Does anyone know whether there is a way to make a small quantity of snow foam fluid for "emergency use"? I need some tomorrow morning, but there is not time to order it and have it delivered before then.

Amos McCormick

Go to your local lighting place and buy it in person.

If my local stage supply/sound/lighting/DJ/party supplies places had it, I would have bought it already, but thanks for the suggestion. Smaller cities just do not have the same selection of stuff like this available as L.A. and New York do...

I found this recipe that seems to work pretty well:

1 bottle wintergreen isopropyl alcohol
1 regular bottle Mr. Bubble
distilled water to make 1 gallon

It seems to work like the commercial stuff, breaking up nicely and not staying around for long. Since it's only for about five minutes, I'm not too worried about it, as long as I flush it afterwards with distilled water. I'll buy a supply of the "good stuff" before I need it again, however.

Amos McCormick

I did not know if you had a local place, it's just that sometimes people forget the obvious.

I don't think that this will do any damage to your snow machine, but I don't know much about snow machines.

I'm glad you found a solution to your problem.

Scott,

I didn't mean for my original reply to sound as snotty as it does now that I have re-read it. That's what I get (along with the misspelled words) for typing while talking on the phone.

Amos McCormick

Amos,

I did not read it as being snotty, I was just explaing why I made the suggestion.

It's all good.

As information, I used the homemade snow fluid today and it worked beautifully!

Amos McCormick

Excellent- glad to hear it

To be on the safe side, as you said previously, I'd suggest you flush the machine through- I tend to flush my smoke machines with distilled water at the end of a run in a theatre, before it goes into storage.

I had several stage hands tell me the mixture was 50-50 Mr. bubbles and distilled water. I suppose the alchol would help it vanish sooner.

Richard

Amos,

How quickly did the homemade solution dissipate?

Thanks.

Regan

When used at the highest setting, the snow was bigger and took about ten minutes to completely dissipate on the floor/carpet. At lower settings, it was gone within a minute or so.

I'm going to play with the proportions to see if I can get it to dissipate quicker. I would be interested in ideas any of you might have for changes that might affect the results.

The homemade stuff was about $3.00 per gallon, but is isn't concentrated like the commercial stuff. Still, $3.00 or less per show isn't bad...

Amos McCormick

Thanks Amos!

Keep us posted.

Regan

Hi

Just did a quick search on snow fluid and stumbled across this thread. This may sound dumb but when you say 'Mr Bubbles', what are you referring to? I assume its an American product, does anybody know the British equivalent?

Thanks
Mark

Hey Mark,

Don't know what the UK equal would be, but Mr. Bubble is a solution for kids to use in the tub. It bubbles up real good and makes bath time fun!

See the product here:
http://www.drugstore.com/qxp26059_333181......inal.htm

Lyndel

Lyndel

Perfect, thanks for your reply. I wasn't sure if it was the solution used to blow bubble from a small pot with a stick. I go through so much snow fluid and it gets pretty expensive at £15 a gallon.

I was originally told by one person to try bubble bath, and by another person to use fabric softener (?!?) so I thought I'd come here for a better opinion.

You have just saved me a LOT of money!

Thanks
Mark

I'm sure that any kind of kids' bubble bath would work. Usually, with stuff like this, the cheaper the better. Avon makes bubbble bath for kids, and I'm sure it is probably sold in the U.K.

Amos McCormick

My other half manages a health and beauty shop so its easy and cheap to get hold of large quantities of bubble bath. Going to give it a try today. Its amazing how they can warrant charging £15 for a gallon of the proper stuff if that's pretty much all it is!

If only there was an easy solution to making your own silver star pyros... I joke.

Mark

That is so interesting that is all it is!

And to think we pay £12 to £15 of our hard earned money for a gallon of watered down bubble bath. Does anyone know a mixture for dense smoke fluid? Or is this a no-go?

Mark

Actually, I think the £12 to £15 is for concentrated snow fluid. I've never had any, but I understand you thin it with water before using. Is this correct?

Amos McCormick