Smoke Machine smoke

What issues are there with being in the smoke from a smoke machine? I know that campfire smoke is very debilitating. You can't see nor breath. But I don't know what happens when you're inside smoke machine smoke. Is it just as bad or less intense? Could a simple surgical mask keep the smoke out? How about swimming goggles? (the little eye-sized ones) Or can you just stand in it and breath with no problems?

TIA

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"Except for that Mrs. Lincoln, How did you like the play?"
Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

smoke machine smoke is somewhat more tolerable than real smoke, spreads out relatively quickly, can cause you to cough if you stand right in front of the thing. it is very drying and can be pretty irritating to some people esp. ppl with asthma. there was talk recently on npr about actors who wanted to reduce the use of smoke machines in productions because of the long term effects of its use so you might find some more info if you search on their site (like the people in phantom of the opera...can you imagine?)

Pere

I think the proper term is "fog machine" and there is absolutely no relation between smoke and the fog/mist produced by a fog machine.

In limited quantities, the "fog" is completely harmless to most people. But, as with all things, there are some people who will get an allergic reaction and extended exposure is like to cause long term health problems.

The google search engine returns quite a bit of far more detailed info:

http://www.google.com/search?q=fog+machine+safety

http://www.google.com/search?q=fog+machine+health

-p.

Thank you to both I got what I was looking for.
The site that had a lot of good info was http://www.gotfog.com which is based off of a Halloween site.

And pj, thanks for the correction.

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"Except for that Mrs. Lincoln, How did you like the play?"
Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

I was looking at the sites about the fog machines and found that some are Glycol based. I'm not sure how these work because the one fog machine I worked with was a Dry Ice fog machine. For this one the dancers (ballet, tap, jazz) didnt seem too effected.

For the dry ice fog machine, it's probably not a good idea to stand in front of it and breath in the fog, but once it gets out on stage a ways, it isnt too bad. After the first large burst of fog it kinda settled down so that most of the fog was just covering the stage (probably about a foot thick). This looked very cool.

Rollo

RTC, the dry ice fog machines are a little different. For one the dry ice, from what I've read, is rather expensive. It also keeps the fog on the ground. I don't imagine it's difficult to make one. A bucket of water, drop the dry ice in, and use a fan to blow the "fog" to the target area. (yes, I'm sure the real machines are more complex, but that's the gist from what I've read today.)

The fog machines use a fog that floats more like a spooky-movie-in-a-graveyard kind of fog. They claim that the fog isn't too bad to be in. Many are advertised for DJs to use at their events. The gotfog site is all about Halloween and setting things up in your yard for kids to walk through.

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"Except for that Mrs. Lincoln, How did you like the play?"
Pyromorph - Let the fire change you

A dj I have worked with a few times has a fog machine, he has stuff to make, get this...hypoallergenic strawberry flavored fog! It is really funny. Fog, strobe lights and fire...yum!

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Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...
http://www.pyromorph.com

I had a party two weeks ago for which I hired a fog machine, an industrial strobe and a multicoloured lazer lights thingy, which looked absolutely fab in the smoke... Smoke smelled like hazelnuts and vanilla!

Unless you have a reaction the guy i got it off said it was fine for even long term exposure, although you are supposed to use it in a well ventilated area.

btw im sure you all know, (non fire) poi/staff in front of a strobe is the coolest thing ever...

plus, everything you do looks good!!!

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"O! for a muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention."
- William Shakespeare

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B l A c K i E

I would think that dry ice is a totally inefficient way to make fog effects. Stick with fog machines. You can add flavors (tropical, stawberry, lemon, vanilla, rum, musk, peach, and apples according to the catelog I have in front of me.)

I believe that you can set some higher end fog machines to make fog OR mist. Fog would be colder and hang out on the ground whereas mist would be warmer and therefore evently distribute throughout the room.

also besides being expensive, inefficient way to make fog, dry ice is bad in an auditorium with an orchestra pit with an orchestra since all the carbon dioxide sinks down there and makes them all suffocate. on the other hand, its a good way to get rid of all those annoying piccolo players but dry ice is fun to play with anyway, especially when combined with dish soap....foamy! or bubble blowing stuff, you can blow up balloons with it or you can make a plastic soda bottle explode quite satisfyingly.

I have to say, every theater show we used the fog/smoke/whatever machine for ended up making EVERYTHING smell like that stuff. so pick a nice flavour! we had generic smell and it was not particularly nice.

Pere the wonder llama

Several things to add;

you can get foggers / smoke machines wich can be tiny (need to run em flatout to fill a house) or large (fog the shit out of a 1000 person outdoor trance dance floor)

you can also get Hazers, which are similar to fog machines, but produce a much finer mist, these are far better for lazer light work.

Dry ice fog is heavier than air, and so spreads on the ground...I really like the dry ice fog. Dry ice is not that expensive, and if you get a big ass drum with hot water in it, and whack a big block of dry ice in it, you get a LOT of ground hugging fog which looks rad.

I get no problems from dry ice fog, but smoke fluid gets yucky, and eventually makes your clothes feel wierd.

smolke fluid comes in lots of different qualities I suggest getting the most high end you can afford, cuz the cheap shit is totally Gross, and will not make friends with your audience...cough cough cough...ugh!

Josh

Fun with dry ice...a friend did this and it was sooooooo funny. Put it in a toilet, if you can a dry toilet, but if not, keep the lid down. When a person goes to do business there it gets a really fun reaction!!!
No, I wasn't drunk when it happened, and yes I know it has nothing to do with using it on a stage, except for a realllllly kinky yucky show!
(Flash Fire said I am being "toey" tonite..I think she was right! )

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Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...
http://www.pyromorph.com

mmm! Dry Ice! Crush it up, put it in a 1 liter plastic pop bottle and throw it 20 feet away for a cool explosion.

Love always,
Spanky