# Prop Idea - Making your own fake flames?



## Offwhiteknight (Sep 17, 2008)

Okay. So I really like the idea of flames erupting from various props, like the top of a JOL or the top of a skeleton's skull, or whatnot. But premade fake flames seem to run around $20 a pop.

So we can surely make our own, right?

I would assume we would start with a computer fan from below and a piece of white silk cut up to represent the flame.

But the lighting is throwing me off. I'd assume LEDs. But exactly what size and color? How many? Flashing or not flashing?

My own thought might be a red LED or two, then double that in orange and yellow, all dependent upon size of the flame. One or two of each of the orange and yellow flashing to get the extra flame flicker effect.

I'm planning on trying this, I'd just like to get some more expert opinions before I purchase the LEDs and rip apart an old PC of mine to get at the fan.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## Saturday8pm (Sep 5, 2012)

Knight, I'm sure people have had success with their own riggings since these are sold, 
but I had no luck getting the right balance from my lighting either. From memory, I think 
I got some yellow and orange tissue, shredded it, got a screen, placed a small camping 
fan under that, and trapped the tissue between pieces of wood in our firepit outside. 
Lighting was courtesy a flashlight but it didn't work. I'd try, say, a loop of Halloween lights 
or several spot lights diffused with cheesecloth.

I ditched the idea and threw some gas on the wood and lit a match! Perfect!

I've also thrown a strobe in the middle of the pit, which we surround every year with 
a couple of stuffed witches. Throw in a CD loop of satanic chants hid in the bushes and VOiLA!


----------



## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

I think the fan idea is right, however I'd consider using reflective/mirror Mylar rather than silk or shredded paper. I'd have two or three different colored lights, though maybe multiples of each, white, yellow, and reddish orange. If they can alternately fade in and out so that there's only two colors lit at a time, it would help give more of the flame effect. For small sources of fire, you won't be getting a huge light source, so don't go too heavy with the lights for each "fire" source (candle, torch, etc. If you can have the speed of the fan vary, that will help too. Let's face it though, if you need to have your scene lit up, and you were planning on the "fires" do do it, you're not going to be happy with look of what real fire would look like. Something to add, add scorch and soot marks around the walls or surrounding surfaces of the flame, it's amazing what the addition of those kinds of details can do for the effect.


----------



## The_Caretaker (Mar 6, 2007)

I used leds with my flaming skull, you can see the build photos in my flickr account


__
https://flic.kr/p/bkcspy


----------



## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

You may find some useful information in beelce's how-to on fake flaming baskets here:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=15113


----------



## Offwhiteknight (Sep 17, 2008)

Caretaker, that's exactly what I was thinking of. It just needs to self-illuminate, it doesn't need to cast light on anything else really.

And Roxy, you really are the Queen of Halloween, not to mention the search function!

Now I just need to decide how big and what colors to choose...time to google pictures of fires I think...


----------



## Saturday8pm (Sep 5, 2012)

Roxy, NiCE post. Love the effect there ... that's along the lines of what I was going for, 
but the embers idea really completes the effect. As good as it gets.


----------



## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Beelce's how-to and technique that Roxy mentioned is an excellent one.


----------



## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

That is a pretty comprehensive how-to. The only other thing I might suggest would be to play around with the LED placement and aiming. You might even try to use some wide angle LEDs at the base, a slightly narrower angle aimed at the middle and some narrow angled LEDs to spotlight the top of the flame. As the fabric whips in the wind, it will catch different bits of the focused LED light and may give the illusion the flames are dancing even more.


----------



## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

I ran across this while looking for a flame how to for next year

http://halloweenpropmaster.com/DragonFire.htm


----------



## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

corey872 said:


> That is a pretty comprehensive how-to. The only other thing I might suggest would be to play around with the LED placement and aiming. You might even try to use some wide angle LEDs at the base, a slightly narrower angle aimed at the middle and some narrow angled LEDs to spotlight the top of the flame. As the fabric whips in the wind, it will catch different bits of the focused LED light and may give the illusion the flames are dancing even more.


Hey Corey... I really like this suggestion...I hope you will give it a try and let us all know how it works out...I think your on to a great idea. Lighting is everything with these silk flames


----------



## Madhaus32 (Dec 27, 2012)

Hi Eric!

I have a tutorial for making them on my website here: http://www.madhauscreative.com/flame box.html

The major secret is to get a powerful fan and to surround it in a way that allows the fan to get enough air intake from the bottom. If you crowd it too much, it won't be able to consistently lift the "flames". Hope this helps!


----------



## austenandrews (Aug 22, 2010)

I took a crack at it, and that was the problem I had - not enough airflow in my limited space to pull off anything but the smallest flicker. I may try again next time, with a little more forethought and space.


----------



## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

The solution is kind of two fold. You need to have a powerful enough fan with solid side-walls, this keeps all of the air flowing in the intended direction, and you need to have an easy/open source for your fan to pull air from other than from above. On the power side, it doesn't take that much for most smaller flames, if you are looking for a blazing camp fire then a bigger fan is needed. For most, the problem is that they don't give good access for air other than from the opening above, so the fan ends up pulling air down at the same time it's trying to blow air upwards. Sometimes having two fans can help you resolve the issue. Having one fan mounted on/in an exterior opening to blow air in, and the second fan to blow the air upwards. This is especially helpful if you are creating something with thick walls. That long distance through those walls for air can be a bit of a challenge for a single fan, the second fan cuts the labor in half.
Hope all of that made sense.


----------



## Daphne (Oct 18, 2006)

This is an old thread but still lots of great info here! Thanks everyone!


----------

