As you know, a bit of fog makes light beams visible and adds tremendously to almost any lighting effect. Water-based fog ‘juice’ or fog fluid sold by the major companies (Chauvet, American DJ, etc) can cost about $20 for a quart. Here’s a way to make it yourself for under $10 per gallon.
(I don’t recall where I found this info. Let me know and I’ll be happy to give credit!)
What You’ll Need:
• Distilled Water • Glycerine • Container • Measuring Cup • Bleach • Fog Machine
Supplies: Unless you have a distilling apparatus, simply buy a gallon of DISTILLED (not purified) WATER at Walgreens or Wal-Mart. Glycerine, a common ingredient in beauty products and commercially baked goods, is a bit more difficult, but not much: you’ll want Food Grade Glycerine, because it’s made for human consumption, not that you’ll be drinking the stuff, or even breathing it in any quantity. But this is important: don’t use other types of glycol compounds unless you’re a chemist — some are poisonous. Use ONLY food-grade pure glycerine, not a sorbitol-based substitute! The brand I found is by CK Products (www.ckproducts.com), and I paid under $8 for 20-oz bottle at a party supply store.
Your container needs to be clean — it can’t hurt to boil it to make it sterile. If you want to make a gallon at a time, you can mix it right in with the distilled water it the container it came in. I use a smaller container because it’s easier to carry around to gigs, and I like to experiment with different mixtures.
Mix the glycerine with the water.
For Very Thick Smoke:
30% Glycerine | 70% Water
For Medium Thick Smoke:
20% Glycerine | 80% Water
For Less Thick Smoke:
15% Glycerine | 85% Water
(20 oz glycerine and 108 oz water — empty 20 oz from your gallon, add a whole bottle of 20oz glycerine)
These proportions aren’t exact. You can experiment (easier if you make small amounts — say, a pint or quart at a time) to find the proportion that works best for your needs. Here are some figures to help you calculate mixtures:
1 gal = 128 oz 1 quart = 32 oz 1 pint = 16 oz
Mix by shaking. Add a few drops of bleach to a pint or quart mix, again, to help prevent bacteria growth.
The ‘very thick’ proportions are good for Halloween effects, but not much else. I prefer a lighter fog because it causes fewer problems with smoke detectors, and sensitive band and audience members, because it leaves much less surface residue on whatever it comes in contact with, and because if you want to make light beams visible on stage, the ‘less thick’ is all you’ll need. The ‘less thick smoke’ will dissipate faster, but you simply blow more as needed. Anything thicker can be annoying to the performers (who’ll be breathing the stuff!) or any person with respiratory problems, and is more likely to set off smoke-detector alarms. The last thing you need at your gig is for a smoke alarm to go off, and many venues forbid use of fog machines because of this. Also, with the Thick Smoke proportions, you’re more likely to get a smelly, sticky residue on clothes and equipment. Venues don’t like that much, either. Last but not least, the ‘thick’ recipe will require you to clean your machine more often. If you use a LIGHT SMOKE recipe, these problems are much less likely to happen.
When you first use your machine, make sure the juice intake pipe is actually submerged in the juice — sometimes it’s bent and is above the level of the liquid in the reservoir. Try to arrange and re-bend it so it is down low in the reservoir. When you use your Fogger, be sure to check the Juice level OFTEN…. if it runs with no juice, it’ll ruin it!
It’s okay (in fact, I recommend) that you keep some juice in your machine even when stored, to help prevent the tubes and pump from drying out and cracking, but don’t let it sit for months: run it a bit now and then. The fog Machine is similar in some ways to a Mr Coffee-type coffee-maker — after extended use, glycerine residue or mineral deposits from water or bacteria can build up inside the pump and tubes. Clean your machine with a white vinegar and water solution, letting it run for a while, cleaning out the nozzle, pump, condenser, and tubes (Don’t do this indoors — it’s stinky!). Empty any remaining vinegar solution, refill with Fog juice, and run a bit through it. Do this regularly and it will last much longer. There are more details and some good info here: http://www.bigclive.com/smoke.htm
Burright Ideas for Event Lights 