Build a "Fake" Snow Machine?

**MisterC** · 02-16-2009, 12:28 PM

Anyone here have any thoughts on building a fake snow (foam) machine? (that uses the snow fluid). I see small ones for sale on ebay, but building one would be more fun. From what I can understand it is fairly simple. A pump that pumps the fluid over a sock/screen and a blower that blows the tiny clumps of "snow" (bubbles) out into the air. I want to build a blizzard size machine. If anyone has any ideas, or even pictures or diagrams of a store bought model, I would appreciate the information. Thanks! Martin

**Virtus** · 02-16-2009, 07:13 PM

Depending on where you live (is it cold enough?) for the same amount of work you could build a real snow machine.

**MisterC** · 02-16-2009, 07:31 PM

I am in Southeastern North Carolina. It might be 40* on day and 75* the next. I looked at the real snow machine using compressed air and a mist of water. Thought that a fake snow machine might be more reliable (because of the weather). Thanks for the reply!!
Martin

**awhaley** · 02-16-2009, 09:34 PM

Martin,

I did some thinking about snow machines this fall... though I didn't get that far on it. I looked into the real snow machines, and found a website that would tell you how many days last year your zip code had 'snow making' conditions... which requires the right temperature and humidity mix... here in Oklahoma it was only 8 days before christmas, so that was out. Too bad really, I would have enjoyed sneaking out every night at 4AM to snow the yard and leaving the whole town wondering how my house got snow and nobody else did... :P

As for the fake foam snow... I've seen the pro machines work and been very impressed. The residue was nearly zero, and the effect was very nice... I've never taken one apart... but the idea I was planning to test first was to blast an air compressor into a water and soap solution, with a fan directed to skim over it to blow any foam I made away... and probably some sort of grate or narrowed opening to keep it from blowing out in 4" balls....

Before I started testing, the lady of the house convinced me that it might not be good for the grass, or enviromentally responsible, to spray dawn on the yard for a month... but this year I may talk myself into trying.... perhaps just running it for a few seconds as part of the grand finale... And with the most watered down soap solution I could make work... I don't really want to spring for the expensive theatrical snow fluids, but it might be worth grabbing a jug to see what it's like and do a better job replicating it if my homebrew efforts don't work right away.

Let me know if you get anywhere on the idea!

Art

**Virtus** · 02-16-2009, 09:57 PM

I guess not everyone lives where you can sometimes make snow on the 4th of July! Good luck on the project. It sounds like a fun one!

**DynamoBen** · 02-16-2009, 10:51 PM

Fake snow machines work by blowing air through what looks like cheese cloth (in a cone shape) which is saturated by fluid. The fluid is a soap/bubble solution and it creates very tiny bubbles that look like snow. I would imagine that a cone of screen door material would work about the same way.

**artzy** · 02-17-2009, 06:45 PM

I have a few (4 now)of these machines and because one of the cases broke I was able to get a good look at the inner workings, basically its a tank, blower (usually a small vacumn cleaner motor) and some sort of cloth sock as a nozzle, I will get the broken one out in the next day or so and post some pics in case its of any assistance.

**DynamoBen** · 02-17-2009, 06:59 PM

Photos might be good.

**MisterC** · 02-17-2009, 07:09 PM

Thanks for all of the information from all of you. I will keep an eye out for the photo's.
I found a site today that has the recipe for "snow fluid"

8 oz of Bubble Bath
8 oz of Rubbing Alcohol
1-2 Gallons of Distilled Water

Now if I can get something to blow this thru we might have a white Christmas after all! :mrgreen:

Thanks everyone!
Martin

**awhaley** · 02-17-2009, 08:21 PM

I'm interested in where the 'cloth sock' or 'cheese cloth' is in relationship to the tank and blower? How does the cloth stay saturated in fluid? Is the cloth and blower outlet below the level of the fluid? Or is there a pump to bring fluid up to drip down through the cheesecloth?

Pictures would help a lot!

This could be a lot of fun. ;)

Art