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Making My Own Snow

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Aasnider
Beginner
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:34 pm

I am attempting to make my own snow gun. Not sure how it's all going to pan out but hoping for the best. You can find the plans here: http://www.snowathome.com/our_products/ ... le_kit.php
I thought about trying to make my own nozzles but figured $70 to greatly improve my chance of success was worth it. I picked up and old (circa 1970's) but big Sears craftsman air compressor off Craigslist for $40 and already own a pressure washer, so overall I don't have too much invested. The nozzles are supposed to come in tomorrow and I'll try my best to update the post as I work on it. I live near Greensboro so it may still be a few weeks before it drops into the 20's and I can actually try it out overnight, but you better bet I'll fire it up as soon as I've got it up and running and the wet bulb temp allows. Anyone out there given this a go before?
TSI
Beginner
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:31 am

Sounds like a good plan, I have built several snow guns and blow snow at our land just south of Chattanooga, TN
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18/19
Beech Mtn 1
Aasnider
Beginner
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:34 pm

killglobalwarmingnow
- Haha, wrong forum sorry!
TSI
- Your images didn't come though, might be because I'm on my phone. Any advice for me? I am thinking of using galv pipe for my water lines I know PVC won't hold the pressure, not totally sure what in going to use though.
TSI
Beginner
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:31 am

snow 4.jpg
snow 3.jpg
Snow 1.jpg
snow 2.jpg
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18/19
Beech Mtn 1
TSI
Beginner
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:31 am

snow 6.jpg
snow gun 1.jpg
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18/19
Beech Mtn 1
TSI
Beginner
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:31 am

nozzle.png
hago nozzle.png
Galvanized is fine 1/4 works great, I use the pressure washer nozzles listed from Mcmaster car, I run 2 nozzles, then the external nozzle (nuk) using the Hago oil burner nozzle listed on ebay anything from 1.0 GPH to 1.5 GPH with a 45 degree tip. I use 1.4-1.8 gmp 1000psi -1400 psi electric pressure washers, the air requirements are 4.0 CFM at 40 psi, total cost in the gun minus air and pressure washer line is about $50. I run 3 guns at at time, the slope is 150 ft long, all of my lines are buried I have 3 stations with air, power and water. I run a pressure washer at each station for a combined total of about 4.5 GPM output, the water meter is good for 6 GPM with no inline pressure regulator, if running at your house you might be limited to 2-3 GPM. I run the air line out of the ground to 5 gallon tanks that work as moisture accumulators and help cool the pressurized air. I use 2 air compressors that run off a signal pressure switch that are set to come on at 60 psi and cut off at 80 psi, they are both 220 volt rated at 15 cfm each at 40 psi. Since you do not need high air pressure, I recommend turning your pressure switch down other wise your compressor will be running way to much to try to get to 125 -135 psi to shut off, running a lower PSI allows it to cycle more and run for a shorter period of time, plus those old compressor tanks are ticking time bombs slowly rusting from the inside, would not push them at the higher PSI.
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18/19
Beech Mtn 1
Aasnider
Beginner
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:34 pm

TSI- Wow you have this down to an art. I am tempted to return the "nozzle kit", but have already opened it so I'll just stick with it for now. It seems as if the nozzles you pointed me to would be awesome and way more cost effective. We are on a well for water so I'm not sure how many GPM our well pump would push, and I'm not sure I would want to suck that much out of it. We will see how my test run goes, I have access to the large (400ish gallon tanks) that are built into cages that if I really wanted to I could fill from a friends pond and put in my garage to pump water from, but I'm more just experimenting now. The one downfall I have is that my current pressure washer is gas, so I'm going to borrow an electric one from my dad, less noise = happier neighbors. Also going from what you say about the air compressor I could have used a small pancake compressor I already had (it will run 3.4cfm @ 90psi) since your saying I only need 4cfm@40psi it should be able to keep up. Ultimately I will need to invest in my own electric pressure washer and a decent sized newer compressor. The compressor seems like the biggest investment. What do you set your outlet (line) pressure to on your compressor? Also I am now thinking about including an air tank near the end of the line so that the compressed air has a chance to cool. Also how much snow can I realistically make per hour off of one gun with a 1.6gpm pressure washer / how big of a whale can I expect if I run it for 8 hours overnight? Your pictures are awesome and thanks especially for the picture of your guns, I am going to use that as a template for making mine. Is the galv pipe 6inches long between nozzles? So with T's it spaces at about 7 inches between each nozzle? Only issue now is my yard, while 1.5 acres, is extremely flat and I could not stand a chance to get moving on a snowboard without being towed. I'll have to rig up a slingshot or build a launch ramp to get some speed to hit a jump. Thank you so much for all of your advice!
TSI
Beginner
Posts: 46
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2016 8:31 am

Thanks, it took many years to get here and figure out what works best. I do not have pressure regulators on the compressors, the maximum pressure the lines see before the guns is 80 psi, I do have a regulator on the outlet side of the cooling tank that is set at 40 psi to the snow gun. If running a regulator on the compressor set it at 40 psi, I take it you purchased an external mix kit? The hole size on the external mix should be around 1/32" for air blowing over the nuk nozzle. If conditions are perfect low wind, at 1.6 gpm for 8 hr. thats pushing 800 gallons, you can expect 3-4' deep whale closer to gun but an area about 30-40' long and 20' ft wide. I change the angle / location of my guns about every 1-2 hrs when blowing overnight, when i get 6-12" I move them. Spacing the nozzles 7" apart is good, that is what mine are set at.
18/19
Beech Mtn 1
Aasnider
Beginner
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:34 pm

Wow I did not realize I could pump out that much snow, I guess I had yet to really do the full math on it. I ended up going brass even though it cost a good bit more, all the plumping in the picture ran me about $80. The main reason for the brass was there is a lowes hardware 3 minutes from my house and they have a full stock of all the fittings at my disposal. I need to go back as I am still missing a few parts, as you see. This was just a rough construction, no Teflon tape or anything. Any ideas on fixing the air nozzle above the nuk? I was thinking maybe some JB weld. When I do the final assembly I am going to mount the whole thing into a piece of 4" pvc so just the nozzles are exposed. I feel like I'm getting close. It is supposed to be 28 on Sunday morning so maybe I'll get a chance to do a test, even if the ground is not cold enough yet and it melts, it would be nice to test it out. Do you see any flaws in my design this far? Thanks again!
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jt3
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you guys are on it! next is a homemade groomer?
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