Easy to make, an enclosed burner with a hole at the top into which you stick your lit cone incense. A flexible diaphragm on the underside has a motorized rotating cog that flexes and releases the diaphragm causing it to blow smoke rings.
You could make them out of ceramic and have them in the shape of characters like the man in the moon blowing smoke rings for instance.-- doctorremulac3, Sep 21 2014 One idea for the shape http://imgs.steps.d..._000000007021_3.jpgOnly blowing rings unlike the illustration [doctorremulac3, Sep 21 2014] Here's the basic idea of what I'm thinking of. http://cache4.asset...CDOR%7C00%7C128&s=1With smoke rings of course [doctorremulac3, Sep 21 2014] 2 loop torus http://thumb9.shutt...n-gold-69810808.jpgPossibly stable? But probably impossible to generate... [neutrinos_shadow, Sep 21 2014] Leapfrogging vortices http://youtu.be/0LP-MgrXtIMTheoretically stable [EnochLives, Sep 22 2014] Chimney_20Smoke_20Art_20Work same thing, but on a larger scale [xenzag, Sep 22 2014] hooka http://www.youtube....watch?v=8hEGBvkKPR8how to blow smoke [popbottle, Sep 24 2014] [+] I'll take two.-- FlyingToaster, Sep 21 2014 Really? Cause I'll make one. I'm looking for a fun sideline product to sell on line made with my...
wait for it...
3d printer that I just bought!
I can make on with a 3d modeler, print the piece, pour a plaster mold around it and pour ceramic in, then attach the little mechanism.
I could see people buying these in little nick-nack shops. You'd leave one running to get attention.
If I really make one I'll post a picture. Looking for something, anything, to make with my 3d printer when it arrives.-- doctorremulac3, Sep 21 2014 + Cool idea! Make it and they will buy it.-- xandram, Sep 21 2014 Why stop at circular smoke rings? Perhaps square ones, or star shapes?-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 21 2014 Is such wizardry possible? 'Cause if so done and done.-- doctorremulac3, Sep 21 2014 If you can't have flames, smoke is the next best thing. [+]-- 8th of 7, Sep 21 2014 The easiest smoke-ring makers have large-diameter holes for the smoke to come out (about the size of the ejected ring.) I dunno anything about small-diameter smoke-ring generators, like that puckered-lip moon.
I suspect you'll need a smoke-mixing fan in the body of the thing, or maybe baffles to spread the smoke evenly. Or just a good inhale after each ring.
No, no shapes but rings are stable. Unless you are Sir Ian McKellen playing Gandalf.
I'd like a dolphin, please. [+]-- baconbrain, Sep 21 2014 Me too, but I couldn't eat a whole one.
Incidentally, I am pretty sure that a figure-8 smoke ring ought to be stable.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 21 2014 Figure 8? Not so sure, [MaxwellBuchanan]. Self intersecting for a start, and the change of direction "along" the figure 8 would screw up the poloidal rotation. Ring vortices are very cool, but pretty much the only shape I can think of that will work. (..more thinking...) If your "figure 8" was twisted in on itself (linky) and "stretched" vertically somewhat to get rid of the proximity of the overlappy bits, it might work...-- neutrinos_shadow, Sep 21 2014 smoke spiral-- FlyingToaster, Sep 21 2014 I love this. It would be a welcome addition to my incense line- -up.-- blissmiss, Sep 21 2014 Please send me one+-- zeno, Sep 22 2014 [MB], I don't think a figure-8 is stable in the way you meant, but if the two vortices have the correct kinematic properties, they can be _dynamically_ stable, at least in theory [link].-- EnochLives, Sep 22 2014 //_dynamically_ stable //
[marked-for-tagline]-- 8th of 7, Sep 22 2014 // I don't think a figure-8 is stable in the way you meant// I was actually thinking of a twisty figure-8 (without an intersection), sort of like [neutrinos_shadow] percepticatiously described.
//smoke spiral//
Now there's an idea. Or at least a smoke helix. The foremost end of the helix would be unstable, but the remainder of it should be stable. You'd have a sort of spring shape, moving forward but with the front end buckling.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 22 2014 //percepticatiously// I had to look that one up.
Which didn't help... Have you been dipping your hand into the Scrabble bag again?-- neutrinos_shadow, Sep 22 2014 Make it a gun for elephants.-- 4and20, Sep 24 2014 random, halfbakery