any ideas on how to simulate lightning

Stand outside in a thunderstorm with a lightning rod in your hand.

TigerII

I saw in a museum once a low budget but effective way to simulate lightning: They had a stiff, black background with a lightning strike cut into it by razor blade, and flashed a light on and off behind it. Crude but effective. P.S., thanks for your advice with my Auschwitz diorama.

Why settle for a simulation? Get a 20000 volt Tesla coil for some reasonably harmless real lightning.

You didn't mention at what scale you're working, but I have another idea that will probably sound totally nuts. If you or someone you know is very good at electrical/electronics work and can work at a very small scale--think about using a homemade Tesla coil. That would give you the total randomness of the lightning as well as real bolts , but without the dangers. I have seen photos of Tesla Coils made to small, tabletop sizes, but I can't say what's the smallest they can be built. I am not writing this tongue-in-cheek, but as a serious idea. Nothing ventured,.....!

A low-tech solution: find your favorite photograph of a lightning strike, and print it on a color transparency. Use this as a backdrop, and light it from behind.
Brian

Miniatronics (www.miniatronics.com) makes electric/electronic accessories for model railroaders.

Their arc welding light looks a lot like lightning -- it has two bright white LEDs that "arc" randomly to simulate the look of an electric welder. I have one that I intend to install in an auto-shop diorama someday. It'd do a great job of simulating lightning.

And beyond that, the Miniatronics site has some very handy stuff if you're adding lights, etc, to your models.

Matt Usher @ FSM

kite, string, key and a stormy day?

Strangely enough, if this is of any help, some people have commented that the tree in my Red Menace dio (below in this forum) looks a lot like lightning.
It's a sprayed dry root.

THANK YOU! those are some excelent ideas i'm not very electronic savy.I will print this page and take it to my local electronic hardware store.Do you think that might the best place to pic up some of these items? Some of what you mentioned hadn't even gone throgh the farthest corner of my mind. These suggestions just opened up a whole new set of posibilites. Once again thank you and when i'm finished i will post it on for you all to see.Vic.

neat idea to use fiber to give definition to solve rear-illumination point source problem. also look at electroluminescent or EL wire available in different colors including white. ironically, there is even a brand called lightningwire. if EL color or on/off time is not suitable for your simulation then side-glow fiber where light source determines timing. Strobe makes sense because of rapid decay vs. filament bulbs. Or white LEDs might work since most have a blue-ish tint which seems appropriate for simulating lightning ionization. LEDs are also instant-on/off. Randomizing might require custom circuitry - most randomizing diorama lighting kits i've seen would be too fast such as for flame or arc-welder simulation. If planning multiple arcs to move lightning around (else lightning strikes twice in same place), surplus camera flash modules for a few bucks can keep cost down - though doesn't solve problem of randomizing and sequencing. how about adding sound module with thunder[:0]. interested to know what you come up with.

I think the better one is with the strobo.Use it and seal the shadow box as many as you can together with black paint.

try putting some wax paper in the place of the lightening, n shine a white bulb through it from behind n down. maybe u could cut the lightening into the wax paper, so tht the direct light shines through the hole, and through the paper around it. idk, jst som ideas