Fogscreen II: Electric Boogaloo!

So, after much laurel resting, I have finally started moving forward with my new fogscreen. Most of the components are ready to go. I need to print up a few more bits here and there. For the most part, I just need to start knocking this together.

This new one will be superior to my old fogscreen in almost every respect:
1. Everything will be internal; all this will require is mains power, a DMX cable, and a water hose. No more tanks, pipes, or ducts to deal with.
2. Bigger is better (that's what she said); even though the curtain of fog will be the same dimensions as the old fogscreen (42" wide, .5" thick at the business end), the entire fogscreen will be larger, increasing the total laminar column of air for better stability of the 42" fog curtain. This one will be 60" wide and 16.5" deep vs the old one (42"W x 10.5"deep).
3. No babysitting; This one will have an auto fill system so that I won't have to babysit the water level (ultrasonic foggers have an auto shutoff if the water level gets too low).
4. Programmable; 100% DMX controlled.
6. Real Honeycomb; No more straws, well, maybe a few for internal delivery of the fog! I am using aircraft grade aluminum honeycomb for the laminar filter which gives WAY better uniformity and uniformity is what laminar is all about!
7. No more lugging iron; The new ultrasonic foggers are not rectified so, DC is supplied via MeanWell PSUs. These are so much lighter than the AC transformers used in my old fogscreen.

Because I am on a mobile connection right now, I am only going to upload the Sketchup pics. When I get home, I will get the real pics uploaded. For the Sketchup pics, the reason there are lots of partition in the parts is because of the build volume limitations of my 3D printer. A good majority of this thing is 3D printed.

If you don't know what you're looking at, don't worry. When I get the actutal pics uploaded, it'll be much easier to see what is going on. Enjoy and definitely more to come!
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Very interesting project, good job! I'm subscribing to the thread ;)

I think you rather get this laser cut than 3d printed taking into account the time, cost (of filament) and rigidity and strength of 3d printed parts vs laser cut extruded plastic or metal sheets or plywood.
Laser cutting isn't really that expensive in my personal experience to instead have something 3d printed for hours or days unless you have to cut thicker than 2mm.
Not talking about the honeycomb of course.

Either way good job.

PS. Have you considered getting an aluminum tube and cutting it into pieces rather than using straws or expensive honeycombs?

This is looking like a great project! I've been thinking about building one into my indoor space for years now, but haven't mustered sufficient motivation (and $$$) as yet. I look forward to seeing your results on this latest build.

-David

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Originally Posted by Maltes

I think you rather get this laser cut than 3d printed taking into account the time, cost (of filament) and rigidity and strength of 3d printed parts vs laser cut extruded plastic or metal sheets or plywood.
Laser cutting isn't really that expensive in my personal experience to instead have something 3d printed for hours or days unless you have to cut thicker than 2mm.
Not talking about the honeycomb of course.

Either way good job.

PS. Have you considered getting an aluminum tube and cutting it into pieces rather than using straws or expensive honeycombs?

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This is a project that has been rolling around in my head for a few years and I have considered a lot of different ways to build it. The good thing with 3D printing is prototyping. I have several spools of $10 PLA filament from Fry's. It is cheap and works great for concept printing. The finished parts that I am printing are not load-bearing nor do they require much precision and also need very little to no assembly. A good portion of the other parts are aluminum or polycarbonate sheet.

As for the honeycomb, again, I wanted no fuss. I have done the assembly of individual cells to build the laminar filter on my old fogscreen. Not again! This was easy; expand the honeycomb and done! The first fogscreen I built, I went inexpensive because I had no idea if it would work... proof of concept. Now that I know it can be done, I don't mind spending the money on better and easier components. So far, things are going smoothly! :)

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Originally Posted by dkumpula

This is looking like a great project! I've been thinking about building one into my indoor space for years now, but haven't mustered sufficient motivation (and $$$) as yet. I look forward to seeing your results on this latest build.

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They definitely take some dedication. With all of the toys you have in your "show room", this would make a great addition, should you decide to bite the bullet!

Thanks for the kudos, guys. Here are a few more pics before I head off to bed. I will have more soon. This graveyard shift is killing me...

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:cat:
Really interesting thread.....many thanks ! >:)
Cheers :)

Man there are some smart people are on this forum. :) Looking good.

How thick is the honeycomb? As tall as a straw?

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Originally Posted by blowfly

Man there are some smart people are on this forum. :) Looking good.

How thick is the honeycomb? As tall as a straw?

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Thanks! The honeycomb is 6" thick and each cell is 3/8". I was thinking of going taller that 6" but I just don't think it will be necessary.

I got the end-caps in place. Tested for water leaks as well as final checking of the water level switch. I also ran a bit of fog too, just for fun!

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Good info. I'm subscribing to the thread.

This is a very cool project.
But I don't get why you use 3d printed parts in so many places, they are fragile and not water tight.
Laser cut aluminum sheets brazed or plexiglass sheets welded together would be water tight.

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Originally Posted by Finale

This is a very cool project.
But I don't get why you use 3d printed parts in so many places, they are fragile and not water tight.
Laser cut aluminum sheets brazed or plexiglass sheets welded together would be water tight.

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I believe I have answered most of these questions up above. I don't need them to be water-tight save for one area and I have already coated those. 24 hours and not a drop lost. As far as being fragile, non of these parts are load bearing and I have already stressed tested my prints. Laser cut aluminum or plexi is not at my disposal. For me to get anything custom made, I would have to spend time designing anyway. Then I would have to send off to get the parts cut/fabbed. I would be at bey to whomever I had making my materials. This is something I can design, send to the printer and and install in at my pace, 24/7 in the comfort of my own home. Sure, I could get my own laser cutter but I don't have the space for one and if I bring one more piece of equipment home, my other half will have something to say about it! It took some doing to get her calmed down about the 3D printer!

Unfortunately, a job change has put this project on hold but when things in my life normalize, I will get this going again.

So I have finally gotten back to working on this project. There is still much to do and if I am to get it completed for Halloween this year, there is not much time to do it. I have gotten all the fabrication done. Most of the main assembly is done. All I have left to do is get the fan assemblies attached and get all the electronics hooked up. The sides of the fogscreen are wood for now, only because the aluminum pieces I ordered are not ready yet. I need to get it working for Halloween so, wood will have to do for now.

Just like with lasers, I hate fabrication. Assembly isn't too bad but fabrication is the worst. Especially metal work. Anyway, here are some photos of what I have completed, thus far. Please excuse the mess of my workshop. It was a small back-house bungalow, turned into storage, turned into my workshop so, it's got a bunch of junk in it!

A short post with not a lot of info but mainly pictures... I have been too busy to get any more info posted. I'll keep posting progress here though. I hope to have this working (temporarily) by Thursday or Friday. We'll see how that goes!

3/16" aluminum plates for the sides
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The main trough
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Splash guard for the foggers
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Fog delivery chamber
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Straws for the fog delivery chamber. I wish they were black but oh well. No one will see them inside.
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Fog Delivery chamber with condensation drain tube
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Fitting a fan assembly to verify angles
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Getting it together
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Having fun with the optical properties of the laminar honeycomb. In this pic, my hand is under the honeycomb, 6" from the top shown here.
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Laying down the fiberglass A/C filter
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Window screen to hold the filter in place (and to slow down the air from the fans)
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Thanks for sharing, I've loved watching this build.

Thank you! It's been a fun and very frustrating build!


First "light". Very quick and dirty setup to test and see if the damn thing works!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sxj...ature=youtu.be

This is the first project that I have ever built that was completely designed in Sketchup and built off the dimensions in the 3d model. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous cutting and modifying materials based on a model in the computer! Almost all of my dimensions were derived from the model. I suppose next time I build something, I won't be as apprehensive to design on the computer and then create it.

Some more pics...

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Messy first light setup, complete with duct tape!
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Now I need to clean up these wires
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That video was fun to watch, Absolom. So you are just planning to shoot fog up or down, not recapture it with a vacuum set-up and recycle?

I've wanted to set up a fog screen in my space for years now covering a 10 foot wide by 8 foot high area, but I have the project work its way to the top of my TO-DO list. So many project, so little time . . . :)

-David

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Originally Posted by dkumpula

That video was fun to watch, Absolom. So you are just planning to shoot fog up or down, not recapture it with a vacuum set-up and recycle?

I've wanted to set up a fog screen in my space for years now covering a 10 foot wide by 8 foot high area, but I have the project work its way to the top of my TO-DO list. So many project, so little time . . . :)

-David

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This will only be shooting down. This one is designed a lot differently than my old one. It must be overhead and level to operate correctly. For me, the idea is so that people may pass though the screen. It is used more as an "interactive" display and less of a screen specifically for display.

A few more pics and a brief video. I will get more posted once I have time. Too much to do before Halloween!

The fog stays very laminar and stable, all the way to the ground. It doesn't get wavy like my old one.
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Very concise, 1/2" sheet of fog!
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98% finished!
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And now, a projection. I'll get a video uploaded soon with the Halloween projection video
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Playing with the fog density adjust
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQPRW6YOg7Y



**EDIT: That's what I get for posting with my Mac. It always turns the pics sideways. When I get on my PC, I will repost them.

That seems to work pretty well. in the first video it seemed to only come from one row of tubes. Is that correct? If so, what are the other rows for?
What do you use as a fog source? What is the duty cycle?

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Originally Posted by JohnYayas

That seems to work pretty well. in the first video it seemed to only come from one row of tubes. Is that correct? If so, what are the other rows for?
What do you use as a fog source? What is the duty cycle?

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The fog only comes from one row. The other tubes provide a laminar column of air. Think of it like a sandwich. The outer layers of air are moving in the same direction and speed as the inner (fog) layer. The air mass is also very uniform; coherent (for lack of a better term). This protects the fog layer and keeps it moving in a straight line, like a curtain. This fogscreen can be raised up to about 10 feet and the fog will stay in a sheet all the way down to the ground, creating a screen that can be walked through. The fog source is ultrasonic foggers so, there is no duty cycle. I can run this thing all night. No duty cycle, no heat, and nothing but water vapor. The water tank where the foggers sit is auto-fill so, it will run all night when hooked to the tap without needing to be tended to.

Last video before I pack it up and get it ready for Halloween.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDlTsSK1XY&feature=youtu.be

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Originally Posted by absolom7691

The fog only comes from one row. The other tubes provide a laminar column of air. Think of it like a sandwich. The outer layers of air are moving in the same direction and speed as the inner (fog) layer. The air mass is also very uniform; coherent (for lack of a better term). This protects the fog layer and keeps it moving in a straight line, like a curtain. This fogscreen can be raised up to about 10 feet and the fog will stay in a sheet all the way down to the ground, creating a screen that can be walked through. The fog source is ultrasonic foggers so, there is no duty cycle. I can run this thing all night. No duty cycle, no heat, and nothing but water vapor. The water tank where the foggers sit is auto-fill so, it will run all night when hooked to the tap without needing to be tended to.

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That's awesome. Thanks for the explanation. Now I want one, too.

That's great. Idea....put the projector off to the side and use a mirror to hide it. The expanded image will be dimmer so the spot in the middle should be less visible

Awesome work Absolom, thanks for sharing.

It's really tempting to build one as well >:) But that seems to be a time consuming work...

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Originally Posted by kecked

That's great. Idea....put the projector off to the side and use a mirror to hide it. The expanded image will be dimmer so the spot in the middle should be less visible

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This was just a quick setup. I actually have my projector mounted overhead. It pretty much stays hidden from view until you have already passed through the screen. The image terminates on a black background too. It works really well. Here's a video from a previous year's setup with my old screen so you can see how I have it arranged.

The projector is seen but is more noticeable by my phone's camera than in person
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRvUm49KJ2U

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Originally Posted by sbk

Awesome work Absolom, thanks for sharing.

It's really tempting to build one as well >:) But that seems to be a time consuming work...

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Thank you! This thing was no picnic, let me tell you! This was a lot less tedious than laying down 9000 drinking straws but it was way more fabrication and metalwork than I like. I don't particularly enjoy working with metal. A machinist, I am NOT! My hat is off to those machinist on this forum, you know who you are! I know very little about aerodynamics but if you do decide to build one, I can offer what little knowledge I have!

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Originally Posted by JohnYayas

That's awesome. Thanks for the explanation. Now I want one, too.

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Me too! + 15 characters

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Originally Posted by dkumpula

Me too! + 15 characters

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If I could find a way to construct these in a less "homemade" fashion, turn a profit, and not gouge... I would think about building and selling. The thought has crossed my mind!

You could sell plans. Make a free website with some videos and sell plans for $25 or so. You'd sell some, maybe enough to recover your costs to build the one you made. All you'd have to do is take time to make some drawings and instructions.