kleberrios Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 (edited) Hi Guys. Somebody know how the Titanium grains are ignited inside the box, and how the grains are thrown out of the box?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bKF7qBjvR8&t=17s Edited June 19, 2017 by kleberrios 1
NeighborJ Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 I'm guessing here but I'd bet it operates with the use of an abrasive wheel. I've welded TI and used a grinder to prepare the welds, the plume of sparks look the same as from the grinder and would be able to be controlled.
lloyd Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 There are two forms. One uses a grinding wheel on a rod of spark-producing stock (not usually Ti, but 'Misch Metal'). The other uses compressed air to propel Ti powder through a plasma arc. Lloyd
davidh Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 If it's bounding off a sheet of paper it isn't burning Ti.
kleberrios Posted June 19, 2017 Author Posted June 19, 2017 No grinding wheel because the feed is metal powder .No compressed air or gas burning because the paper foil is stoped on the box at 3:23 of first video. Eletric arc perhaps.
lloyd Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 (edited) That one is Sparktacular's. Andy came up to the shop and demonstrated early prototypes to us. It did, indeed, use a small flow of compressed air to propel the metal granules... but it's not 90psi at 150scfm! The compressor was about the size of your closed fist, and each box had one inside. Since that first demo, perhaps he found a way to propel the granules mechanically. In any case, they're quite pricey! FWIW, you can hold paper against the sparks of our conventional gerbs, and not burn it... and they are all titanium-based. You can't hold it down in the flame, of course, but the sparks above the flame column don't have enough thermal mass to catch much of anything on fire. In the close-prox and stage industry, they're known as 'cold gerbs'. That's a misnomer, but it conveys the meaning that they won't catch sets or talent on fire. LLoyd Edited June 19, 2017 by lloyd 1
dynomike1 Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 I'm guessing here but I'd bet it operates with the use of an abrasive wheel. I've welded TI and used a grinder to prepare the welds, the plume of sparks look the same as from the grinder and would be able to be controlled.What rods will weld Ti? I dont usually get to weld anything but Galvanized and Stainless.Now i know how the wrestlers walk through all those sparks and not get burnt.
NeighborJ Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 Mike, the rod I used was titanium tig wire. That job was at a oxygen plant which supplied all the gases for the Basic oxygen Process in a steel mill. Was about 18 years ago so I don't recall the exact info from the rods but it was welded with a high frequency machine, all the pipe and materials were insanely priced (1000bucks per 50# bundle of rod) or so I was told. I joked with my boss that I accidentally cut a pipe too short and he would promptly remind me that there is always room in the unemployment line. This stage set is awesome, it would fit perfectly with smoke machines and lasers. Jason
Arthur Posted June 19, 2017 Posted June 19, 2017 Saw those machines working at Plasa Show in the UK last year. The machines are expensive and the powder isn't cheap either.
kleberrios Posted June 19, 2017 Author Posted June 19, 2017 Saw those machines working at Plasa Show in the UK last year. The machines are expensive and the powder isn't cheap either. Is powder Titanium, powder cerium or powder Zirconium ?
yvanblo Posted June 27, 2017 Posted June 27, 2017 Very cool. I would never trade it for a real gerb or fountain, but it is very impressive. Thanks for sharing.
Recommended Posts