Customizing Our Foam Machine For The Better

Foam parties have become a popular choice for birthdays, celebrations, and backyard events, offering a unique and exciting experience for both kids and adults alike. If you're considering hosting your own foam party, we recommend buying your own so you can enjoy it over and over again! However, not all foam machines are created equal, and customization may be necessary to ensure optimal performance. Let's dive into the pros and cons of a typical foam machine, along with some innovative solutions we implemented to enhance its functionality.

The Foam Machine: Pros and Cons

We found the LANGXUN Foam Machine for Party to be an affordable option for us to try out. It's not professional grade, but we had hope it would work for our needs. It's a 1200W High Power Foam Cannon. Here are some pros and cons we discovered during our experience:

Pros:

1. High Power Output: The 1200W motor delivers a steady stream of foam, it was more powerful than we were expecting.
   

2. Easy Setup: Setting up the foam machine is relatively simple once you know what you're doing.
   

3. Simple to clean: Clean it out with a water hose after each use to ensure it lasts a long time.
   

4. Multiple options: You can increase or decrease the level of foam that comes out, producing either a solid stream or a snow-like stream. This was a fun discovery.
   

Cons:

1. Unstable Base: We found the base to be unstead. The base it comes with was made with a cheap tripod-like stand. Where we placed it, it was not on steady ground. We didn't feel like it would be able to stand up on its own, which would cause an issue during parties and a bunch of kids running around it.
   

2. Foam solution: The foam solution that comes with this machine seemed a bit toxic. We tried it out with some of our family and found out that it was getting into their eyes and causing them to need to run to a hose to rinse it out.
   

3. Power: While the power in this is way stronger than we expected, it's not the level of an actual professional device that you would need to spend over double for. If it's a windy day, the foam may not blow in the exact direction you want. We found a quick solve for this during one of our parties where we used a leaf blower to give it some extra oomph on this super windy day. Obviously, this is not ideal, but it worked for us!
   

Customization for Optimal Performance

To address the stability issue and maximize the foam machine's potential, we put on our thinking caps and came up with some customizations that turned it from good to great.

Here's what we did:

1. Custom Base Construction: Recognizing the importance of a stable foundation, we built a custom base for the foam machine. This modification significantly improved stability. We used a metal pole from Home Depot that we spray painted black. We then built a stable base that the pole could insert into, that we knew would not go anywhere, but was still portable enough to easily move around when needed.
   

2. Foam Solution Enhancement: While the original packet of foam flakes that came with the machine worked, we were not too big on the idea that kids would need to constantly wash out their eyes or feel like it was burning their eyes. So we found a different flake packet from Dr. Party from Amazon that was affordable and extremely easy to use. Their foam granules produced dense, long-lasting foam that seemed to not bother the eyes as much or have a strong smell.
   

3. Glow Foam Innovation: To add a touch of magic to our foam parties, we experimented with Glow Foam from Foam Daddy. This UV-reactive foam illuminated under blacklight, creating a mesmerizing visual spectacle that captivated our guests.
   

4. Wash station: We also built a wash station where we used a multi head hose attachment so we could have two sprayers that kids could come up to and press the trigger to rinse off or rinse out their eyes. This was a big hit!

This was our first attempt at using the foam machine, still using the original base and the original foam that came with the machine. We added too much water per solution so it created a watery foam. The kids still enjoyed it though!

Our second attempt was much more of a success! Using the foam packets from Dr. Party was so simple!

This was after we tested it a few times and were fully prepared to throw the biggest, most epic glow foam party we could imagine!

Final Thoughts

Hosting a foam party is a fantastic way to create unforgettable memories with friends and family. While off-the-shelf foam machines offer convenience, customization can take your experience to the next level. By addressing common drawbacks and implementing innovative solutions, we transformed our foam machine into a party powerhouse that exceeded all expectations. Whether you're planning a birthday bash or a backyard extravaganza, customizing your foam machine is sure to elevate the fun factor and leave a lasting impression on your guests.

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