stage. It needs to be able to be brought onto the stage, faded up for the scene and then faded back down again at the end of the scene.

It looks simple but took a bit of thought to get the effect.


It is made using a tin can, with diagonal cuts in, mounted on the rotating part of a recovery truck's amber beacon. A golf ball lamp is inserted in the top on a mount and there is a dimmer slide switch on the back side of the fire. The speed of rotation is controlled by a variable resister on the dc side of a transformer controlling the rotating beacon. I used a few layers of lighting gel to get the glow colour right and then covered the whole thing in firewood.


Making props is fun!
Next thing on the list is a Lute.

 

[CroppyBoy1798]

Funky! :wink:

 

[Woodmagnet]

Job's a good'un. 8)

 

[Night Train]

That's part of the fun of making props. Simple, cheap and unusual.

I am part way through the Lute at the moment. I have half a papier mache balloon for the back and a hard board front. I have just made the neck and head but I am off to rehearsals now with an arm full of swords and quarter staffs.