low lying smoke done cheaply

[CARWYN]

Hi all

 

Would this work for low lying smoke

 

smoke machine - pipe - box full of ice round the pipe - then the smoke comes out of the end of the pipe

 

does this make sense

 

all help gratefull

 

Thank You

[mrcog]

It would have the potential to work... However I think what works better is if you have a sort of pipe made of a wire mesh... This means the smoke gets colder, but doesn't get obstructed by the ice! Also if you add salt too the ice it gets colder, although then you may start getting lots of corrosion...

[Richard CSL]

I used to get the empty smoke fluid bottle (5ltrs) cut a flap at the base end on one side. put the nozzle of the machine into the bottle spout with the cap removed fill with ice, dry ice simulator observe no draughts or it will brake up quickly.

[the kid]

Adding salt will melt the ice, but make the freezing temp of the water lower.

 

I have seen it done with one of those beer fridges with a wooden front and a pipe at the top for the hot smoke and a opening at the bottom for the cold.

 

IIR there are some topics about and a few diagrams.

[Tecnical Bradders]

Answer to your question - yes it would work. I have used the same method myself but run a pipe into, through and out of and old freezer we had.

 

You don’t get the same affect as dry ice because as soon as it hits room temperature again it starts to condense only giving you a limited low fog but the idea will work, just experiment with it and see what you think.

 

Regards

 

Brad

[timsabre]

The problem is the smoke starts to rise up as soon as it warms which can obscure the effect.

 

The commercial smoke machines which do this (eg Jem Glaciator) use a special quick dispersing smoke fluid, so the smoke disappears before it starts to rise.

[CARWYN]

thanks Guys

 

Any more sugestions mutch apreciated

 

if I put a pipe through a mini fridge and turned the fridge on well in advance and store ice in it would that work rather than a freezer

 

preferably id like to have something that I can use 0nce to twice a year for a fiew years I can lay my hands on a minuture fridge that someone is chucking out its like one of those fidges that you can stick about 6 - 12 330ml cans in. or could I ad water and ice in to it and leave it keep the water cool rather than the ice

[mrjammy83]

as others have said trying to create low lying smoke yourself is niether simple or that effective

 

would it not be cheap and simple to get a metal bucket. fabricate a lid with a hose attached to pipe the effect where you want it. (or hire a pea souper)

 

add some hot water to the bucket before you need the effect and then with suitable PPE drop a few nuggets of dry ice into the bucket and cover.

 

the sublimated fog will billow out of the pipe and give you proper dry ice.

 

visit http://www.dryiceuk.com/ for supplys and info.

 

if used correctly and safely dry ice is not dangerous to use and will only course adverse effects if a lot is produced and people are able to inhale it in large quantities.

 

co2 monitors are available to ensure a reasonable amount is used.

 

I too had concerns with its use but once you have assessed the risks and are aware of the hazards it is very easy to create the perfect low fog in the proffesional way. my experience wiht low fog from machines is a short lived effect with a lot of noise from the kit.

 

hth

 

james

[Wingwalker]

How cheap is cheap do you want to be? You can hire the Antari Z-Ice for as low as just £40 per seven days which works out to just a little over a fiver a day. It's a purpose made smoke machine with a large insulated compartment that will hold upto 10kg of ice cubes. Comes complete with drip tray, remote control and is very easy to use.

 

David.

[paulears]

Many Risk Assessments are now decidedly shaky when dealing with a proper pea-super machine. Liquid in any form is a hazard - that's why we mop up spillages in blackout when it's very inconvenient. Hot water is trickier and near boiling water even more so. PPE is a fine catch-all, but dry ice in slugs or pellets being plunged into water in the wings isn't ideal at all. Just getting the pellets into a bucket from the storage, wearing gloves is not easy, and attempting to get them into the 'bucket' in the wings, perhaps in dim light, wearing gloves and your eye protection reflecting the stage lighting and steaming up is enough for me to have drawn the line on c02. Too many close shaves. No problems with the gas, whatsoever - but the storage and handling is a major problem really. Every had a pellet miss the bucket and roll down the rake where a child wonders what it is and picks it up? Ever had the dancers pinch some to put in cups of tea?

 

I hate low smoke machine, especially Glaciators, but they're much, much safer!

[revbobuk]

There's a good set of instructions here on making a fog chiller which uses a polystyrene box and regular ice. Dirt cheap, so you might like to give it a try.

[Mr Illusive]

Why not just hire something?