Plasma Bulb With Clock Gear

Hi,
I am a Steampunker from Germany and today I try to create my first Intructables instruction.
I hope you understand all otherwise ask and I will give my best to answer.

Today I will show you how you build a rotating Plasma Stream in a bulb.
You can already watch a video of this machine.

More pictures and stuff you will find on my German Website Steampunk Design under "Werkstatt" and "Werkstatt / Plasma Wirbler".

First of all you buy a disposable camera from Fujifilm or other one from the picture.
If you buy other models you will find inside an AAA cell instead of the right AA cell.
In this case the soldering points for the power output are on an other place.

After removing the paper you will find a plastic camera without any screws.

Remove or loose the plastic flaps on every side and open the camera.
Now you can pull out the flashligt module.
Attention!!!
The capacitor often is charged.
If you touch the board with your fingers on the wrong place you get a hit.

Before you do anything bridge the capacitor with a screwdriver.
After this you must remove the Flashlight, Capacitor and the switch for the flash.
I do it with a solder pen.
So you can use these parts in other projects.
If you are finished the board looks on the part side like this.

On the back you must solder 6 wires on the right place the picture will help you.
For the power input I use an adjustable DC power supply.

Don't use more than 3Volt otherwise the will burns out.
The module takes around 350mA.

Then you can use two wires to take away the power switch from the module.
It makes more sense as to bridge the two solder points on the circuit and switch the power supply on/off.

The wire of the high power output of the circuit goes to the middle contact of the bulb.
The three arms outside of my bulb are connected to the power -

Not every bulb starts to glow!
Only some special types who filled with Neon gas produce a glow or a plasma stream.
I use a Bulb which makes a flickering light in form of a candle.
Try some different models everyone looks and works different.

Once the bulb is glow you must think about a nice design.
I build a reduction gear from a old clock and use a small engine from a CD reader.
Mounted all on a reversed bowl and you get a rotating plasma stream.

In a next step I will add a control unit for rotation speed and Plasma power.

Now it's time to went in your garage and give your best.
I hope in some weeks I see more crazy plasma machines here!

GOOD LUCK!
Your Admiral Aaron Ravensdale