Marie Mulrooney has written professionally since 2001. Her diverse background includes numerous outdoor pursuits, personal training and linguistics. She studied mathematics at the University of Alaska Anchorage and contributes regularly to various online publications. Print publication credits include national magazines, poetry awards and long-lived columns about local outdoor adventures.
SUPPLIES
- Insulated, watertight container
- Hot water
- Dry ice
- Protective gloves
- Tongs
- Fan
Overview
Whether you're throwing a party, putting on a play or creating a low-budget horror film, making your own smoke machine lets you circumvent what would otherwise be an expensive investment or rental. Making a homemade smoke machine with dry ice also lets you avoid exposure to the potentially toxic smoke-making fluids that some commercially available smoke machines use. The smoke from a homemade dry ice smoke machine will settle and crawl along the ground.
Step 1
Fill a Styrofoam or other insulated container about two-thirds full of hot water.
Step 2
Place a piece of dry ice in the hot water. Handling dry ice with bare hands will give you frostbite, so wear protective gloves, use tongs or, better yet, do both. Make sure not to drop the ice in; you don't want it to splash.
Step 3
Orient a fan to blow the smoke that comes pouring out of your insulated container in whatever direction you desire.
Step 4
Refresh the hot water and dry ice as necessary to continue producing more smoke.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- WARNING : Always handle dry ice with care.
Be aware that dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. As the ice melts, it's releasing extra carbon dioxide into the air. It's absolutely vital that you use this kind of dry ice machine in a well-ventilated area to avoid the risk of asphyxiation.
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