Hey all,
I heard someone on CBC radio early in the week talking about home snow making and it really interested me. I'd seen the snow@home stuff last year, but didn't want to blindly buy their stuff. I am a mechanical engineer by trade so I like to understand what I'm building; not just cross my fingers and build something.

Nova Scotia has good snow years and bad snow years; the last two years we had snow in the backyard until April. This year is not looking as good... so here I am, lol.

I'm a snowboarder and we have a couple acres to play with. The last two years I've had a 12' box that has been open for ridding by New Years; this year I've only been able to hit it during a couple snow storms that were followed by rain and then freezing temps.

I got on the forum a few nites ago and I've been reading up the SM4 guns and the nozzle tech. I have a crappy electric pressure washer (1.25GPM) and a decent 60 gallon air compressor that I cannot seem to find specs on. It's a Speedaire 5Z185A; 60 gallon tank and twin piston pump.

So I just wanted to say Hi before I post up in the combo gun section and ask the question if anyone can find my air compressor CFM?

Thanks all and I look forward to making some snow... it's -13C today and has been for the past week!

Hello and welcome Ken.
There is a vast repository of info on homemade snowguns. The search button is your friend, a lot of questions have already been asked and answered. There are also a few sticky topics. These have all the info needed to make the basic guns.
Enjoy.

Raymond

the sm4 gun from snow at home in the free plans works really nice with the nozzles they try to get you to buy theirs just use 4002 for bulk and 6503 for nuke

quote:

Originally posted by geebee:
the sm4 gun from snow at home in the free plans works really nice with the nozzles they try to get you to buy theirs just use 4002 for bulk and 6503 for nuke

Geebee, the SM4 is not a s.....athome design, it was actually designed by one of the originators of the forum, I think Daniel Knight, but my history may well be a little rusty.

thats right i ment the SG2 combo

sorry about that

They may call it the SG2, but it's still an SM4, which was invented here, lol. Anyway, it doesn't really matter what the CFM of your compressor is, (although probably in the 10-15 cfm range) you'll have PLENTY of air to run a combo gun with that pump.

Personally, I'd recommend using an xx04 nuc nozzle, and you'll have enough air left over to run anoter 1 or 2 guns if you eventually pick up another pressure washer.

As fare as nuc sizing...Perhaps I am missing something since more experienced members seem to recommend much small nozzle than I calculate are appropriate. I shoot for 50psi seems to freeze the nuc nicely.

NOZZLE
Size CFM CONSUMPTION AT SPECIFIC PRESSURES
............. 20 PSI 30 PSI 40 PSI 50 PSI 60 PSI 70 PSI 80 PSI 90 PSI 100 PSI
TP**04 0.052 1.37 1.70 2.10 2.50 2.87 3.34 3.74 4.10 4.57
TP**05 0.057 1.68 2.10 2.60 3.10 3.53 4.08 4.57 5.00 5.54
TP**06 0.062 2.00 2.50 3.10 3.70 4.20 4.80 5.40 5.90 6.50
TP**07 0.067 2.60 3.30 4.07 4.83 5.51 6.30 7.08 7.75 8.53
TP**08 0.072 3.20 4.10 5.05 5.95 6.84 7.80 8.75 9.60 10.55
TP**09 0.076 3.80 4.90 6.03 7.08 8.17 9.30 10.43 11.45 12.58
TP**15 0.094 4.40 5.70 7.00 8.20 9.50 10.80 12.10 13.30 14.60
TP**20 0.109 6.05 7.85 9.65 11.35 13.15 14.90 16.65 18.40 20.02
TP**25 0.125 7.70 10.00 12.30 14.50 16.80 19.00 21.20 23.50 25.80



A/W ratio of other members