Here is a new application for you to think about. I need to generate a lot of smoke for short amount of time from inside of a small theater stage prop. Back in high school, I did this with a soldering gun in a metal container filled with train smoke. It gave me a delayed action of the smoke in about 20 seconds. I am thinking a similar idea could work here, but I may not have the luxury 110 volt power for the soldering gun. I am hoping that you train enthusiast may be able to help me with this.
My prop is an old cassette tape recorder that needs to "self destruct" on cue (about 15 seconds or so into the theatrical skit after it is activated). It is a "Mission Impossible" gag. Instead of using a soldering gun in metal container of train smoke using 110 Volts, is there a way to do this with a train engine smoke generator that would take about 15 second to get started and then really smoke for about 10 seconds at which point it will be off stage and can be turned off, all with the electrical current one would find from within an old cassette player? The audience will need to be able to see this from about 30 yards out. There will be lots of stage lights to make any smoke visible.
That is your mission, should you choose to accept it! (This message will self-destruct in 15 seconds.)
Thank you.
Simplest "Big Smoke" generator I know of:
Pull release. Large white cloud of supercooled water vapor, right now!
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
To simulate self-destructing spy cassette, use SMALL quantities. A piece of dry ice the size of a sugar cube should be more than adequate.
Chuck