1
|
Fog lends the ordinary landscape a much spookier, eerier quality that's perfect for scaring the bejesus out of your Halloween guests. I mean, come on, did you ever see an episode of Scooby Doo that didn't have wisps of fog floating by at some point? If it scared Shaggy, it'll get your stoner friends too.
Unfortunately commercial fog machines can be rather expensive and the cheap varieties don't produce much more fog than a cluster of smokers huddled outside a bar. You could call Ozzy Osborne and see if he has an extra fog machine lying around, but we have a simpler solution -- build your own.
== Dry Ice ==
Dry Ice is carbon dioxide in solid form. To stay solid dry ice needs to be colder than -78.5 °C (-109.3 °F). Unless you're the Penguin chances are your house is much warmer than that which means dry ice will sublimate -- changing directly to a gas that looks like, yes, fog.
For Halloween purposes all you need is a good size block of dry ice, a bucket or caldron that can handle the chill and some water. Fill your bucket with a bit of water, drop in the dry ice and bam! instant fog.
So where do you get dry ice? It sounds primitive, but try looking up ice suppliers in the phone book. Other options include your local grocery store, ice cream parlor and sometimes even hospitals.
A note of caution -- the dry ice will sublimate in your car producing potentially dangerous amounts of CO2 in a confined space. Keep the windows down to make sure you don't asphyxiate (the same goes for dry ice inside the home, though it's a bigger space so the danger isn't as great).
The main disadvantage to dry ice as fog is that it's heavier than air, which means it tends to stay near the ground. One possible workaround is to put the water and dry ice in a wet/dry shop vacuum and then reverse the vacuum to blow the fog out. Stick the hose somewhere higher up and the fog will cascade down, adding a bit more altitude to the effect.
Remember that dry ice is somewhat dangerous and will freeze anything it touches. Use gloves and tongs when handling dry ice and keep it away from pets and children.
== DIY Fog for Commercial machines ==
If the dry ice idea seems passe, you might want to consider investing in a commercial fog machine. The downside to the commercial machines is price, but one way to cut back on your expenses is to make your own fog solution.
A word of caution: making your own fog solution may void the warranty on your fog machine.
Here's a recipe that auto mechanics often use to check for leaks in exhaust systems:
4 ounces food-grade Glycerin
1 quart (32 ounces) Distilled Water
Just mix the two and you're done.
Adding more Glycerin will produce thicker fog, while using a bit less will generate thinner fog.
== Chilled Fog Machine ==
Most fog machines generate warm fog, if you want the ground hugging effects of cold fog, as you'd get with dry ice, but don't want to mess with dry ice, Pat over at Kick the Fog has an awesome guide to [http://www.kickthefog.com/chiller.htm building your own fog chiller]. The project uses water cooled copper tubing to take the hot fog out of your machine and then run it through the chilling system to produce the eery effects of chilled fog.
Kick the Fog's guide isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for the ultimate in Halloween fog, it delivers.
|
