# How to make a giant snow globe or similar prop?



## douglass (Oct 6, 2005)

Okay guys. I am starting to decorate for Christmas now and i have researched this question everywhere. But i figure you guys will be the ones to ask at this point.

I thought it might be cool to make something to hang over my window which simulates falling snow. I will need a way to recirculate the "snow" or styrofoam though. Any ideas on how to do this? I dont have one of those giante snow globes but whatever they use would probably work.

Thanks for the help!


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## sbbbugsy (Sep 24, 2005)

Build a box with plexiglass panels. Have a basin in the bottom for collecting the falling snow. Use a high power fan to blow the snow up a tube (a smooth dryer duct would work) runniing up the side of the box. Put some baffles at the the top to deflect the snow upwards. This should allow it to fall straight instead of swirling. Make sure the entire unit is sealed, but make the top baffles and fan easy to get to.

Play around with the placement of the fan and tube to get the smoothest flow. Avoid sharp corners or the snow may not flow well.

The bottom must slant towards the fan to help the snow move.

Steven


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## douglass (Oct 6, 2005)

do i need to sheild the styrofoam from actually ketting into the blades of the fan? or does it matter if all the foam balls just fall into the fan when turned off. I dont know if this will clog up the thing or not.


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## sbbbugsy (Sep 24, 2005)

*Fan*

I don't think the blades would be a problem, unless you have too much foam.

You have two options for the fan. The easiest is to use a fan that has a sealed motor. That way, none of the styrofoam can get into it.

The other option is a bit more complicated. Basically, you need to modify it so that you have two tubes; One that provides a path fo the styrofoam to flow upwards, and another to channel the air return separately and has screens to keep the foam out.

I would go with the sealed fan myself. It is a much simpler build.

Steven


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

A couple of things to add here.
First, if you are going to be blowing air into the box, then there has to be someplace for air to escape, otherwise you will be fighting backpressure in a real hurry. If you are going to have the fan inline with the flow of the "snow" rather than constantly pumping new air into the box, then the problem becomes the exposure of the motor to the foam or the dust generated by it, the foam WILL break down as it is propelled through the fan and box, and the heat from the fan motor, and the friction and static will have some other problems for you as well.

Second, if you don't actually want the motor exposed to the foam and the dust that will be incurred, then try a drum style fan, where the motor is offset and out of the path of the air and material. This is the same style of fan that is used for drying carpet or low lying areas. It would allow you to have the bottom of the box taper down to feed the material back to the fan when it falls down, and also give you a channel for shooting the "snow" back up towards the top of the box. You are not going to want a fan that runs very fast.


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## Soulencrypta (Aug 16, 2012)

Hey Steven,

My idea is to build a 'snow aquarium' with a (stuffed) snow owl in it for in my room, but I'm afraid that the wind will destroy the owl.
Do you have any suggestions that can prevent that the wind will destroy the owl? Thanks in advance.

Martijn


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