Scary Tinker's Cheap and Easy Flicker Candle

I finally came up with what I think is a better looking candle flicker LED effect.   It only took 18 versions to get there.





The problem with vitrually all led tea lights and flicker leds is that they are all one solid color.  Candle flame is made up of a range of colors including orange, yellow, white and blue.  I tried to emulate this using three leds daisy chained and stacked with mixed success.




Over at EvilMadScience.com I stumbled upon a 10mm diffused white candle flicker led.  I realized that the LED was large enough to color directly and get the effect I wanted.  I tried a number of paints with not so great results.   What works great is a Sharpie marker.   Color the base red, add a ring of orange, a ring of yellow and just leave a bit of the top of the LED uncolored.

LED Flicker Candle Flame Tutorial:

Part One - Parts List
10mm Warm White Diffused LED

• EvilMadScience.com - http://evilmadscience.com/productsmenu/partsmenu/333 - 10 for $7.50 including CA tax and postage

Resistor (Value depends on voltage of power supply or battery) - 5 for $1.25 at Radio Shack

• 12 volts = 330 ohms
• 9 volts   = 220 ohms
• 6 volts   = 120 ohms
• 5 volts   = 82 ohms
• 3 volts = 10 ohms

Red, Yellow, Orange Sharpie

• Staples, Office Depot - about a buck each.

Power Supply (Price will vary with source)

• CR2032 battery
• 9 Volt battery (Battey holder available at Radio Shack 5 for $3.00)
• AA battery pack
• Just about any wallwart you have laying around (this is the recommended power source, it can power a bunch of candles.  You probably have an unsused wallwart laying around already.)

Part Two - The LED

The first thing to do is color the LED.   I start at the bottom and use a red Sharpie to color a ring around the base of the LED.  Maybe covering 20%.  Keep the coloring rough... were going for natual looking here.  Next add a ring of orange followed by a ring of yellow.  You should leave the very top as-is.Next you will create the silicone tip.   I use GE clear silicon (NOT Latex).   Take a paper cup or something similar and squirt in a glob about 1/2 tall.   Holding the LED by the leads dip the led in the silicon to the base.   Pull the LED straight out and then hold it at about a 30 degree angle for about a minute.   Find a place to let the LED hang like a sleeping bat for about two hours.

Part Three - The Packaging
Decide how you are going to power the LED.  I suggest using a wallwart because you probabaly have one laying around and you can power mulitple candles with one.   Use the resistor value

Haunt Design With Leonard Pickle

You know that old saying “I taught you everything you know but not everything I know”?  That's how I felt after an all-day seminar with Leonard Pickle.   The $160 seminar was jammed packed with pearls of wisdom from somebody that has done it all before.   The bones of the talk revolved around the implementation of the triangular grid system of haunt design that Leonard is known for.   Frankly while this was an interesting exercise there were no real surprises.   Go for continuity room to room, build in paths for actors to be able to multi-scare, etc…   For me, it was Leonard’s verbal asides that made the day.    That is where I learned how to deal with fire inspectors, how to launch a haunt on the cheap, what to spend on marketing, etc…   All in all I learned a lot, had fun, and learned how much I didn’t know.   

Hauntcon Pre-Show Tour - 3

Factory of Terror

Canton Ohio hosts one of the biggest haunted houses in the mid-west; Factory of Terror.   Located in an abandoned factory, this haunt leverages its size to provide rich sets and an extended scare experience.  The mirror maze is top notch as well as the 3D section of the haunt. Moderate pricing makes this one of the best scare per dollar events around. 

Factory of Terror
4125 Mahoning Rd NE
Canton, OH 44705
Website

Hauntcon Pre-Show Tour - 2

Ghoul Mansion

Located in rustic Sharon PA, this indoor haunt meanders through the bowels of a couple of semi-dilapidated buildings.  The queue is indoors but on a busy night the line wraps around the block.  One pleasant surprise is the 3D attraction CarnEvil.  Painted by a local tattoo artist, this section of the haunt features some of the best color separation I have seen in any pro haunt.  Ticket prices are quite reasonable making this a worthwhile road trip for a classic Cleveland area haunted house.

Ghoul Mansion
66 North Main Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146
website

Hauntcon Pre-Show Tour - 1

Freddy’s Haunts

This is a big haunt that deserves a visit if you are in the area. We did the daylight walkthrough, and even when only populated with a few actors this was fun. I'd definitely like to come back during the Halloween season when all the effects are in place and the 50+ actors are in place. The 2011 price of 10 bucks a head is a real bargain. Indoor queue and ticket sles make this venue a good bet rain or shine. Visit the website for directions. GPS will take ou on a guided tour of the back roads of Pennsylvania complete with dueling banjos.

Freddy’s Haunts
192 McCune Rd.
Aliquippa PA 15001
Website