Fog is formed when rapid condensation occurs. You can mist a little in a jar using hot water and ice, but to make even more mist, you'll need liquid glycerin. To create a fog that appears to be descending, rather than rising, use dry ice as a glycerin mist cooling system.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Creating the Mist in a Jar
Step 1. Heat the water until it is high enough, but not boiling
If the tap water is hot enough, you may be able to use it right away. You can also heat water on the stove, or fill water in a glass container, and then heat it in the microwave.
- The water should be hot enough to the touch, but not boiling. Try to heat the water until it reaches 49-82 degrees Celsius.
- You can check the temperature of the water using a kitchen thermometer. However, if you don't have one, you can simply estimate the temperature with your finger. The water should feel scorching hot to the touch.
Step 2. Fill hot water into a glass jar
Start by pouring a little hot water, then swirl it around the bottom of the jar. Next, fill the jars to the brim, and leave for 1 minute.
- It's a good idea to pour a little water first so that the jar doesn't burst when exposed to hot water. Be sure to use a heat-resistant jar, such as a Mason jar or Ball jar. These jars are intended for use with very hot water.
- Turn on the timer for 1 minute (or 60 seconds). While you're waiting, you can get a metal sieve, if you haven't already had one.
Step 3. Remove most of the water from the jar
Leave about 2.5 cm of water in the jar. The goal is to heat the jar and leave hot water at the bottom.
- If too much water is wasted, use hot water from the tap to replace the water at the bottom of the jar, as the jar is already hot enough.
- If you heat the water to a boil, allow it to cool slightly. Also, wear heat protection pads on your hands when pouring water, as hot jars can injure your hands.
Step 4. Place a metal strainer on top of the jar
Place the strainer on top of the jar until it sinks into it.
- However, do not let the filter come into contact with the water.
- The filter should be suspended in the warm air in the jar, but not submerged in hot water.
Step 5. Fill the colander with ice
Place at least 3-4 ice cubes into the jar quickly. Or, you can also put some ice cubes in the lid of the jar, and then place the lid along with the ice cubes onto the jar.
If your sieve is too small to hold that many ice cubes, you can use crushed ice instead
Step 6. Watch for fog build up
When cold air from the ice suddenly comes into contact with warm air from the jar, rapid condensation will occur, so mist will form inside the jar. If you have an aerosol spray, such as hairspray, a small amount of the spray can make the mist last longer in the jar.
- To make a colorful mist, pour a few drops of food coloring into hot water.
- When the jar cools down, the fog will dissipate.
Method 2 of 4: Using Glycerin
Step 1. Mix pure glycerin with distilled water
You need to mix 3 parts glycerin with 1 part water. For example, for every 1/2 cup of water, add 1 1/2 cups of glycerin. This mixture is called a "mist solution".
- Liquid glycerin can usually be purchased at the drugstore or supermarket.
- Be sure to buy pure glycerin, not synthetic glycerin. Pure glycerin is able to absorb water from the air, which is the basic principle in making fog mists.
Step 2. Add fragrance oil if desired
Scented mists can give a special atmosphere to parties or drama performances. Use 1/2 teaspoon (3 ml) of fragrance for every 1 liter of mist solution. The oil you use should be marked "perfume oil". Do not use essential oils.
- For a spooky circus scent, mix anise oil with 1:1 confectionery-scented oil.
- Create a swampy atmosphere by mixing 1 part campfire-scented oil with 2 parts rain-scented oil, and 4 parts earth-scented oil.
- Create a basement scent by mixing 1 part pickle-scented oil with 2 parts earthy-scented oil, and 2 parts amber-scented oil.
- Create the impression of a haunted train by mixing 1 part grass-scented oil, with 2 parts cypress oil, and 2 parts pumpkin oil.
Step 3. Make a few holes on one side of the metal can
These cans are used to support a metal plate (pie pan) over a candle flame. The holes in the can allow air to enter so that the candle can be lit.
- Do not use plastic cans, as they may emit toxic chemical fumes when they burn.
- Coffee cans, or large soup cans are the right choice.
Step 4. Cut the top of a 2 liter plastic bottle
You will need the neck of the bottle to serve as the funnel for the glycerin mist to escape. For best results, use sharp scissors or a razor to cut 12.7-15.2 cm from the top of the plastic soda bottle.
- Take the top of the bottle, and discard the rest.
- Be careful when using a sharp knife. Wear protective gloves to prevent possible injury.
Step 5. Glue the neck of the bottle to the pie pan
Use duct tape or other strong tape to keep the neck of the bottle in place. Small pie pans are suitable for use in misting.
- The mist solution will sit on top of the pie pan inside the neck of the bottle to create a mist.
- Make sure that the pie pan is in the center of the can, so that it doesn't fall off when you pour it with the mist solution.
Step 6. Light the candle
Ideally, light a candle that has multiple wicks so that the heat is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the pie pan. However, if you don't have such a candle, use a few small candles to create the same effect.
- If you are using small candles, make sure they are close together so that the heat is concentrated in the same area.
- Place the pie pan over the candles.
- Make sure the bottom of the pan is close enough to the heat, but not touching it.
Step 7. Pour the mist solution into the bottle
Pour between 1 teaspoon (5 ml) and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the mist solution into the heated baking dish through the holes in the bottle.
- A little mist solution is enough. Do not pour too much mist solution at once.
- You can add more mist solution as needed.
Step 8. Watch the fog form
The heated mist solution will immediately turn into a mist, and will come out of the hole in the bottle and flow into the room.
- To create an interesting effect, shine colorful lights on the fog. If you want to create a colored mist, the easiest and safest way to do this is to turn the colored light directly into the mist flowing out of the bottle.
- The mist vapor will reflect colorful light.
Method 3 of 4: Using Dry Ice
Step 1. Fill a metal or plastic container with hot water
Use 15-30 liters of hot water to create a mist for 15 minutes.
- Try to keep the water temperature between 49-82 degrees Celsius. Boiling water is not suitable for fog, as having water vapor will allow the mist from the dry ice to flow upwards instead of creeping under and spreading.
- Maintain the temperature of the hot water in the container using a hot plate, so the mist you create lasts longer.
Step 2. Pour 2.25-4.5 kg of dry ice into the water
Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, with a much lower freezing point than water, at -78.5°C. Typically, 450 ml of dry ice will create a mist for 2-3 minutes.
- Hotter water will create more fog, however, the hotter the water, the faster the dry ice will turn to mist, so it must be added more often and more.
- Always wear protective gloves and use tongs when pouring dry ice.
Step 3. Watch the fog form
The extreme cold of dry ice will immediately react with the hot water and form a thick fog. The steam released by the hot water, together with the melted dry ice, creates a fog effect.
- Control the flow of fog with a small fan.
- Since fog is naturally heavier than ordinary air, most of the mist will creep on the floor or ground, unless blown by a fan.
Step 4. Add more dry ice as needed
To maintain the fog effect, you'll need to add more dry ice every 15 minutes or so. Small pieces of dry ice put in water will create an increasing volume of fog, while large pieces of dry ice will create a large amount of fog at once.
- Try using a hot plate to maintain the temperature of the water, or replace it with fresh hot water from the kitchen.
- Be aware that the water may be bubbling as a result of its reaction with dry ice. So, if you create fog indoors, chances are your floor will be slippery where the fog passes.
Method 4 of 4: Using a Fog Machine
Step 1. Visit a hardware store to purchase equipment
You will need some equipment to build your own fog machine. These tools should be available at most hardware stores and they shouldn't be expensive either. Unless you plan to use the fog machine long term, most of the equipment needed can also be reused in other crafts. The items you will need include:
- An air duct is 15 cm in diameter, 60 cm long. This pipe is also known as the stove pipe, and will serve as the container for making the mist.
- A copper cooling hose 1 cm in diameter, 7.5 m long.
- A copper cooling hose is 0.9 cm in diameter, 15 m long.
- A clear plastic hose 0.9 cm in diameter, 3.7 m long.
- A pipe 2.5-3.8 cm in diameter, 60 cm long. (Will only be used as a former, and then discarded).
- ABS plastic pipe 7.6 cm in diameter, 60 cm long. (Will only be used as a former, and then discarded).
- 4 pipe clamps for clamping 0.9 cm diameter plastic hoses.
- 1 small pump with a power of 300 liters / hour that can be immersed in water.
- A bag of fastening plastic wire.
- Box or bucket to hold ice.
Step 2. Make two soft copper coils
Make coils 3.8 cm and 7.6 cm in diameter. Make a coil by tightly twisting the cooling hose around the PVC pipe. You should be able to twist the copper hose around the pipe with just your hands, but you can also use pliers if it's difficult to grip.
- To make the inner coil, wind 7.6 m of copper hose around a 3.8 cm diameter pipe 60 cm long.
- To make the outer coil, wind 15 m of copper hose around a 7.6 cm diameter pipe that is 60 cm long.
- Remove the coil from the pipe when it is finished.
Step 3. Insert the small coil into the large coil
Insert the small coil directly into the large coil, and hold it in position with the tie wire. This way, the mist can escape through and around the coil, creating the best cooling effect.
- If you have difficulty installing the small coil, you can simply place it at the base of the large coil.
- Stretch the coil until it matches the length of the stove pipe, so that it can fit through it.
Step 4. Insert the two coils into the stove pipe
Insert the larger coil into the stovepipe, and use the wire to hold the two together. Try to place the two coils as close to the center of the stovepipe as possible.
- This position of the coil allows mist to enter through and around the coil, resulting in better cooling.
- This fog machine can still work even without the binding wire, but the effect will not be very good.
Step 5. Connect the coils
Connect the ends of the inner and outer coils to the cooler using a short plastic hose and clamp.
- You must connect the other end of the coil to the water pump using a long plastic hose and clamp.
- Cold water will flow from the pump, and surround the coils.
Step 6. Immerse the pump in a container or bucket full of ice water
This pump must be completely submerged, but there should still be room in the housing to accommodate a small commercial fog machine next to it.
- The water used must be very cold for the engine to run, so you may have to wait about 30 minutes after pouring the ice into the water before creating a cold mist.
- Place the fog machine on one side of the ice container. Point the piping system out.
Step 7. Turn on the water pump
After about 1 minute, the cold water should have started flowing around the copper coil.
- Check the temperature of the copper coil by touching it. You should be able to feel the flow of cold water on the side of the coil.
- Proceed with starting the fog machine. Fill the fog machine with a commercial mist solution, and turn it on. With a cooling effect, the mist should come out and crawl across the floor, and not evaporate upwards like regular water vapor.
Tips
Store dry ice in an ice container
Warning
- Do not store dry ice in the refrigerator freezer. The temperature of dry ice can turn the thermostat in the freezer off.
- Be aware that some people are allergic to fragrance oils.
- Be careful when using dry ice.
- Do not store dry ice in an airtight container, as the pressure can cause the container to explode.
