Help the Newbie

[ChrisFix]

Hi, I am new here, and I was hoping you guys/gals can help me in a small circuit.

I made a flashing LED circuit as per this circuit diagram from this site.
http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/projects/flashl.htm

I works well.

But I want to place a Nichrome coil replacing the LED and it should glow.
I tested the Coil directly with 6 volts, and there was enough amps to heat it up and make it glow.

When I placed this in the circuit replacing the LED(and removing the 470 ohm resistor), it wouldnt heat very much enoguh to glow (the heat was very small, nearly neglegible). And also i think it is damaging the output pin on the 555 Timer.

Can someone help me with my circuit, or am i taking the wrong approach? If so, can you show me the right circuit. Remeber I need the circuit where I can adjust the duty cycle.:)

Thanks for any help.

[audioguru]

The nichrome wire might have destroyed the 555 IC. The max allowed output current from a 555 is 200ma. Your nichrome might use 5 times that or more.
Also, a little 9V battery doesn't have enough power to heat nichrome wire for long. Maybe only a few seconds.

You need a power transistor at the output of the 555 to supply high current and a big powerful battery.

[Omni]

True,

Bias a TIP120 or TIP35 from the output of the 555 (depending on current demand).

Battery suggestion: 6V Lantern.

In the event the project requires less weight due to mobility experiment with a couple High current C cells (nicad).