Imagine you are going to present a performance or something like that, and was wondering what could be used to make some really cool special effects, such as glowing and smoke. Well, here is one solution!

We first get a 0.7 graphite from our mechanical pencil, place some wires on it, and rely a low voltage for a few seconds, 5V is enough for it to start to make smoke. Be careful not to burn anything, it is going to get hot!

Graphite glowing on 15V, around 10Amps

Depending on the graphite’s brand, you can see more or less smoke. It is not just the graphite burning, but the resin around it that cannot resist the temperature. Graphite itself can handle pretty well hi temperatures. But after some moments the smoke will decrease and the graphite will be consumed .

Graphite is one of the carbon forms that can be found in the nature and it is pretty conductive. In its more pure forms, it is used in industries to melt aluminium or silicon (1414 °C, 2577 °F).  But the tiny little ones you get from your mechanical pencil have several other things as clay and resin rather than just carbon. Those components make it to have a higher resistance than in natural form, but still less than 1.5 or 2 ohms.

Here is how you can make it…

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