# Coffin Cooler Help



## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

I'm planning on upgrading my old Igloo chiller and have always liked liked this concept and design.






The problem is that the thread that details his design is 4 years old and no longer contains the pictures I need.

Based on the "reverse-vortex design", this is what I am thinking of doing. Basically, it's the same thing where the fog is forced up through the ice, and will follow the pvc down and exit at a chamber in the rear.

I'm more of a visual person, so I had to mock the design up before I start building the chiller. The dimensions aren't accurate, it was just set up with spare pieces of wood and PVC that I had lying around.



















So the fogger would sit on a platform and blast fog through the PVC into the upper section of the coffin. The upper section would be lined with Styrofoam insulation and filled with ice about 4'" off the bottom represented by the wire mesh shown on the output tube.

What I am concerned about is having too much space filled with ice that will be unused.

So is this concept sound, or do I need to re-think the process?

Any help or insight is greatly appreciated.


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## Slanks (Feb 21, 2009)

@Tokwik - I have a PDF to adaptations Boiling Ponds Cemetery made to ScareFX's Toe Pincher Coffin (http://scarefx.blogspot.com/2006/10/25-full-size-toe-pincher-coffin.html) so it can be used as a fog chiller. I made 2 of them a few years ago and I am happy with how they work.

PM me if you are interested and I will email them to you.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

PM sent.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

First, I like the toe pincher coffin. It looks very nice. 

Second, the design could work out well for you, just insulate it good with at least 1.5 inch pink foam. You will want to think about water loss from the ice. The fogger needs to be where it can't get in a puddle from the melting ice. Keep it raised up and make sure there is a drain hole under it just to be safe. 

On my chiller, I have only 4 inches or so of space under the mesh as well. I think that is a fair amount and your fog should work all the way through the ice without an issue. I don't think you will have much waste with as expansive as the fog gets at when it is shot out. With as big of a space as you are filling with ice, make sure the coffin is ridid enough to support it. Maybe add a cross brace or two to be safe at the angles.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Looks great! 

My only thought is with the coffin lid closed that the fogger may not gain peak performance. It may overheat as well. I'm just not sure about it. As with many haunters I keep the fogger nozzle about 2" away from the pvc in order to draw in fresh air to mix with the hot fog. I'm not sure that the fogger being inside of the coffin can do this compared to having the fogger on the outside. 

I like the idea of keeping the fogger hidden though.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Spiderclimber said:


> With as big of a space as you are filling with ice, make sure the coffin is ridid enough to support it. Maybe add a cross brace or two to be safe at the angles.


Thanks.
The upper section will be braced and lined with insulation foam. As for the ice melt, I was planning on having a couple drain holes under the ice. The fogger itself will be a good distance away on a shelf that will house the fogger and a small electrical box.



Lunatic said:


> I'm not sure that the fogger being inside of the coffin can do this compared to having the fogger on the outside.


Yes, I have thought about that. This is just a internal mockup to figure out the best placement for everything. The fogger will remain at the foot of the coffin on a shelf. After final placement is figured out, then fresh air intake holes will be made for ventilation. There will be the air gap between the fogger and the PVC leading to the head of the coffin.

I welcome everyone's comments and criticisms. I'd hate to get everything built only to find out I overlooked something. Thanks again.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That's good. It should perform ok. I can't wait to see how everything works! Good luck!


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Maybe even a small 12 Volt muffin fan on the intakes to keep a cool supply of fresh air coming into the bottom cavity.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

scream1973 said:


> Maybe even a small 12 Volt muffin fan on the intakes to keep a cool supply of fresh air coming into the bottom cavity.


Good idea.
I believe I have a few computer fans floating around that I can install in the bottom section.

Hopefully the weather will cool down this week and I can get back to working on it.

Thanks.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

A computer fan is probably not enough to keep you and your fog machine happy. I would suggest what is called an in line duct fan. They sell them at Home Depot or Lowes. It is basically a fan in a round duct houseing that is usually 4 inches in diameter. It is used to boost the air movement in duct work, or exit air out of a space. They are cheap too, less than 20 by far normally, but run off of a normal outlet when wired up. That would push plenty of air into your housing, and you wouldn't have to wire up a special 12 volt system for the computer fan. it is also much stronger than a computer fan which your high watt fogger will need to cool.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Ahhh yes, in-line duct fans. I am familiar with those and that will flow a bunch of air.

I was originally thinking about a few smaller fans and multiple (6) holes for fresh air intake. One single duct fan will flow more air and be a much cleaner install. I never would have thought of that.

This is great feedback.

Thank you so much for everybody's insight.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Small progress update.

Finally got a little time today to work on the coffin. The PVC is just mocked up, and the sections are all individual so they can be removed.

The chiller part is made out of half inch plywood and will be fiber-glassed for water protection. The empty space around it will be insulated with blue foam insulation. Just need to add a melt water drain hole and the ice shelf and we'll call that good.

The fogger is on its own independent shelf, that is also removable.

The "exhaust" section at the foot of the coffin is also removable. This section will also be sealed to ensure no fog re-enters the interior.

I still have to install the fresh air intake fan and make the holes for the fog to exit the coffin.

I apologize for the crappy phone pics.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

It is looking good. I very much like the idea of incorporating the chiller into a coffin so as to not have the cube cooler in the yard which just looks out of place. I need to do something similiar this year to get rid of my cube and make it look better. Plus this way the fogger is hidden and protected too. I am looking forward to finished pics and hopefully video of it working.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Thanks.

Got a little more done over the last couple of days.

Electrics are wired and insulation installed.









Switch box is on the left, two 120mm fans are supplying some fresh air intake, and the gray box on the right houses the outlets. Two are tied to the individual switches outside, and two are normal power.










This is the backside of the prop so it will be out of sight. I have yet to secure the fan covers (hence the tape) and I'm hoping once the exterior is stained, they will blend in. On the right are the two switches controlling two of the gray box outlets and an additional outlet for anything outside. I'm thinking I'll plug in a couple floodlights or something.










Can't tell from this picture, but the interior of the ice box is fiberglassed for strength and waterproofing. I switched it from the earlier design to favor the "reverse vortex" design. The hot fog enters from the upper PVC, bounces off the top of the box, then exits at the bottom PVC which is in the upper left portion of the picture.










Did a brief test earlier with so-so results. The breeze kept picking up and was really frustrating.

That's 90lbs of ice right now, will probably hold another 20 easy, and I'll test again later tonight. Surface temperatures of the driveway were about 85 degrees in the shade, and a quick shot at the output PVC read 60 degrees. So it's working decent, but the surface temperatures and breeze were working against me.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Look forward to seeing it in action. My only concern was the heat from the unit so hopefully the fans will take care of that.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Headless said:


> Look forward to seeing it in action. My only concern was the heat from the unit so hopefully the fans will take care of that.


Yes, that is a concern. Tried to find a 4" duct fan but could only find the 8" and 12" around here and they are huge. Had to go with the two 4" computer fans rated at 74cfm. Hopefully that will be enough. 
The section it is in also receives some air through the gaps in the planking and is completely isolated from the chiller section. No fog getting in internally. 

So far, through rigorous testing (read that as a couple beers), the fogger seems to be acting normally. I have the timer set on 10 sec bursts every 60 seconds. Seems to be cycling as expected.

There should be enough ice left to do some more rigorous testing after the sun starts to go away.

Air temperature is still sitting at 88*F
Ground temperature about 81*F
PVC at exit tube read 55*F

Still fighting a slight breeze. The fog hugs the ground over the concrete then immediately lifts when it hits the yard. (Ground is still a couple degrees warmer than the concrete).
I think the chiller is doing everything it can, but with this summer heat, I'm battling environmental factors.

:googly:


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

How much gap do you have under the ice in order to let the fog out? You may need to adjust that to get better results.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Spiderclimber said:


> How much gap do you have under the ice in order to let the fog out? You may need to adjust that to get better results.


The dimensions of the ice box is approximately 34"L x 22"W x 15"H.

The ice shelf is set at 5" at the fogger side and continues at 5" for approx 3/4 of the distance then slopes down to 2" at the very head of the box.

My thinking was to force the hot fog across the top of the box, then down through the deeper part of the shelf at the front, before finally exiting at the rear.

This pic was taken while I was still working on the box and before I sloped the front down. There are 4 PVC footings supporting the center of the shelf. The slope starts just after the footings.

The aluminum sheet I used is perforated with a gazillion smaller holes, and you can see where I drilled additional 1/4" holes spaced approx 1/2" apart.

I may need to re-design to get more flow through the shelf.










Not don't get me wrong, it was working decent last night. I'm still using an el-cheapo 1000W fogger and it was producing good fog last night. At the end of the output PVC at the foot of the coffin was reading 45*F on just what was left of the regular ice. The fog would stay low for a good 20 feet before starting to lift. The ground temperatures in ATL right now are just too high, even in the evenings.

I really do appreciate everyone's suggestions and comments. I'm just kinda making this up as I go along.


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## Haunted Spider (Sep 6, 2010)

Your aluminum sheet may be causing issues with condensing the fog as it hits. I am not sure if it would condense the fog anymore than the ice would but it may due to the restrictions on the fog going through. I use and most I have seen use a metal wire square mesh with 1/2 inch square openings. This allows for the most fog to go through while not impeding flow or using much surface area for the mesh itself. You may try that and see if your flow improves. 

The other thing is to try a high quality fog, such as Master Fog or Froggys. Both I have heard work great, and I am say personally that I use Froggys and love the results.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Spiderclimber said:


> Your aluminum sheet may be causing issues with condensing the fog as it hits. I am not sure if it would condense the fog anymore than the ice would but it may due to the restrictions on the fog going through. I use and most I have seen use a metal wire square mesh with 1/2 inch square openings. This allows for the most fog to go through while not impeding flow or using much surface area for the mesh itself. You may try that and see if your flow improves.
> 
> The other thing is to try a high quality fog, such as Master Fog or Froggys. Both I have heard work great, and I am say personally that I use Froggys and love the results.


I agree the aluminum sheet was not my first choice. I happened to stumble upon it at ACE hardware on sale for $8 so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm not even sure what it's actual use would be for, obviously not as an ice shelf. 
The small holes were a concern from the beginning which is why I drilled all the 1/4 holes. It's easy enough to yank out and try something else.

As far as the fog juice goes, I am using Foggy's freezing juice and so far really like it.

Has anyone experimented with fog during the summertime? I'm not even 100% sure what kind of results I can expect with this kind of heat lately. I know it's not going to be great results simply because the ground temperatures are so high.

Thanks again. :cheers:


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

I haven't experimented with chilled fog in the hot summer months buy I know I can produce better ground hugging fog when the temps are mild rather than cold during October in Massachusetts. Wet grass helps hold the fog down but the wind will always ruin it.

I also agree that an ice tray using a large wire mesh would create better flow through.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Lunatic said:


> I haven't experimented with chilled fog in the hot summer months buy I know I can produce better ground hugging fog when the temps are mild rather than cold during October in Massachusetts. Wet grass helps hold the fog down but the wind will always ruin it.
> 
> I also agree that an ice tray using a large wire mesh would create better flow through.


Agreed that the ice tray will be the first thing to go away for the proper material, but like I said, for $8 it was worth a shot. All I'm really out is a little time and labor. I'll pony up and get the proper material. 

This is also the first time I've experimented with fog during the summer months so I'm not really too sure about what to expect. I seem to be getting pretty consistent readings of 30-35*F colder at the exit PVC than air and ground temperatures. The fact that the fog is staying low for 15-20 feet before being warmed up enough to lift is also promising. I mean it's freaking hot out right now. Can only expect so much.

And unless I missed it while reading the monster chiller thread, I don't think anyone tested anything outdoors during the hot summer months, so only time will tell I guess. 

Thanks again for everyone's input and advise. It is greatly appreciated.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That monster chiller thread is...well, a monster. I feel bad for anyone wanting to pull information from it. The most important thing is pushing the fog through the ice. All of the others things are minor but not necessarily useless.

I like the whole idea Tokwik. You might have one a contest for testing in the highest heat conditions! Even the worst result is good information. Thanks for sharing!


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## Lord Homicide (May 11, 2012)

Tokwik - I want you to build my coffin for my funeral... that built-in A/C is slick


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Lunatic said:


> That monster chiller thread is...well, a monster. I feel bad for anyone wanting to pull information from it. The most important thing is pushing the fog through the ice. All of the others things are minor but not necessarily useless.
> 
> I like the whole idea Tokwik. You might have one a contest for testing in the highest heat conditions! Even the worst result is good information. Thanks for sharing!


The chiller thread is a bit infamous isn't it? I read it in its entirety over a year ago and I remembered people posting up information about weather conditions so I have perused back through the last 50 pages or so, but like you mentioned, there really isn't any information about summer testing. I guess I'm the only moron trying to chill fog in 90* temperatures. 

I'm going to change out the ice tray next week, so that'll give me an excuse to have a few adult beverages while undergoing rigerous driveway testing. :smoking:



Lord Homicide said:


> Tokwik - I want you to build my coffin for my funeral... that built-in A/C is slick


Built in AC as in alternating current?
Thanks, but it's pretty simple wiring. I just wanted something that I could plug one extension cord into and run the associated circuits. I put in a couple extra outlets in case I need to add anything later. Now I'm planning on having fairly low amperage things ( with the fogger being the biggest power sucker) so my heavy duty gauge extension cord should be sufficient.

As I start getting other things finished, I'll load up the circuits and see how much amperage the whole prop is drawing.
I may need to change some things later since I'm making this up as I go along.


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## Tokwik (Oct 12, 2011)

Finally a little update and to express thanks for so many that helped me all year.

Unfortunately, setup was forced to be last minute again and I really didn't get a chance to take any pictures myself last night. That being said, it still ended up being fairly successful.

Poor shot of my friend's house with the coffin set up at the corner of the walkway. The fog was doing a decent job of covering the front yard sloping down to the right of the photo.










Test shot from a couple weeks ago to show how the fog stayed consistant and low.










Shot of "Fred" this morning before teardown.
He was hooked to a gear motor that turned him 45* to either side. He looked a tad disheveled this morning, but the kids really liked him last night.










I was a little disappointed last night due to the output of fog. I wrote it off as a underpowered el-cheapo fogger because the chiller was working great.
Few quick numbers from last night. Chiller ran for a bit over 4 hours straight.
Ambient air temp: 50-55*F
Ground temp: About 40*F
Exit PVC tube temp: 8-12*F
About 120lbs of ice, 5 lbs dry ice, and salt mixture.

Then take off the lid this morning to find this.










This was actually one solid chunk of ice. I'm guessing about 80lbs worth. I had to break it up with a piece of wood in order to remove it.










Fog was getting through and I don't know how much froze together overnight after we shut it down around 11Pm. It was chilly in ATL last night and I expected some ice this morning, but not this much.

Any suggestions on preventing "ice Dams" in the future? Like I said, I'm not sure of the condition during operation last night, but I suspect that it was there in some form because of the decreased fog output.

Thanks again for everyone's help and suggestions.


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