Dry ice anybody?

[Pryce]

Any body got any ideas for a cheap and cheerfull DIY dry ice machines.
What chemicals? What power? What effect? etc etc.
All contributions greatfully received.
<cof> <cof> I can't see my keyboard for the smoke <cof> <cof>

pryce

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http://prycejones.com/film/

[Thousanth]

This is gonna sound really dumb but Martha Stewart did a segment on dry ice, how you make it and how to get the best use of it and some such so you might check out her website at www.marthastewart.com
Make sureyou draw your blinds and lock the door so the jokes will never stop.


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FADE IN:
EXT - ANTARTICA
LS - A POLAR BEAR wades through the blizzard quietly his cigarette. He stands up on his back paws anbd begins to tap dance on the ice. He then collapses and dies of lung cancer.
FADE OUT:
"Remember kids: kills tap-dancing Polar Bears."

[Levi]

HEB sells blocks of dry ice for 5 bucks each.


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[Pryce]

Thousanth: thanx for your reply - why "Dumb" and why "the jokes" - is Martha whats'a'name a womans tv program in the US or something?
All I can find is a reference to buying dry ice and putting it in water - I dont think we can buy dry ice over here in the UK (let alone in Northern Ireland) thanx anyway.

Levi ...excuse my ignorance but what is HEB and are they only in the US?
p

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http://prycejones.com/film/

[This message has been edited by Pryce (edited October 02, 2001).]

[Curtin-Parloe]

Ask your nearest high school about dry ice. It's just frozen carbon dioxide (If I'm wrong then my chemistry teacher was crap for not making me remember) and they use it all the time. They'll at least be able to tell you where they get it from...

cheers

paul


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BAD EYE - Coming Soon www.curtin-parloe.co.uk/badeye Curtin Parloe 2001

[Chance1234]

Dry Ice is only a ?5 for a litre of fluid, i got my fog machine for a tenner courtesy of a friend who is very good at running out of nightclubs very quickly :-)

but, if you want to make your own smoke machine heres how !

BASIC FOG MACHINE

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WARNING:

THE FOGGING PORTION OF THIS DEVICE WILL CAUSE SEVERE BURNS FROM THE HEAT SOURCE AND FOG EXITING THE NOZZLE. THIS SMOKE/FOG CONTAINS SUPERHEATED STEAM AND VAPOR AS IT LEAVES THE VAPORIZING COIL. ALL RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE BUILDER USING THIS DESIGN TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND THE PUBLIC FROM ANY ACCIDENTS. THIS FOGGER PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD IF USED NEAR ANY FLAMMABLE MATERIALS OR LEFT UNATTENDED. USE ONLY WATER BASED FOG JUICES. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND, BUILD OR OPERATE THIS PROPERLY AND SAFELY...DO NOT PROCEED!
Tools needed:
-Drill, drill bits,
-Darious hand tools, tubing cutter or hacksaw<.P>


Materials needed from hardware store:

-75 to 150 watt electric soldering iron (150 is better than 75),

-4 ft. of 3/16" diameter soft copper tubing (water supply line),

-600 watt rotary incandescent light dimmer,

-light copper wire,

-small tube of silicone adhesive (can buy at pet shop also),

-electrical tape, assorted screws and stuff...


Materials from pet shop:

- small diaphragm air pump, in line air valve (brass, needle type if they've got it), in line check valve (sold to prevent water leaking back to the pump from an aquarium, try to get the kind that has a rubber part inside that looks a little like a duck's bill or the type with a small spring and plunger, they work a bit faster than the flap type)


Materials from hobby shop:

6ft. of 3/16 to 1/4" outside diameter SILICONE fuel line (used for model airplane engines) Silicone air line from a pet store could be used but has a thinner wall thickness. Make sure it's silicone.


Misc. materials:

-1 gallon plastic bottle with cap-the heavy type used for windshield washer fluid etc., -Empty 46 to 64oz. or larger tin can from a cheap fruit drink, commercial water based fog juice or distilled water & glycerin, something to mount this stuff on


What it's all for:

Soldering iron- heat source, if you have access to a 200-400 watt, 110 volt industrial cartridge heater, 1/2 inch in diameter or better it will save a few bucks over the soldering iron Soft copper tubing- wrapped around the soldering iron as a vaporizing coil Rotary incandescent light dimmer- wired to soldering iron for heat control.

1 gal. plastic bottle- fog juice reservoir Aquarium air pump- to pressurize the 1 gal. bottle to dispense fog juice, the air pump does not directly pump the juice (this is an old hydroponics farming trick)

Check valve- keeps the juice going in the right direction between the bottle and vaporizing coil.

In line valve- controls juice flow to vaporizing coil

Tin can- heat shield around soldering iron and coil

Silicone fuel line- all plumbing from air pump to bottle and bottle to vaporizing coil

Silicone adhesive- sealing silicone tubing to bottle cap


Getting it together:

If the soldering iron came with a heat shield over the metal barrel portion, remove it. Take about 6" of the copper tubing in hand and starting at the handle end of the iron, wrap the rest of the tubing around the metal portion of the iron going towards the tip end. When you reach the tip, straighten out a 1" portion of the tube to point in the same direction as the tip. Leaving this 1" piece cut any excess tubing off. Sand or file the sharp edges off the inside and outside of each end of the tubing. At the 1" straight portion at the tip, take the copper tube and flatten it until you have a small slit. Blow through the tube to make sure it's not too small or sealed shut, you should get a fast stream of air out of the "nozzle". If the nozzle is too small, it could eventually clog and cause hot fog juice to burst from the silicone tubing feeding the coil. This assembly is the vaporizing coil of the fogger. The rotary incandescent light dimmer should be wired to one wire (hot leg if the plug is polarized) of the soldering iron to control the iron's output. If you are unsure on how to do this wiring or recognize the proper wire, find someone who can help. Cover any bare wire connections with electrical tape or heat shrink tubing. Take the cap from the bottle and drill two holes in it just slightly smaller than the silicone tubing. Take 2' of the silicone tubing and stick it in one hole so it goes inside the cap 1 inch. The other end of this first piece of tubing hooks directly to the air pump. Take your remaining 4' of silicone tube and put it through the other hole so there is enough hanging on the inside of the cap to easily reach the bottom of the bottle. The 3 or so feet of tubing hanging off the cap should be cut into sections to allow the insertion of the flow valve and check valve. It should go like this from the bottle... tubing from cap-flow valve- tubing-check valve-tubing-handle end of vaporizing coil. This is the fog juice feed line. Use the silicone sealant/glue to form fillets around the tubing on the inside and outside of the cap. Make sure the check valve allows flow from the bottle to the coil by blowing through the line at the bottle end. Twist some light copper wire around each of the connections on the juice line to ensure they stay on. To make the heat shield, cut centered holes in both ends of the tin can so the aporizing coil is suspended inside the can by resting on the soldering iron handle and the 1" long nozzle at the other end. Punch holes around the outside of the can to allow air flow. This whole assemblage of parts can be mounted to plywood that has been covered with thin aluminum sheet or litho plate. Make some coat hanger wire legs and straps for the heat shield to hold it off the board and secure it from moving.
For fog juice mix 15 to 35% glycerin to distilled water. Experiment, the less glycerin you use the cheaper and cleaner your fog will be but it will also be lighter and not last as long. Buying and using commercial fog juice is also recommended.


Operation

Let the soldering iron/vaporizing coil heat up for 10 minutes, close the flow valve, start the air pump. Open the valve and adjust for a very slow feed to start out. STAY AWAY FROM THE NOZZLE When the fog juice starts hitting the coil, smoke will blast out of the nozzle. If the flow is too fast or the coil too cool the nozzle will spit hot liquid, adjust the flow or the coil temp. so the spitting just stops, this also gives you the proper temperature. It will take a few minutes to get the system to settle down, start very slowly. Depending on how everything is adjusted the smoke/fog will come out as a fairly steady stream or may surge slightly on and off. Also remember: the lower you can run the heat the longer your soldering will last. Periodically check the silicone tubing and aquarium valves for effects or weakening from the fog juice. Always flush out the tubing with clean water when finished. While water based fog juices are fairly safe, do not let children or pets ingest any of the liquid, some chemicals used can cause sever liver and kidney damage. Avoid extended exposure to the fog, remember...if you can see the air your breathing it's probably not good for you.


Options to improve operation and safety

-Thermostat on coil, set to 180 - 220C.

-Solenoid valve and a switch or timer to control flow on the feed line

-Weather proof housing for outdoor use

-Use a few hose clamps on the coil for better contact with the iron

-Wrap the coil in high temp. insulation to retain heat, (wrap the insulation with Teflon plumbers tape to hold it in place)

-Run two or three vaporizing coil assemblies off of one bottle and air pump

-Add a filter to the juice feed line


-Feel free to experiment!




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who shoots on DVCAM and is proud of the fact

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Public5ylac/files/

[Curtin-Parloe]

When I was special effects supervisor in the school play (OK, Chief Smoke Lackey (OK, OK, General Lackey)) I was in charge of smoke to give Bugsy Malone a noirish feel.

It was a tub of powder and a single electric cooking ring. Oh, yes, and a piece of cardoard for wafting.

It worked really well, until the last night, when I had half a tub left...

FAT SAM: Poisonally? <cough, cough>
TALLULAH: Who said that? <cough>

cheers

paul

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BAD EYE - Coming really, really Soon, Honestly! www.curtin-parloe.co.uk/badeye Curtin Parloe 2001

[Pryce]

Thanx for that Chancey. I have seen those instructions somewhere else on the web too but cant remember where I saw them, ta.

Yes Paul I remember that also when we were doing Macbeth "Is this some cheap smoke I see before me..." We had an old Catering size bean tin cut in half and the Frentch teachers single ring electric stove, but I can t remember what the powder was. I remember asking him but he wouldnt tell us (I wonder why!!)

Paul, by the way while I think of it, can you answer me a question... Why has "DAVE" got lumps in his jumpers on the first location shot of "DAVE'S FRONT DOOR"? Does the stuff in the bottle he is carrying turn him into a woman or is it his bad eye
And another question (serious one this time) Do you use a PDF creator to embed graphics into a pdf file?

Thanx

Pryce

(Better get back to work now - I am tied up with this darn Euro conversion thing - it's driving me insane aaaaaaarrrgghhh! {ooo! can that be an idea for a film? - NO IT CAN NOT!!} )


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http://prycejones.com/film/

[This message has been edited by Pryce (edited October 02, 2001).]

[Curtin-Parloe]

Pryce,
The lumps are in the credits as Breast#1 and Breast#2.
I'll pass on your comments to "Dave" he'll be chuffed.

I use "PDFWriter" which came free with Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business edition, which came free with an epson A3 printer.

it's basically a printer driver which writes in A4 to a PDF file

cheers

paul

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BAD EYE - Coming really, really Soon, Honestly! www.curtin-parloe.co.uk/badeye Curtin Parloe 2001

[Pryce]

aahh! thanx for that. I have tried a couple of freebee pdf creators before and never got very much success (coz they were free no doubts). Your PDF files come out well. I'll watch out for the premier of bad-eye (or should I say I will keep a breast of it - arf arf)

"...share and enjoy"

p

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http://prycejones.com/film/

[This message has been edited by Pryce (edited October 02, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Pryce (edited October 02, 2001).]