Fog machine question.

[jtc_hunter]

We have 2 fog machines, but the fog just rises and looks like the stage is smoking or our equipment is overheating. I have seen bands on stage where the fog is like a thick blanket about 1 foot thick right on the floor of the stage. How can I get ours to do that?

[Pacman]

Sounds like you have 2 hazers, which are used to really make lights (especially hard edged lights, like ellipsoidals) stand out.

Fog machines use dry ice, which hangs like a haze at floor level.

[TheDarkReaver]

as Pacman says, you need dry ice to get that ground mist effect.

[MakiSupaStar]

Set something on fire and just roll with it.

[Johnny Crab]

Originally Posted by TheDarkReaver

as Pacman says, you need dry ice to get that ground mist effect.

+1

In the 70's and 80's when the band I was with needed that, we built one out of a 55 gallon drum, drum dolly, water heater element, squirrel cage blower, dryer hoses, and modified lid with a dry ice basket that could be raised and lowered into the hot water. It ran on 220 VAC(dryer elec. connect on our stage power box) and the roadies called it "R2" due to the fan(head) and accordian arms(like the Lost in Space robot). Worked fine and the dry ice was bought at a local CO2 place, put in a large ice chest to transport for use at the gig.

We did have ONE mishap at a show where it stayed plugged in too long unattended and came almost to a boil at a small/medium club in Henderson, Louisiana. When the crew dropped the dry ice basket, the dry ice expanded so fast that the top of the drum was pushed off and fog shot out of two arms(to stage) and out of all sides AND out of the blower.....filling the entire club with pea-soup thick fog in a matter of two minutes. The roadies lamented "Bra, R2 exploded on us!"

[IanStephenson]

Dry ice the the "real deal", but it's not so easy to get hold of as it was (health and safety an all that). I also checked one place and it costs $60 for a 10kg block - which they say will last 15mins at full output!

The alternative (which is more practical, and cheaper but not as good) is a "low level fogger". You can buy the commercially but they're expensive. You can easy make your own - just take one of your foggers and run a length of pipe to push the smoke through a cooler of ice. Once it's cold, it'll stay close to the floor, at least for a while. There are DIY guides online...