In order to enhance the fire element of Felo'melorn, I wanted to add smoke in addition to the lights. Searching the vast world wide web, I came across a mod(ification) for electronic cigarettes for cosplay purposes. Just what I needed for this project ...
Parts
Being totally unfamiliar with e-cigarettes, I had to do some research on which parts to buy. I've linked the sources for this mod at the end of this post.
The core component is obviously the e-cigarette. I found a cheap one at about 5EUR on eBay, a "Kangertech T3S Clearomizer".
The next part is very specific and only compatible with specific e-cig models, which narrowed down the options when selecting the e-cig, an "eGo Unsealed Battery Mod Connector".
This part will allow me to use my own power supply for the e-cig or even replace the e-cig without hassle.
Because the e-cig will be embedded in the prop, there needs to be a mechanism to have the smoke come out of the e-cig, which achieved by using a small air pump.
Normally, someone would suck air through it, releasing the smoke. In this mod, a small air pump is used to blow the smoke out of the device. Using some flexible tubing, the air pump can be connected to the e-cig, forcing the air though it.
That's the theory at least. Next step is to get all of this assembled.
Assembly
The trickiest part of this build was to solder the wires inside the connector. The center ring is isolated from the rest of the connector via a rubber seal. Soldering the red wire, without blocking the ventilation hole with solder, was a real pain ...
After various attempts and the assistance of my desoldering pump, I finally managed to get the red wire in place without blocking the ventilation hole. Using my multimeter, I confirmed there was no short between the red and black wires.
Once the wires were soldered on, the flexible tube was put over the ventilation hole. That meant that a part of the red wire had to be inside the tube. The red wire exits the tube about halfway, trough a little hole I made.
To avoid putting too much strain on the wires and the tube, I filled the connector with hot glue.
Finally, the e-cig was screwed on the connector, and the airpump hooked up to the flexible tube.
That's the smoke machine done. Next, I'll have to create a circuit to control the pump via a PWM signal to control intensity, and find the best way to power the e-cig.
Felo'fact
Felo'melorn is rumored to be located in Icecrown Citadel, the Lich King's fortress.
Source: https://wow.gamepedia.com/Icecrown_Citadel
Sources
Sources I used to find information on type of e-cig, modifications to make, etc ...:
Top Comments
I'm looking forward to seeing this in action.
Had a chat with my wife who's been vaping for a few years now.
You might find a fruit rather than tobacco juice is less likely to gum up the pipes.…
Nice trick.
I've played with smoke machines in the past which pump a fluid through a large heated block.
The biggest issue was blocking up, as everyone had cheaper fluid, but it usually came at a cost…
Thanks Gene!
This is my first time using something like this. Though I assume it's probably quite safe, I'll still be careful and keep an eye on it. Perhaps I should strap a temperature sensor to it and…