W.I.P. - The "Enhanced Galvanick Lucifer" (fuel tank built & glowing!)

[Captain_Minty_Gearhertz]

Conflagration! A true laser beam! That would more than likely be lethal....

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

not that this has anything to do with your project but an old car of mine (1964 chevy corvair) had its high beam headlights replaced by the former owner...he used aircraft landing light bulbs that happened to fit into the round light bezels.
to say they were bright would be an understatement! they would cause pain to your skin at closer than two feet. probably could roast a marshmellow with them!
the car itself was in fairly poor shape, the high low switch on the floorboard was acting up and the lowbeams would conk out from time to time. the high beam in those lights wouldn't work either, only the landing lights would, as they were on their own circuit.
coming home one night, they decided to act up a block from the house, so I was forced to use the killer lights....no traffic (I thought) and one set of railroad tracks to cross and I was home....coming over the tracks, I noticed a police car only a few yards ahead, he flashed his high beams and dove for the curb, blinded by the intense light that just descended onto his vehicle like the hand of god.
I turned the next corner and headed up my driveway, expecting the officer to pull up behind and write a ticket.
he never appeared! In hindsight, I think it blinded him so much, he needed to sit and recover his eyesight.
by the time he could see again, I was gone from view, and he had no idea what kind of vehicle it was!
I replaced the switch the next day and the landing light bulbs burned themselves out, probably from a lack of cooling air when sitting still, the glass itself cracked on both lights almost simultaneously.
as far as power consumption, the engine would noticeably change pitch when I turned on those lights!

Utter Insanity! I love it! :-)

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

I wonder what the efefcts of that light would be if one were to boost the power output by 70% and focus it into a 1-inch circle...

Well, if some kind soul were to donate a large fresnel lens and a suitable collimating optic to mount at the focal distance of the fresnel lens, I would be more than happy to shine the enhanced galvanick lucifer through the fresnel lens and record it's prowess (or not) at melting stuff!

[Wrath the Mad]

Ah, fresnels. I have a couple that I snagged out of broken rear-projection television screens. It would melt lava-rock, shatter quartz, burn asphalt. I could probably melt coins if I could hold the thing flat enough. To anyone thinking of trying this: Do NOT look at the focal point! Unless you are wearing welding goggles the spot of light is so intense it's painful. Sunglasses, even dark ones, will not cut it! Eye protection is a good idea even when not viewing the fp, as the object being melted/burned may explode. I've had rocks do this, I imagine metal may as well.

We now return to your scheduled galvanic lucifering already in enhancement. 

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

The project moves onwards. Phase 2 is ready to begin.

I have been emailed to say that the HID ballast and bulbs have shipped.

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 

[Goggleyed]

I personally would rig it up somewhat like News Crew video cameras, over the shoulder on a sort of one sided harness... That way it looks more like some sort of light system, so powerful that would fly out of the hands of normal men if not shouldered.

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

I personally would rig it up somewhat like News Crew video cameras, over the shoulder on a sort of one sided harness... That way it looks more like some sort of light system, so powerful that would fly out of the hands of normal men if not shouldered.

Hmmm. I really quite like that.

A shoulder mounted torch whose reflector is literally LARGER THAN MY HEAD!

Sort of the Zaphod Beeblebrox of lights...

Unfortunately, there's a few problems that I can foresee
(1) being 6'7" tall I already have to duck under doors, low branches etc. Lamp might be scheduled for swift door frame assisted destruction when I first forget to duck.
(2) Heat. I don't fancy this beastie singing off the hair on half my head. Mind you that would add to the mad science ambience...
(3) How to easily aim the lamp where I wish to look? (I suppose some sort of motorised mount with a handheld thumb operated 8 way switch would do the job, but that means the added weight of motors etc).
(4) Stability. Even without the battery inside the lantern, it's still going to be quite heavy. How to stabilise it?
(5) Cost. Motorised mount, custom built body harness to balance and stabilise the light and so on aren't going to be cheap to build.

[Goggleyed]

Well, my idea was more something likened the lines of a victorian rocket launcher with a massive sun particle creation mechanism instead of the long range blow-everything-in-the-area-up mechanism...

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

Well, my idea was more something likened the lines of a victorian rocket launcher with a massive sun particle creation mechanism instead of the long range blow-everything-in-the-area-up mechanism...

Ahhh, now I understand - a Victorian Rocket launcher / particle cannon rather than a victorian version of the predator's shoulder cannon...

Now, I really do like that idea. 

OK. Now I can reduce my qualms to but one.....
 

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Not getting shot at by the armed response unit of the local constabulary when a "concerned citizen" reports a lone figure around the area at night, wearing a top hat while pointing a "rocket launcher" at things and laughing madly!

[Herr Döktor]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Not getting shot at by the armed response unit of the local constabulary when a "concerned citizen" reports a lone figure around the area at night, wearing a top hat while pointing a "rocket launcher" at things and laughing madly!

I usually just tell the baffled members of the public that I'm part of a 'Murder Mystery Weekend', that usually does the trick!

Not sure if it'll work on a weekday, though...

 

[Goggleyed]

Well, it wouldnt have to have the rocket tube, just this large blinding sun you happen to be creating.

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

You know, I think that might possibly work.

I shall doodle up some ideas forthwith.

[Goggleyed]

You could make it a bit longer in the back with some counter weight to help balance it out a bit.

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

I was suddenly struck with inspiration, and OK it really needs a border with some nice corner embellishments, but I have the starts of a label to go inside the lid of the box that will hold the spare H.I.D. (high intensity discharge) bulb.



What do folks reckon?

[Hieronimous Stonebender]

Promising...

I like the wording!

But, as you already know:

EMBELLISH......

[(null).exe]

In terms of carrying and aiming, how much do you expect the actual lamp portion to weigh?

If it's not too much to carry, you could always modify the casing and hold it chain-gun style... this is too hard to describe. I will post an image.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Then, you could attach a hook to the side of the hand unit and a set of loops to the pack unit and create a handy little holster to keep it out of the way when not in use

*I apologize for my hastily scribbled schematic*

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

I say (null).exe old chap, I rather like that.

I'll weigh the bits and see what they come in at.

The lantern head is rather large (9" or so diameter) so not sure how well "holstering" it might work...

Anyway, thank you one and all for the feedback so far - I have some thinking to do to finalise the lantern design! 

[Sir Nikolas Vendigroth]

In terms of carrying and aiming, how much do you expect the actual lamp portion to weigh?

If it's not too much to carry, you could always modify the casing and hold it chain-gun style... this is too hard to describe. I will post an image.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Then, you could attach a hook to the side of the hand unit and a set of loops to the pack unit and create a handy little holster to keep it out of the way when not in use

*I apologize for my hastily scribbled schematic*

Please tell me the switch has a flip-up cover...

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

Please tell me the switch has a flip-up cover...

The on-off switch on my original design is indeed covered with a flip-up cover.

I am planning on painting the flippy bit brass as with 3250 lumens of "Eyeball Searing Doom"^TM on tap I figured that the on-off for the light needs the extra gravitas that a "missile launcher" style switch will give! 

[Rick]

A set of crossed bronze rods to shield the glass, like the covers of an old diving helmet, would look cool for display, just pop them off if they interfere with light output and throw unwanted shadows...

tho with that light output there might not be a problem:)

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

A set of crossed bronze rods to shield the glass, like the covers of an old diving helmet, would look cool for display, just pop them off if they interfere with light output and throw unwanted shadows...

tho with that light output there might not be a problem:)

I hadn't thought of that, but damn me, it would go perfectly with the bolted down lens surround!

If you have no objections, I shall add it to the design forthwith!

[Rick]

I have no objections to anything I post...errr...waitaminnit.

no objections to any ideas I may posit being used...I think that's safe:)

Progress pics please:)

BTW, have you seen the "double barrel" sunguns that have *two* lamps in them?

for your perusal:

http://www.amazon.com/Vector-Sport-Candle-Rechargeable-Spotlight/dp/B0001ZTJDS

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

Thank you kind sir!

I have no build in progress pics as yet, I am now finalising my shopping list...

• MDF sheet (to make the round brass lantern bezel and side panels of the lantern and power box )
• Aluminium L angle (To provide a neat finish along the edges of power unit and lantern body. I may try and router the edges of the wood so the brass is inlaid flush with the wood surface. I'll mitre the l-angle so it all joins together nicely on the corners.)
• Dowelling of suitable thinkness (or metal rod, to form the "diver's helmet" grille)
• Halford's grey primer
• Plastikote satin black spray paint
• Plastikote brass finish spray paint
• Wood veneer (Optional - if I can source some that is -a- nice and -b- not too expensive. To sandwich between the MDF and the "brass" frame and laquer to give a suitable finish. Otherwise I'll see if the beloved could source a suitable fabric or coating for the MDF, or maybe even just paint it satin black and then varnish. Black & brass should look rather good.)
• Brass cabinet hardware - lock for the bulb changing hatch on the lantern (might go with an unboltable access panel for simplicity instead)
• Brass ventilation louvres for lantern body 
• Key lock for master power isolation on the power pack, so that if this ever goes near my nieces or other small children I can isolate the power on the lantern so they can't blind themselves with it... Also because it would be cool!
• "Power on" light for the powerpack, possibly replicated on the lantern body.
• "Missile launcher" toggle switch on the lantern to activate the light.
• Car body filler paste for smoothing out any dodgy seams / joins prior to sanding and painting.
• 18awg wire (in both black and red - for wiring up the power etc)
• Assorted electrical bits - heatsink, some more solder etc.
• Blue cold-cathode lighting or LEDS wired up to flicker (damn, my electronics is too rusty, someone want to help me make a circuit that I can drive off say a 9V PP3 battery which will randomly flicker a few blue LEDS on and off?) for inside the power pack and possibly inside the lantern for that mysterious aetheric glow.
• JB Weld to bond the aluminium frame and wood panels together. (the beloved has already ordered some for me)
• 80mm or 120mm 12V PC case fan for inside the lantern to assist with forced cooling of ballast and bulb/reflector
• suitable large bolts to go around the lamp bezel - all will be functional with nuts JB Welded inside the lantern body (large washer between the wood and the nut, then the whole lot JBWelded to the wood - avoiding gluing the bolt in place permenantly!) Bolt heads will be primed and painted satin black for contrast to the "brass". Any flaking from being bolted down will be touched up or possibly left, depending on how "used" I decide it's going to look... on the outside, washer between the bolt and the brass, again painted black.
• Wooden box to hold the spare bulb. I'll foam line it, cut recess for the bulb, then velvet over the top.
• And finally - brass hose for the power cable!

I have been doodling some new lantern designs based on feedback in this thread and once I have them computerised I'll post them.

P.S. I collect the HID bulb and ballast tomorrow from the post office en route to work. Blooming supplier shipped it to home instead of work by mistake.

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

Status update...

The HID ballast and bulb have been transplanted into the lantern "as is" and IT'S ALIVE!!!! Muahahahahhahaaha!

Took me about 45 minutes to dismantle the floodlight and swap the H4  halogen for the HID bulb, and that's taking into account the time  needed to take photos to document it! Had to remove the lo-beam metal shield from the bulb but that was a doddle.

The only downside to swapping in a HID is you get the shadow of the  negative post in the beam pattern from the lamp, but if you position  it so that is at the top of the lantern, the shadow ends up at the 6  o'clock position and it's not too bad.

HOLY SH*T this thing is bright!

I reckon It's actually putting out not a huge amount more output than the 130W bulb that was in there but because it's 4300K it just seems SO much  brighter... Do this to a 2 million candlepower lantern, and it'll just  blow it away! Also it has the added bonus that the battery will last longer 

*ahem*

I have also procured keyswitch to lock down the system, toggle on-off switch and "missile launcher" toggle switch cover, along with some suitable power cable and heatshrink tube.

I have also reviewed the design a little...



(although ignore the handle shown, I have found somewhere that sells a wonderful brass door "pull" handle that would be perfect!)

[(null).exe]

Fantastic implementation!

I myself am quite the fan of the "Protected Activation Switch" so popular with makers of the Dirigible's rocket fueled explosion projectiles. It gives the user quite the panache with the simple ritual of "removing the safety" that allows onlookers a suitable sense of awe before a Device's actiavation