Ronnie Charlton, Food Stylist

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Studio Flame Set, Reality at last...

2/2/2012

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It's been nearly a year and a half in the making, the development of a safe, clean user friendly flame set for the studio.  I am now in the test phase and glad to announce that I still have all of my fingers and toes.  The initial testing has gone without any surprises or delays.  Every thing is performing  outstandingly  well...   This is defiantly a safe and reliable rig.
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These first tests are being conducted out doors. The lighting is natural and we had a little wind.  To the left is the completed Fuel Manifold and electronic component (safety sensor is remote) This unit was designed for large applications and is a prototype for a rental unit that will be available after this one has been thoroughly tested.  This unit is rated at over 2 million BTU @ 60 psi.   Most studio applications would only need about 200 thousand BTU and 10 psi. This would make the size and weight nearly 2/3rds less than the original, making it easier to ship and set up.  It will use a standard propane tank.

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In today's test we used the Long Shielded burner
assembly, its the background flame.  Above, you see a dramatic hi flash, below is a closer mid range flame.  The unique feature of this set, is that the flame goes from a very low setting to a high setting just long enough to get the shot.  The Grill hardly gets hot! and your hero will hold up longer, studio stays cooler and is much safer than anything I have ever seen or used.

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_Left is the low setting, it's a little higher than normal because of being outside...  Below is a inferno flash with out the grill surface and back ground.  Note: I have a total of 7 working burners of all sizes and shapes to fill around the product for the shot.  each burner up to five on this model has independent controls.  I also have 6 grill surfaces for commercial and home sets.

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Another Great Adventure... Fire!

2/10/2011

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Fuel Manifold!
Fire is a controlled part of everyday life in the kitchen and as my career brings the kitchen to the studio, my curiosity for motion in still life has become a new challenge.   I would like to fill a void in a special niche market.  When I see shots with fire in them,  it's a dead give away when they have been manipulated in Photo Shop, film is even worse.  I think this unique tool that may help.    Before I became a Chef, I studied engineering and have a background in the electromechanical field.  The combination of each puts me in good condition for designing and developing a flame set for studio work.  There will be several options such as ambiance flame with or without logs or above the water, a fire wall Used to enhance flambe technique, a large translucent fire wall and my favorite the Grill with choice of surfaces and burners.  For the  past several months, on top of a move and a major career change, I have been driven to create a flexible solution.  The mechanics are simple and safe.  The flames only go up for a small amount of time, enough for the shot or in film for longer.  From 50 btu to 500,000 btu at the touch of a switch on and off in less than 1 sec.   this rig is it...

Components of the Studio Flame Set...

1) Fuel cell and regulator (completion 2-8-11) (Revised 11-4-2011)

2) State of the art 5 station fuel manifold with explosion proof, quick responding solenoid valves and manually operated adjustment valves with low burner bypass system. PHOTO (completion 2-9-11), (Addition of a Main Valve and Gas Sensor 10- 2011)

3) Electrical control box with the fastest response time in switching technology with quick throw circuit breaker and heavy duty wiring and Cables (2-2011) revised (1-2012)

4) Burner manifold with five separate flex-line umbilical for easy and safe operation on the set. (5-2011)

5) Burner assembly assortment for various shapes and sizes of flame. (3-2011, 5-2011, 11-2011, 1-2012, ONGOING)

6)Safety floor sensor alarm (10-2011)

7) Burner riser assemblies, Grill Grates, and Table (3-2011, 7-2011, 1-2012)



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     I love food and have spent thousands of hours with a Chef's Knife in my hand. I know Food and how to prepare it.  Farmers are the backbone of and why our country is great, present and past.

    I am a Master Gardener and love to work in the gardens.  I tell people that the return for this work is far greater than any other thing on earth.

    I come alive and am passionate about the light, color, texture and movement, found through the lens on the photographers set.

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