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Magicque Special user 673 Posts |
Hi! I'm thinking of building a snowstorm effect. I'm looking for a blower that would hide in a stage floor instead of a stool. It would need to be as small as possible and of course make as less noise as possible. I would also have to install a switch or a remote control on it. Thanks for your suggestions guys!
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ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
If you hve an entire stage to hide the blower in I would suggest a large squirrel cage fan with a speed controller. If you will be putting it in a platform that will be sitting on the stage, I still suggest a squirrel cage fan, maybe smaller. To make a firm suggestion, though, I would need to know exactly what you are trying to do and what you have to work with.
These fans operate relatively quietly, and don't have to have loud music to cover up the noise. I have also seen advertisements for some sort of device that straps to your arm underneath your jacket sleeve that will blow the snow into the air. I'm not sure how well these work. Even though you have ruled out the stool, the Kevin James stools and package are logical in use and operation and, although fairly expensive, are well made. Given a choice, opt for the newer model stool over the older one. It operates much quieter. Hope this helps, Amos McCormick
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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Magicque Special user 673 Posts |
Thanks! What I would like to do is get rid of the stool and hide the fan on stage. Where can I find the squirrel cage fan you're talking about? Thanks again for your help!
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Leland Stone Inner circle 1204 Posts |
Hi, Magicque:
"Squirrel cage" is a generic term referring to the form of the fan -- it's cylindrical, with vanes arranged around the cylinder. When the cylinder spins, the vanes move air, usually through a housing and into a duct. If you can imagine one of those hamster exercise wheels you may have seen at the pet stores, you get the idea. Industrial supply houses (McMaster-Carr, Grainger, McFadden/Dale) can supply these, janitorial supply houses sell them as carpet driers, or they can be purchased as part of another component. I do blacksmithing, for which I need to move large volumes of air; my blower of choice is a bathroom vent fan from Home Depot, around 25 bucks. It sounds to me that the big concern is going to be the duct -- that tube that brings the air from its source and conducts it to your effect. All in all, I personally might be tempted to consider mini C02 cylinders, which have been discussed in another thread. I don't know of any practical hook-up for such devices, which may at least partly explain the price tag of the commercial models! :0) Happy Tinkering! Leland Edward Stone |
ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
Where are you planning to hide the fan? I seem to remember Kevin James having a platform to stand on that held the fan(s). He probably has a video that shows this routine. Maybe "The Bizarre World of Kevin James"?
As Leland said, you will have to design some sort of ductwork to get the air stream to the proper "shape". Another thought - you might be able to have the blowers backstage or in the wings and use some sort of deflector on the stage to direct the air where you want it to go. Since the air will tend to disperse between the blower and you, there might not be enough velocity when it reaches the deflector to be of much use. Then again, a high-velocity, fairly laminar air stream blown parallel to the floor will tend to cling to the floor, so this might not be as much as a problem as I imagine it to be. Here is an example of the type fan to which I was referring. A search for "squirrel" on http://www.grainger.com will turn up a lot of others: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/product......;ccitem= The best thing about the Snow Animators is that they are very convenient and work well. Amos McCormick
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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Magicque Special user 673 Posts |
Hi guys! Thanks! Let's say I hide it in a stool. Do you think that the squirrel cage fan would be strong enough? And what about the noise?
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ClintonMagus Inner circle Southwestern Southeast 3997 Posts |
You can get the fans in almost any size and capacity, depending on the application. Unless you have an unobtrusive way to plug it into an electrical outlet, you will need a DC blower, battery, and charger. Grainger has hundreds of blowers to choose from - you'll just have to search to find the correct one for your application. It will have to share the space in the stool with the battery, and it has to be small enough, with the motor, to fit within a reasonable seat height while still delivering the needed CFM.
I would suggest buying the Snow Animator from Kevin, since he is the originator and has worked most of the kinks out. By the time you do all the experimentation with getting the right fan, correct stool dimensions, proper battery and charger, etc., you could have saved yourself a lot of pain and suffering by just buying it. You might be able to save a few dollars by searching eBay. Sorry I can't be of more help, but this isn't an exact science. Amos McCormick
Things are more like they are today than they've ever been before...
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Magicque Special user 673 Posts |
Hi and thanks for your help Amos! If I choose to do a snowstorm effect, it will not be with the stool. There's one (Kevin James) and I think he did a very good job with it! Thanks guys!
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