building a dry ice machine, redux

[godd2]

hello all, releatively new to this forum. Where do you all stand on making dry ice machines? For example, the aquafogger posted on another thread, looks like not much more than a trash can that has been made air tight with a heating element and a place for a dry ice tray. I realize there is more to it but doesnt seem like much more. I also do realize the pressure issue with dry ice since i am actually a chemistry teacher that does the lighting for our school, weird combination of degrees.

I was thinking a trash can lined with some weather striping at the top would hold the gas in. I would place a few pressure released gauges, much like a pressure cooker has, on the top. then get a simple heating element that would go towards the bottom and use a caulking to make it water tight.

for the dry ice i would use a metal tray with holes in it that i could either lower into the water when needed or i may even use a few water pumps to bring the hot water up to the dry ice and sprinkle on top of it.

Then i would use a small squirel fan to help shoot the fog out quickly when needed, not sure if i would mount that inside the container or put it in the hose line some how.

Ok, now tell me what i am missing

thank you

[cprted]

The air tight lid and safety valves become kind of redundant once you put two holes in the side of the body for air in and fog out. A 45 gal drum is much more suited to holding and heating up large quantities of water than a garbage can is. Also, install a drain on the bottom of the drum for easy shutdown.

If you do a search, there are a gazillion threads on dry ice machines here with a lot of good info in them.

Or instead of going to all that trouble, you could just buy a dry ice machine or a fogger ...

[derekleffew]

Originally Posted by godd2

...For example, the aquafogger posted on another thread, ...

No offense intended, godd2, but must we really rehash this topic again? Since you found one thread discussing the "aquafogger," you must have also found the twenty or so other threads discussing dry ice fog machines as well?

Feel free to add to one of the existing threads. I was going to to direct you to this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/s...g-machine.html, until I discovered that you had started it.

This thread now closed.

[icewolf08]

First off, you should try a search as there are many threads about home made dry ice machines. It is something you can do yourself if you have the right materials, skills and knowledge. Keep in mind that commercial machines will most likely carry some kind of CE or UL or other recognized certification whereas if you build it yourself, it won't. That being said, if you build your own and it fails and causes damage or injury, you or your company/school could be held liable.

The traditional vessel used to build home made dry ice foggers is 55-gallon steel drums. As I mentioned, with a little searching on CB you will find many techniques for construction.