# Home Made Micro Fogger



## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

I don't know really what to call this, you guys can call it what ever you want LOL. I had seen many videos showing people using e-cigs to make fog but none of them explained what they did or how they did. At the request of Pirates of the North Court I put this video together showing what I did and how I did.

Personally I built this for an award I'm making at work. The award is for fellow employees that screw up, smoke electronics or just generally do something stupid. But I digress LOL, this isn't necessarily the forum for this.

Anyways. you can use this for a small prop that needs a little fog or to make smoke come from your hands, your imaginations can run wild with it and I hope this helps some folks come up with some great ideas and props.

I you do come up with some great stuff using this, please post it. I would love to see the creations you have made...






If anyone is interested you can get the parts here http://www.aliexpress.com/item/CE4-atomizer-newest-ce4-cartomizer-ce4-cartomizer-1-6ml-for-ecig-ego-t-ego-w-e/1750303708.html?spm=2114.01020208.3.2.R2CuEX&ws_ab_test=searchweb201556_3_79_78_77_80,searchweb201644_5,searchweb201560_7 10 units for about 7 bucks with free shipping


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

Nice job on the video.
How long does the fluid last? Do you get through a whole night?


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

Thanks..

I have not used this for Halloween. I can not say how long the fluid would last. These things were designed to be used in short bursts. It would depend on how often it was on. The current project I built this for turns it on for smoke at 4 seconds at a time.

I could always do a test and see how long it lasts in 4 second bursts. Maybe ill try that this week and report back..


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## halstaff (Nov 18, 2009)

That would be very helpful.
Thank you.


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

Very nice Chris. I have an E-cig, pump and some tubing on the way to do some testing of my own.


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

Cool David, cant wait to see what you do. I was thinking today what would be a good use of this besides the project I'm working it into.. I think I'm going to try and and build a dragon prop. This would work great with 2 of them in the nose to make it blow smoke out of the nostrils. LOL


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

Not sure of the prop yet. Sometimes I like coming up with the solution first !

I was playing about with using nichrome wire to heat (burn) oil or fog juice as a test, but love the e-cig and air pump.


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## toozie21 (Aug 23, 2012)

fogkeebler said:


> Cool David, cant wait to see what you do. I was thinking today what would be a good use of this besides the project I'm working it into.. I think I'm going to try and and build a dragon prop. This would work great with 2 of them in the nose to make it blow smoke out of the nostrils. LOL


What about something to simulate smoke out a chimney?

I'll be interested to see how long the juice lasts.


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

This morning I got a disposable e-cig in the mail. It's a thin tube (~8mm or 5/16") with a small hole in the output end and a plastic piece with vent in the other.

It was pretty easy to slice the vent end off, revealing a tiny PCB with a LED on it. I can't get that out to see if the pressure sensor is also mounted there.

Blowing into the vent end produces a pleasing stream of scented smoke from the other.

I jammed the vent end onto an aquarium pump and it had enough pressure to do the job, but as Chris said they are noisy. A low voltage DC pump will be the way to go.


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

OK folks, I have done some tests and here is what I found.

I ran the unit at 4 second bursts on and 20 seconds off. After 25 min only a quarter of the tank was used up. If I did my math right then that is about 6.25 minutes of continuous on time which you wouldn't want to do anyway.

I also found that some of the posts I have seen on this say you can run fog juice in these units. Well unfortunately in this unit that is not correct. I ran a tank of fog juice (Spirit Halloween brand) and it did not smoke. That's not to say some other brand wont. I had to run the fluid that was designed for it. The good thing about that is that you can buy different flavors which in turn makes the smoke smell different.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Interesting build. Though I wonder how this compares to a 'smoke unit' from a model train? I have a feeling the model unit might be a bit higher cost up front...but a lot smaller package...being completely unitized to fit a model locomotive vs having a separate pump, tubing, fog chamber, wires, etc.

Also, I don't know if loco 'smoke fluid' might be more able to make fog in these low volt / low heat units. I know you can get it in different smells...coal, oil, steam...and maybe some more pleasant ones, too. Though none would have the nicotine hit of the vape juice! lol.


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

Yes, the nicotine in the liquid is a factor. Lord knows that during all of my testing i managed to get a nicotine buzz LOL. the good thing is that you can get fluids with very little nicotine content.

Id be interested in looking at the cost difference between the loco fluid and the vap fluid as well as test the loco fluid and see if it works just as good or not, plus the different loco fluid smells might work better for certain projects.


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

Interesting. The disposable one I got to try (eBay link) says "No Nicotine".


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

David,

Yea i talked to my wife last night and she told me that you can get the vap liquid with no nicotine so its just flavors and nothing else. she also told me that you can get unflavored as well. She said that depending on the fluid you get it can run about $15 for 3 bottles


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

fogkeebler said:


> I ran the unit at 4 second bursts on and 20 seconds off.


When I hooked up the little 12V air pump that arrived today I noticed that the e-cig will only smoke for a maximum of 5 seconds at a time. At the 5 sec mark the LED in the "ash end" blinks a couple of times. This is probably to stop the heater from burning out?

As an aside, I got some 0.15mm and 0.2mm nichrome wire in this week so will have a play with using that to heat fog juice that is drawn up a fibreglass wick.


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## fogkeebler (Oct 2, 2015)

Yea those little e-cigs will turn off automatically. This vap that I have will stay on as long as you press the button. I think I have a video that shows the heating element glowing lol.

I also did some more research today and read how to make the fluid. A 1 pint bottle of propylene glycol (main ingredient) is around $15. There are 2 other ingredients to add if making it to be inhaled, that is the liquid nicotine and the flavor agent. I was thinking about picking a bottle up and experimenting with some liquid smoke for cooking and see how it works.


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## professor_key (Apr 3, 2010)

David_AVD, did you ever get a chance to test with the Nichole and wick?


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

Thanks for the reminder. So many things to do ....

I just tried some 0.2mm nichrome wire wrapped around a wick soaked in smoke fluid and it barely smoked.

My original test was with some oil (engine I think) and that smoked quite a lot but had a fair pong to it.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Well damn, I didn't know you posted this on here. I haven't tried this yet but I will. I plan to use it for a prop pirate pistol.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Ok, so after about 8 hrs of trying to solder two wires into the ecig over the course of 3 days ... no luck. I can't get the solder to adhear to this thing. What's the trick to this? I am about out of options.  I was going to make about 5 of these but can't get 1.


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

Are you trying to power it externally ?


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

I am trying to solder 2 wires to the internal "rings" like in the video on the 1st post. I can't get the solder to 'stick' to the metal. I don't know if its supposed to be a special solder or soldering iron? I'm just going by his tutorial but no luck.


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## David_AVD (Nov 9, 2012)

As far as I know they should be solderable with standard leaded solder. The trick is to use a reasonably high temp (~ 375°C or 700°F) and do the work quickly.


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Well, I messaged him for how he managed to do it & he said he took a screw driver and scratched off the coating so the solder stuck better.

I still had a lot of trouble but managed to get it done.


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