# Lightning



## greg8365 (Dec 31, 2008)

Does anyone have any ideas on how to produce artificial lightning for a diorama? What I am trying to reproduce is a scene from ST Voyager of the Species 8472 planet killer. Here is a picture: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/8459/massattack.jpg 

Thanks!


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## srspicer (Oct 14, 2007)

Hello Greg,

A couple of ways come to mind, although I have not tried them myself.
1) Use acrylic rod by carving the rod to the irregular shape you desire. Wet sand and polish it so it will be a light tube. You may be able to clear coat them instead of polishing. Your light source can be in each ship. If your environment will be space ( all black ) then your power supply lines can be hidden by painting them black.
2) Using expansion foam ( insulating foam in a can) you can lay out lines of the faom on a rod that is suspended at one end. Once the foam has dried, you will be able to mold it. Cast the foam in clear so it can be a light tube. Gloss clear coat you casting if it needs it. You will have to practice moving quickly as the foam comes out of the small hose supplied with each can, because it is under pressure and the foam will bunch up and not look like the energy beams you are trying to duplicate.
3) You can decorate a rod of any material to look the way you want with various air drying modeling calys. Once finished, the rod can be gloss clear coated, if needed, and molded.
That's my two cent worth. I would like to see if this works for you.

Regards,

Scott


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## greg8365 (Dec 31, 2008)

Scott,

Check out these options:

http://www.bpesolutions.com/lghtefx.html#anchor2862973

http://www.bpesolutions.com/productimages/effects/lwsizes.jpg

http://www.bpesolutions.com/productimages/effects/lw2mm.jpg

http://www.bpesolutions.com/productimages/effects/lw5mm.jpg

Someone on another modeling website came up with this. Unfortunately it might prove to be too expensive of an option. I will let you know which way I go and how it turns out. Thanks!


Greg


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## Roland (Feb 4, 1999)

greg8365 said:


> Does anyone have any ideas on how to produce artificial lightning for a diorama? What I am trying to reproduce is a scene from ST Voyager of the Species 8472 planet killer. Here is a picture: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/8459/massattack.jpg
> 
> Thanks!


Lightning is a challenge. Even a high speed photo graph of real lightning doesn't quite look right, I think because it's frozen in time. I think a more realistic way of modelling lightning is to provide a flash of light which occurs at random intervals. If it flashes too regularly, then it looks like a flashing beacon instead of lightning. Just my two cents of opinion on modelling lightning.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

That voyager image reminds me of the tesla ball/experiment/thing like in the old Frankenstein flicks. Also sort of like a modern day plasma ball toy. The 'tesla bolts' are 'harmless' electrical arcs. Maybe you could rig something like that? That would be severely dynamic!


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## Roland (Feb 4, 1999)

Model Man said:


> The 'tesla bolts' are 'harmless' electrical arcs. Maybe you could rig something like that? That would be severely dynamic!


High voltage arcs are not necessarily harmless. At low energy levels,for small coils, the high voltage can be relatively harmless. But for larger coils, at a few hundred thousand volts, or more, a bolt has enough energy to kill you. Seriously, don't play with high voltage unless you know what you are doing.


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## emsinker (Jun 25, 2008)

Department 57 sells a Spooky Farmhouse ceramic set-up with a special mushroom shape bulb and transformer that does the best job of simulating lightning, but you have to buy (and destroy) the Farmhouse to remove what you need.

Another option is to go to a model train supply site where they sell LED kits that simulate arc welding. This fairly closely resembles lightning.

Lastly, I purchased at Michael's at Halloween ($20) a little black "spook" box with LEDS and various lightning effects coordinated with audio in the box---howling wolves, chains etc. The effect, actually, is the best I have found and the price is right. If this interests you, let me know and I can video the effect for you and provide the name of the manufacturer. Ed


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Roland said:


> High voltage arcs are not necessarily harmless.... Seriously, don't play with high voltage unless you know what you are doing.


It's true electricity hurts like the dickens. It's not a toy. Don't play with it.

But I may have found your lightning at thinkgeek! It says it's a disc. maybe this will work for you.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/lights/362c/


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