Homemade Fog Machine

Contrary to what some people believe, the procedure to make a fog machine is very cheap and practical. The most common type of fog machines available in the market make use of water-based solutions with glycol. These solutions are poured in a bucket-shaped machine which are heated for a certain amount of time. On warming up, the fluid inside comes out in the form of a thick fog. This sight gives a rare sense of achievement and there is a lot of satisfaction in having your own homemade fog machine.

Fog machines made at home require a lot of maintenance and care, especially with respect to the selection of solution or material to be used in the machine. Therefore, any time you decide to use or make one, ensure the safety and usability of the constituents. The apparatus required to design your own homemade fog machine is:

1. An insulated container
2. A sturdy and insulated inlet and outlet pipe
3. An air compressor or boiling water supply
4. Mineral oil or baby oil
5. High grade glycerin
6. Distilled water and cool water or ice for heavy fog

Making Homemade Fog Juice and Machines

A combination of distilled water and glycerin will produce a good amount of fog in the most economical way. The thickness of the fog can be altered by increasing or decreasing the proportion of glycerin used in the solution.

One of the simplest ways is to use a dry ice fog. The following procedure can be adopted for making a dry ice fog machine. Fill a simple bucket shaped container with dry ice pieces. The apparatus should be closed and insulated, except for a small inlet and an outlet. Always use protective gloves, while handling dry ice to prevent severe frostbite. Make an arrangement to supply boiling hot water in the same container. Ice on contact with hot water produces a condensation that can be channelized out to produce fog.

Another way is to use a mineral or baby oil that is readily available in the market. A detailed procedure to set up the machine is explained below:

• Use an insulated and strong container for the main part of the setup. Make arrangements for an insulated pipe to be inserted into the container with the end of pipe reaching the bottom of the bucket. Fill the bucket with mineral oil.
• The end of the tube inside the bucket should be sealed except for 3-4 small holes drilled, facing the bottom of the container.
• Seal the apparatus tightly leaving a small opening at the top to allow the fog out through the outlet. Supply the compressed air into the bucket through the inlet pipe. The compressed air vaporizes oil into fog which can be let out through the top opening directed by the pipes to different locations.
• The fog produced by this method is light and tends to rise up. In order to condense and bring down the fog the outlet pipe can be cooled using chilled water or ice.
• The fog generated in this method is thick and an odorless layer is produced by the action of air on condensed oil. If the insulation supplying air has more holes, more fog is automatically generated. Hence, the arrangement can be suitably altered to suit the requirement.

A very important point to understand is that different people react differently to the surrounding environment and substances. Prolonged exposure to fog through any of the above methods can lead to allergies or breathing problems. A commercially available fog machine is a good alternative for safe and comfortable use. However, using trusted and commonly used ingredients rarely causes harm and provide a feasible alternative to a costly machine. So go ahead and enjoy your Halloween or house party using this mystical foggy effect.