[SML] flameless smoke efx ?

[jdunfee12 at yahoo.com]

The part city ones look good as long as you don't try to puff, or want any smoke coming from the smoldering end.
If you want something small, that will produce a small stream of smoke, here is one idea I have used. Years ago, to make a "steaming hot cup of hot chocolate", I used a drip-atomizer from an E-cig set-up.  I modified it by drilling a larger vent hole into the side.  Then I used a very tiny fan that was ducted to blow into that hold.  It originally produced more smoke than I wanted, and I ended up blocking a lot of the air flow from the fan to reduce the output.  Note that air flow over the heating coil is absolutely necessary to produce more than the tiniest amount of fog.
Vegetable glycerine as the "fog juice" produces the most fog, but it is best to thin it out a bit with polypropylene glycol, or the thickness of the glycerine tends to inhibit it flowing through the wick.
But, the set-up cannot be continuously used for more than abut 30 sec.  So, I was considering making two or three of the atomizers, and using and Arduino to automatically cycle between each atomizer one at a time.
Another approach I was going to try out, but haven't done yet, was to use some Sal Ammoniac (aka. Ammonium Chloride). This is the very old-school way to make theatrical smoke.  It involves simply heating the Sal Ammoniac.
Greg Bierly gave me a  demonstration, and I was impressed at how simple, yet effective it was. It was not even a problem for me to breath for a short time. For the small version, like the smoke rising from an ash tray, I was considering making my own tiny "hot plate" using the heater wire like they use in an E-cig, and then sprinkling the Sal Ammoniac onto that.  Again, I have not yet played with this idea.
By the way, Sal Ammoniac is what was used before the modern version of baking powder became available. It is sometimes know as "Bakers Ammonia".

For the big puff, you might consider talcum powder, or Fuller's earth, being air blown.  It  might be from a compressor, CO2 confetti-cannon, or a small "special effects air gun" (I wrote an article about constructing one, decades ago)  But, talcum will make a mess if you use much of it, and can tend to make a stage a little slippery.  NEVER try to "puff" flour or starch, as it is quite flammable when in a cloud.

-Joe

   On Thursday, March 28, 2019, 12:58:39 PM EDT, Jacob Blumberg via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:  
 
 Hi Dan,
I’m kind of confused on what you want for your first effect, but check these out for your cigarette:
https://www.newrulefx.com/collections/actor-cigarette?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgu71xqal4QIVlLXACh3umgSVEAAYASAAEgK44vD_BwE
Also if your budget is small I think party city has some cheap ones.
Best of luck,Jacob
On Thu, Mar 28, 2019 at 11:44 Dan Sheehan via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:

Looking for:1) "a sudden flash of smoke" upon actor exit   (smoke pot effect)
2) smoking cigarette effect / handheld smoke generator ?
suggestions ?
thanks-- 
...Dan Sheehan
Fixer of things that breakTD Walpole (MA) Footlighters

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