pic: Art's other cool toy - a SnowGun!

[artdutra04]

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[Billfred]

Internal thought #1: DUDE! AWESOME!
Internal thought #2: How do you build/run one?
Internal thought #3: Is it cold enough to run one in the back garden of Preston?
Internal thought #4: Say, let's check Dashboard...(lows after tonight: 34-33)
Internal thought #5: Blast.

[Elgin Clock]

I want a copy of them plans.. like.. now!!! lol

Awesome thing to have.

But seriously? White paper.. CD.. upload..

You get what I'm sayin'!

[Ian Curtis]

Ooh, now that is cool. I live in a coastal town that it rains often enough to melt the snow (which means we get out of school earlier than the rest of the state) but it's no fun sledding. I can just see the faces of people who drove by your lawn.


Five dollars says you get another Billfred Seal of Approval (tm).

[Adam Richards]

Hmm... how hard do you think it would be to install a cooler into one of these things?

Snow in 65 degree weather perhaps?

[Jessica Boucher]

Geez, doesn't that area of CT get enough snow ALREADY? We don't need you encouraging Mother Nature

But seriously, that is awesome, and I'd kill for Christmas Morning snow..I can't remember how long it's been since we had one. How much to do my lawn?

[Wayne C.]

any chance of dropping by my school some late night and leaving a few feet? I could use a day off..... ; )


WC

[Jeff Rodriguez]

I smell a senior prank.

[Wetzel]

So, where are the plans for this thing, or at least a discussion of air/water ratios.

Wetzel

[KathieK]

Keep it away from West Hartford (CT) Art. I'm the one they wake up in the morning to put the closing announcements on the college website!

Seriously, snow guns are cool. I like marshmallow guns, too. Had a blast ambushing my son a couple of weeks ago!

[Jay H 237]

Those are fun! We did one on a small scale at work with leftover/scrap parts. It was smaller than the one you have though.

You need a constant regulated compressed air supply, a constant regulated cold water supply with a misting nozzle, a venturi, and a section of pipe to act as a mixing chamber.

The venturi creates a cyclone of air in the pipe and as the cold water mist is added you create snow. You have to adjust the water and air supply to get it right otherwise it just makes a watery mess.

The one we had at work isn't around anymore so either someone tossed it thinking it was scrap (right back where it was born from ) or someone took it home to play with.

[KarenH]

Originally Posted by Adam Richards

Hmm... how hard do you think it would be to install a cooler into one of these things?

Snow in 65 degree weather perhaps?

Unless you install refrigeration coils under your lawn, roof, etc., your snow would melt too fast to be worthwhile.

Guess you'll have to settle for spreading white quilt batting on the front lawn.

[Jay H 237]

I found a site with diagrams of how to make them.

Here's an internal and an external.

Please be aware that adding a snow machine onto your robot is not allowed by FIRST due to possible playing field damage and is also bad GP.

[sanddrag]

Well, it'll never be cold enough to do that here, but where do you get such a long lasting supply of compressed air? Surely this thing would empty a tank faster than a compressor could fill it, no?

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Well, it'll never be cold enough to do that here, but where do you get such a long lasting supply of compressed air? Surely this thing would empty a tank faster than a compressor could fill it, no?

There are compressors that put out 20 or more CFM. They are the industrial ones that you find from Quincy, Eaton, IR, and Dayton to name a few. These aren't the typical ones the average person has, nor available from places like Sears. The 2 stage pump models would start around $1500 and up. There's also screw drive compressors but they're really expensive. Most of these compressors have continous duty cycles.

You could do this on a smaller scale with a compressor that the average person has. Don't expect to cover the whole yard but you could do a small section. You most likely will have to cycle the snow gun since the compressor may have to play "catch up" at times. The climate also plays a large role. Here in Connecticut with our temps I'm sure I could do a section of my yard with my 26 gallon CH compressor (6 CFM) since it won't be melting fast. I would have no success in Florida though.