peter Posted June 1, 2004 Share Posted June 1, 2004 Right, heres one for you to get your heads around. For a forthcoming production, the director would like a dry ice drop from the grid to stage level, to 'simulate' snow fall. One suggestion is to put a Pea Souper on the fly floor and run pipes out, but I seem to remember someone saying there was a product available which was designed for something similar. Does anyone know the details? FWIW, the effect doesnt need to run across the whole stage but just an isolated area, 4m wide or so at max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Why not either use a snow machine (using liquid that makes foam - looks great but very noisy and a bit wet) or A drop bag with fake snow in it (£25 a big bag) Both look nice, and are easy, cheap and easy to risk asses. Dry ice would look like a waterfall as it would be solid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 The director has specified Dry Ice for the effect. Its a stylised piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dave Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 The Jem Glaciator will produce a dry ice effect - or heavy fog as they call it and it works quite well. Not quite sure how you will get it on a fly floor though cause it is damn heavy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Russell Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 The Jem Glaciator will produce a dry ice effect - or heavy fog as they call it and it works quite well. Not quite sure how you will get it on a fly floor though cause it is damn heavy!My experience of the Glaciators isn't that good, they are quite sensitive to ambient temperature, if your stage is warm then it just goes everywhere... :P :** laughs out loud **: Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted June 2, 2004 Author Share Posted June 2, 2004 The Jem Glaciator will produce a dry ice effect - or heavy fog as they call it and it works quite well. Not quite sure how you will get it on a fly floor though cause it is damn heavy!My experience of the Glaciators isn't that good, they are quite sensitive to ambient temperature, if your stage is warm then it just goes everywhere... :P :** laughs out loud **: Peter I've had a suggestion of using a Rosco ColdFlow unit (Liquid CO2) combined with a standard smoke machine, although I'm not convinced that it would drop as well as dry ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P. Funk Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 I've had a suggestion of using a Rosco ColdFlow unit (Liquid CO2) combined with a standard smoke machine, although I'm not convinced that it would drop as well as dry ice. I'm pretty sure liquid CO2 is impossible... but anyway yeah - dont use normal fog - if theres any light on stage it'll just make the fog rise again unless it starts at ground level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themadhippy Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 what a liquid nitrogen effect http://www.interesting-products.com/products.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomLyall Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 nah liquid CO2 does exist, just at a certain preasure/temperature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robloxley Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 nah liquid CO2 does exist, just at a certain preasure/temperature Shake a CO2 fire extinguisher if you need convincing. For the Coldflow etc. yo need a cylinder that has a long tube to the bottom else you just get CO2 gas off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 For the Coldflow etc. yo need a cylinder that has a long tube to the bottom else you just get CO2 gas off.Yep, you need one with a diptube. CO2 fire extinguishers usually have a diptube as standard, and your supplier will happily arrange for your bottle to have a diptube if requested.If they can't arrange for a diptube, you can usually mount the bottle upside down. Check with your supplier though, as the vessel may not be designed to permit discharge in this orientation.That works just as well, but it's harder to secure the bottle adequately. ---CAUTION!---CO2 is stored under great pressure in these vessels. Maintenance, gas connections/disconnections and refilling should only be carried out by suitably trained and competent personnel. Refilling is not as easy as it looks, and CO2 vessels can be easily overfilled leading to a potentially dangerous situation. Always keep personnel clear of CO2 vessels as the bursting disk can rupture without warning, rapidly venting the contents. Be very careful to prevent CO2 vessels from heat, as the bursting disk will almost certainly rupture if the vessels temperatue exceeds about 30 degrees Centigrade. (CO2's Critical Temperature)-------------------(From various conversations with Dave Melton from Firetrace. I do like his fire suppression kit! </blatant plug>) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the kid Posted June 2, 2004 Share Posted June 2, 2004 Yeh we have already had the talk about co2 but I cant find it. I must admit the liquid nitrogen idea seems quite cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Air Products can supply liquid nitrogen in wheeled dewars typ 100litres and I guess they will supply the pipework too they will likely supply liquid CO2 gear too. Have to guess it will be expensive The biggest dry icer I ever saw was made from a Wheelie Bin it eat dry ice at about 50kilos a minute via some huge three phase heaters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ike Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 From what you have said I would have thought a liquid nitrogen system would be your best bet, needless to say these systems should be well designed and tested before anyone is allowed underneath or near them. I made a system for a rock concert a few months ago consisting of solenoids above the stage which shot a vertical jet of 'smoke' down which then dispersed across the stage about 40' below, with some flow reduction on the solenoids it may give an effect more like the one linked to above. Don't be tempted to bodge a system together with odd bits of tube and solenoids unless you want to spend a couple of days venting the venue after spectacular failures, I speak from experience! From a safety point of view as well as the high pressure gas/liquid you have very cold liquids, solids and gases and the dangers of asphyxiation. If used CO2 has the added danger that it can poison you, I'm not a biologist so maybe someone else could explain better? I strongly suggest you get you gas/cylinders from a reputable company, BOC are very highly regarded in terms of safety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo Posted June 4, 2004 Share Posted June 4, 2004 ...If used CO2 has the added danger that it can poison you, I'm not a biologist so maybe someone else could explain better?...Not true! CO2 is pretty much inert. The problem is that the concentration (really the partial pressure) of CO2 must be kept below a certain value to prevent asphyxiation. Therefore there are strict limits as to how much CO2 can be released within a given enclosed volume. You will have to check with your local licensing authority if you want to use CO2 effects as there are probably already various CO2 extinguishers around the venue, and the limits are worked out to include discharging all or several of these extinguishers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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