# Searching for the most realistic LED tea light!!!



## AuraofForeboding (Oct 4, 2009)

Hey everyone, I might be out of the loop, but has anyone done some research on finding a CHEAP very realistic battery led tea light? It seems all the ones I try buying, have such an unrealistic, jarring, flashing effect. But then again, I'm very picky!!

I think Terra did a very in depth look at the expensive pillar candles, which was GREAT! But has anyone found the perfect tea light for cheap? I like to take them apart and remake them, so I dont' care about how weak, or how poor the color is. I just need a good flicker chip. (see my photos) 

I have seen the "true flicker" tea lights in person, and they are pretty good, but still seem pretty expensive to me:

Amazon.com: Wholesale Tea Lights 144 Pcs: Home Improvement

if any of you have any leads please let me know! Thanks, and Happy Haunting!

Andy


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## AuraofForeboding (Oct 4, 2009)

<crickets>

WOW. Nobody? ;(


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## bl00d (Aug 26, 2010)

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/...ghtingGateway-_-RightImage1-_-TeaLightCandles

and rechargable too!


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## AuraofForeboding (Oct 4, 2009)

Hmmm, well thanks for posting B00d, 

Besides being really expensive, I can't use rechargeables, since I take them apart.

Have you seen these in action, and know they are realistic? Maybe they would be great for others on the board....


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

You might check out the flicker LEDs in my thread if you haven't seen them yet:

http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/95286-flicker-flame-leds.html


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## AuraofForeboding (Oct 4, 2009)

Thanks Dave, those are great! But not realistic enough for my taste. I cast my own tips, so they are taller and look more like flames, and I colorize the LED myself so it's not cartoon yellow. I don't have the best pictures right now, I'll have to find some of the battery powered silver candelabra I made. But here are some... 










http://www.halloweenforum.com/membe...uly-picture46037-close-up-my-fake-candles.jpg


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Those are pretty awesome looking. Great depth of color in your photo too. Any chance you would do a tutorial on the candles? I've never heard of anyone making the flames before, just the "candle wax" part. 

My own personal experience with these flickering LED tea lights is that they look best when placed down inside of a "wax candle" of sorts so that the actual flame is not visible. The light pattern then seems realistic because you are not focusing on the flame itself.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

BTW the ones I bought from Walgreens last year had a more stylized tip to them, not the uniform look of the ones in the photo on the very first post here. I'll see if I have some of them handy to take a pic of and post them here if I can.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Those are really nice candles, AuraofForboding!


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## feedmelies (Oct 13, 2007)

These are the best I've found. They are bright enough and they have a good flicker. They are also decently cheap. I use them in my fake pumpkins, lanterns and witch jars.






http://www.locomolife.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=230

Do not get these. They are dull and they have basically no flicker.

Amazon.com: Set of 12 Battery Operated Realistic Flickering 'Flame' Amber LED Tealight Candles FLAMELESS & SMOKELESS: Everything Else


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## feedmelies (Oct 13, 2007)

AuraofForeboding said:


> Thanks Dave, those are great! But not realistic enough for my taste. I cast my own tips, so they are taller and look more like flames, and I colorize the LED myself so it's not cartoon yellow. I don't have the best pictures right now, I'll have to find some of the battery powered silver candelabra I made. But here are some...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


How-to, please.


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## bldaz (Jun 4, 2010)

AuraofForeboding said:


> Thanks Dave, those are great! But not realistic enough for my taste. I cast my own tips, so they are taller and look more like flames, and I colorize the LED myself so it's not cartoon yellow. I don't have the best pictures right now, I'll have to find some of the battery powered silver candelabra I made. But here are some...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow you got to tell us how to do this please, those are by far the best candles I have ever seen.


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## Timnis (Sep 3, 2010)

dollar tree $1 stores 2 for $1.


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## AuraofForeboding (Oct 4, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the compliments, and the great advice feedmelies! I went on a mad buying spree, and have ordered samples of all kinds of tea lights. I will make sure to report back which are good and which are not. 

As far as a tutorial, I am still working on getting it perfect. But once I get it right I will do one for ya'll. I will tell you, the candles in the foreground, the tips are nothing more then silicone, and I hate them! Let me warn you it is NOT fun nor easy. Fitting the tube opening around the LED and applying just the right amount of pressure? Forget it. They never did turn out perfect. I tried molding Silicone too, but read about how it needs contact with the air to dry, so that didn't work. 

I am pretty excited to have found some great alternatives to PVC though. I never was happy with it because it wasn't translucent. Even the professional fake candles miss the boat, of GLOWING through it. More on that later!


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## RichTJ99 (Oct 22, 2007)

How much did you spend so far on samples? Can you include links where you bought it from?


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## AussieHaunt (Oct 6, 2009)

WOW! Please don't keep me in suspense - what _did_ you use as an alternative to PVC? I love the glow through the inside of the candle! It's exactly the effect I've tried to achieve without success.


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

Those are the best candles I have ever seen!!!


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## heresjohnny (Feb 20, 2006)

Do you only want tea lights, or can you build circuits? I built several different circuits I found on the web a few years ago, and though they provided a much better effect than the tea lights, I opted for using tea lights hacked with ultra bright LEDs and hot glue diffusors. I think the quality of the flicker used in LED tea lights has decreased a lot over the recent years as they grew in popularity and cheaper but less realistic techniques were used. Which means you can still get good flicker, but it costs.

The best artificlal flicker I have seen are the patented Disney flicker candles, which use LED's shining on mylar flames driven by a 'chaos' engine. I have never tried to reproduce that effect, but there are a lot of ways to generate chaotic movement, for example cloth flapping in the wind from a fan. All depends on how much effort you are willing to put in for the highest quality flicker.


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## billman (May 1, 2006)

Here are the Disney one's I found awhile back with their patent:
http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/88326-disney-flicker-candle.html

It actually uses UV light. They look good but I think a little on the cartoony side.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 20, 2006)

billman said:


> Here are the Disney one's I found awhile back with their patent:
> http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/88326-disney-flicker-candle.html
> 
> It actually uses UV light. They look good but I think a little on the cartoony side.


Yeah, I saw that thread, knew I had seen it somewhere. What you say is true, but I think in terms of realistic flicker this has the potential to provide a flame that changes shape (mylar or silk driven be a fan is my thought) teamed with a flickering light (multiple directional ultrabright LEDS illuminating the flame). Just have not had time to do anything with it, why I am voicing the idea here.

I have three circuits that drive 2 ultrabright LEDs each with a nice flicker effect, i would need to track down the circuit online if anyone is interested. As I said for those inclined I think you can get a really good flicker if you invest the effort.

Oh yeah, those ARE gorgeuos candles!!


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