How to make a liquid sky effect

[Alessandros]

Hey everyone,
I'd like to have a way of making the fancy "liquid sky" effect. Does this require some sort of glass cylinder, or could it be done with motors and mirrors?
If it's the former, and not too expensive, where could I find such a lens, if you can call it that?
Thanks,
Alessandro

 

[Leodahsan]

You can diy it using a metal cylinder (dangerous - use glasses). The reflex from a cylindric, reflexive metal is a line.

It is done with lens using a line generator lens.

 

[chipdouglas]

A line generator will not give a true liquid sky. the sweeping motion of a hex mirror, or the spinning/wobble of a reg mirror on a motor shaft will.

the motion of the beam, in my opinion, really enhances the moving dust particles

Michael.

 

[Alessandros]

A line generator will not give a true liquid sky. the sweeping motion of a hex mirror, or the spinning/wobble of a reg mirror on a motor shaft will.

the motion of the beam, in my opinion, really enhances the moving dust particles

Michael.

I thought it was just a matter of generating a line and pouring in some fog?

Speaking of line generating, would these work at all?
DOT Line Cross Laser Lens 200nm 1100nm With Lens Frame M9 AND Metal CAP | eBay

 

[kilter]

Check out Styropyro's Youtube channel, he has a video on it.

 

[Cyparagon]

A line generator works, but it's rather fuzzy and jagged in practice. A scanning beam will give you a better result.

 

[Things]

You can mount a simple mirror parallel to a small motor shaft, or glue it standing up on a computer fan, and that will produce a scanned line.

 

[Alessandros]

Thanks for the info, everyone! I think I'll try the lenses I found on eBay first, then go for a scanning line if I don't like what the lens produces.

 

[chipdouglas]

Since its a project and an inexpensive one at that, you should try both.

 

[AJ Pierson]

I agree that a scanned beam produces better looking "spatial" effects (like liquid sky and cones) than light-shaping optics.

I think part of the reason is that with a scanned beam, you are seeing the beam at full intensity at any given moment. That, combined with "persistence of vision" produces a brighter, more intense perception of the effect than with beam shaping methods like cylindrical lenses, because a cylindrical lens will spread the beam out, thereby diminishing its intensity.

It's definitely worth the effort to obtain some cheap front-surface mirrors and small DC motors and cook up e few simple beam scanners. .....lots o' fun :yh:

 

[hakzaw1]

Simple and almost free

get a 12vdc flat fan like form a PC

remove the blades from the fan( they mess with the fog/smoke and you do not want that so turn off ac and any other air movers just before you begin)

get a fattish free mirror from a flat bed scanner- they will be too long so you need a glass cutter.

GLUE the mirror as flat as possible on its EDGE-- (if you mount it flat on its back that great for tunnel efx but won't work very well for L.S.)

with flat black paint or a black sharpie darken the edges and back of the FSM- I put blue masking tape over the front of the FSM and spray the rest flat black- if you fail to do that there will be more reflections than you want. mount the motor to give you the desired angle clamp down you laser(s) to hit the mirror and you are ready for fog. and Liq Sky- any wall wart over 8 vdc will spin the fan- if the air is still you will get the best 'whispy' efx - You don't want your fog/smoke to get dispersed- Try this both ways and you will see what I mean.
keep the source of your smoke close and below your spinning mirror . A 99 cent pack of cheap incense sticks works Ok.



we will await your PICs-hak

 

[AJ Pierson]

Hey hak, good idea re the incense sticks.

 

[hakzaw1]

they work a little -last resort thing-
most time they do not set off smoke alarms- but if they do rather than remove the battery just cover with plastic- those free 'shower caps' found at hotels are excellent for that- JUST remember to remove them when done.

best time to steal a cheap fogger is right after holloween- the big chain drugstore put them on mark-down rather than store till next year- I have seen the go for as little as 20$ you can buy a small amt of fog juice at Spencers but the best is from EEKBay 'Froggies' brand- be sure to remove all fog juice when storing- put a small amt of water in your fogger and run it out-otherwise they tend to clog up and die. You will want to stop it as soon as all the water is out. DO NOT run without juice or water.

hak

 

[AJ Pierson]

In your experience, are those cheap foggers worth buying, or are they unreliable and/or prone to short life?

 

[hakzaw1]

Good question-- I did not take very good care of my first one from Spencers Gifts.
I stored it with juice in the tank and that can cause clogs thus the need to flush it before llong term storage. I had saved the box with the price tag and receipt inside- I took it back to Spencers after owning around three years-- they were quick to hand me a new one-w/ no Qs asked.. COOL!! so I have now had this one for another 4 years and it still works-OK (for its cost)- I empty the tank with siphon hose- add about /4 cup of water and run it watching for the end of the water to pass thru.--

...if you get one with free fog juice it may be worth every cent you did not pay for it. With cheap foggers comes cheap fog juice.(or none-) When its gone buy Froggy's at EkkBay. Spencers does NOT sell good juice.

TRY very hard to shut it down when the juice is gone- that IMO helps increase the lifetime.

I would make a point of getting to know one of the more friendly employees at the big chain Drug Stores like Walgreens- ETC..and the day after Holloween call -ask for them and see if they have any foggers left that are going to be reduced in price. If they have already put them on sale you should beat feet there and snag one-

They will not last as long as an expensive one but so what?? The pros do not use foggers-- they like the hazers for the best efx and are willing to pay more.( A LOT MORE)

hope this helps -
BTW
homemade foggers do not always work very well and depending upon your design COULD be a fire hazard.. I also suggest getting one with AT LEAST a wired RC-wireless would be even better--until then for a small area a dozen insense sticks can make the beams more visible in small areas-

 

[LtKernelPanic]

I haven't used it yet but MI lasers had these cool motorized polygon mirrors that were from something that I can't remember that looked perfect for the liquid sky effect. Unfortunately they don't seem to have any left. Hmm. I hope I left my bench supply set to the proper voltage because I can't remember if it used 6 or 12V. bah!

be sure to remove all fog juice when storing- put a small amt of water in your fogger and run it out-otherwise they tend to clog up and die. You will want to stop it as soon as all the water is out. DO NOT run without juice or water.

hak

One thing to add is use distilled water if at all possible. A gallon jug should be like 79 cents, will last forever and will avoid leaving minerals behind that can clog your nozzle just as bad if not worse than fog juice can.