Rolling Broadsides...

[Strategic Command]

Hello everyone,

I am a model builder and painter.I am currently building a cross section model of a Napoleonic Ship of the Line. It will have model soldiers on it which I am building and painting. I will also be building and painting the ship and display area as well.

HERE IS WHERE I NEED YOU!!!!

I am looking for find a way to have ten cannons fire a rolling broadside of "smoke" as well as light up with an LED, and once that happens I would like the cannon to also move backwards, and then slowly move back into starting position.

This video is my inspiration for this model. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2WdU3Zkeig&feature=share

I figure I will need some sort of pressurized smoke, and led and some sort of actuator arm to move the cannon, but engineering is so beyond my scope that I am reaching out for help.

Should this be possible it would be great to have all the effects work, but I will settle for just the smoke and led effect.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

I will buy all the parts needed if you can help me figure out the assembly and whatever else it takes...

[adafruit_support_bill]

What scale are we talking about? How big will these cannons be?

[Strategic Command]

I will be using Games Workshop models, which are 28-30mm. Or roughly 1/40 - 1/44th scale.

[adafruit_support_bill]

You might look into using pressurized CO2 for the 'smoke'. You can probably find the valves and other parts to control it from a place specializing in paintball guns. LEDs should not be too much of a problem once you figure out the routing of the CO2 piping and such.

[Strategic Command]

So here is what I know so far... The cannons I am using are hollow plastic and easily can be converted to hold a tube for the smoke to be pumped through. The LED wiring can either be in the tubing or taped to the tubing on the outside to run it through the model to get to the cannon. My main area of uncertainty is the controlling equipment and programing or whatnot that will tell the smoke to pump, the led to go off and then cycle a waiting period and than start again.

I dont know how to create or build the electrical components or if there is something out there to buy. I guess I am looking for help in making a shopping list of what I need to buy and build and than help making the sequence.

[adafruit_support_bill]

Controlling leds and actuators (I'm thinking RC micro-servos would probably work here) is pretty straightforward. An Arduino and a couple of these: http://www.adafruit.com/products/815 will control up to 32 channels of LEDs and/or Servos.

The biggest unknown here is the smoke. What is going to generate it? How are you going to pressurize it? What kind of valves do you need to control the flow?

[Strategic Command]

I think the smoke at least what I am thinking is from model railroads, its smoke oil, as far as pressurizing and pumping it I have no clue.. LOL

I want to thank you for the conversation, we are getting somewhere

Hmmm...

[Strategic Command]

Do you guys offer a design and build for a fee type thing?

[adafruit_support_bill]

The model railroad smoke generators I have seen don't put out a high volume of smoke and tend to leave an oily residue. Not sure how effectively you could pressurize it. CO2 is already pressurized and commonly used for smoke & fog special effects. Search for "Fog Cannons" and you will find lots of CO2-based guns. On a smaller scale, there are a lot of CO2 valves and fittings available for powering paintball guns. I suspect they could be adapted for your miniature cannons.

Do you guys offer a design and build for a fee type thing?

We do have a jobs board where you could post your project: http://adafruit.com/jobs/