S'Mores! Led for melting marshmallows

clutchsauce

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Nov 20, 2009
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Long story, but I need to somehow melt marshmallows usiing only batteries. Can you guys give me any suggestions for the cheapest LED to buy and battery. I do have a $ 30 limit. Also the LED would have to not burn out after a few uses something that can actually sustain mutiple uses of around a minute (or less) of use each time.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Other ideas would also be welcome for alternative ways to melt soemthing. I was originally thinking toaster like heating coils but that draws far too much electricity.
 
I wouldn't use a LED light, since they are more efficient then incandescents and the heat is not going to be concentrated by a reflector.

What kind of batteries would you be using? I think a hotwire maglite should work pretty well.
 
You need an incandescent bulb. They produce more heat than light. LEDs produce more light than heat, which is not what you need. You might get a cheap 6 volt lantern, swap out the lense for a piece of foil, sit it on its tail and try that. That big battery holds a reasonable amount of power.

A soda can with a candle burning inside and a marshmallow sitting on top might work. If you still need to have batteries you could use them to ballast the can and hold up the candle.
 
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You need an incandescent bulb. They produce more heat than light. LEDs produce more light than heat, which is not what you need.
Strictly speaking, not true. LEDs dump around 1/3 of the power into light, and 2/3 to non-light heat. (And technically, the visible light is heat, too!) The big difference, though, is that the non-light heat transfer from an LED is almost entirely conducted out through the base, while the non-light heat from an incan is almost entirely radiated out the front with the light.
 
Sorry, but in a nutshell, you won't be able to melt a marshmallow with a LED for under $30. You would even be hard pressed to do that with a incandescent lamp and battery for under $30.

I'm sure a Mag85 could do it, but not for under $30.

I wish I could help.

EDIT: The more I think about it, if you have a battery pack from a cordless tool, you could get a Low Voltage Halogen bulb for landscaping lighting (like a 30W Malibu bulb), and a socket and melt stuff. Just match the battery pack just above the bulb voltage. It wouldn't be pretty, but it would melt something!
 
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Sorry, but in a nutshell, you won't be able to melt a marshmallow with a LED for under $30. You would even be hard pressed to do that with a incandescent lamp and battery for under $30.

I'm sure a Mag85 could do it, but not for under $30.

I wish I could help.

EDIT: The more I think about it, if you have a battery pack from a cordless tool, you could get a Low Voltage Halogen bulb for landscaping lighting (like a 30W Malibu bulb), and a socket and melt stuff. Just match the battery pack just above the bulb voltage. It wouldn't be pretty, but it would melt something!

Old car battery and a 50 watt non diochic MR16 will do it.
 
some of the more powerful green lasers may be able to burn small pieces of marshmallow...maybe
 
not with Led, but can be done under 30 for sure. WF-500 remove front glass, $25. or Dx 15w p60 drop in to a cheap host. this is brighter & more heat than ROP Low.
 
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