| Making
a better snow machine is one man's obsession
By Tamra Watson
April 17, 2008 | When most teenagers
were saving money to buy a new bike or the most recent
Nintendo set, Gregg Blanchard said he was counting his
dimes to buy a $300 air compressor.
Such a device was needed to break
down water particles into tiny pieces so when generated
through a pressure washer device and cool air, they
transformed into flakey white stuff. “I make snow. If
you don’t like it…sue me,” Blanchard’s Facebook page
reads.
Yet, the process of learning how
to make snow has not been as fast as the drive-in window
at the local ice cream shop. Blanchard said he has been
working on his invention for more than 13 years.
It all began with Blanchard’s first
experience skiing, he said. His family traveled one
hour from their home to enjoy a day at Sundance resort.
When he arrived, Blanchard said he saw the snow-making
devices and was baffled by them.
“I hadn’t even thought of the
possibility of making snow,” he said.
After the ski trip, Blanchard said
he went home, filled up a spray bottle and went out
on the back deck to make some snow of his own. Although
all he managed to make was some tiny ice particles he
said the idea of making white stuff always stayed with
him.
His design expanded to include a
three-speed house fan (purchased a local Deseret industry
thrift store) and a blue gallon jug (found at a local
office building). By cutting off the two ends of the
container and attaching it to the backside of the fan,
he built a homemade air compressor. This compressor
combined with a garden hose, a spray bottle and some
heavy glue generated a mist-like substance used to make
homemade snow.
Or so he thought. His second design
was actually only step two in his evolutionary process.
“I must have tweaked with that
thing every night for months on end,” he said. Still
he could not generate enough pressure to make snow.
Still, when most teenagers would
have given up, Blanchard did not.
“Gregg is very persistent,”
his father, Paul Blanchard said. “He doesn’t get discouraged
easily.”
Blanchard said he continued with
his creation by including a better nozzle (a common
one used to wash one’s car), and a used pressure washer.
With this model came the floods prophesied
by Noah, at least to his parent’s basement. One night
he said he connected his garden hose to an outside facet,
then ran it inside through the basement to connect it
to the pressure washer; and afterwards ran a second
hose back out the window from the washer to the snowmaker
outside again. Then he said he went to bed.
To his disappointment, he said a
quick connect fitting broke between the hose and the
washer, therefore filling the basement with water.
“My parents are very patient
people,” he said with a smile. “Basically they just
said, oh, there’s water in the basement.”
Blanchard said he bought another
quick connector, tweaked his invention a bit, and then
tried again. The connector broke a second time, and
flooded the basement again. Still, he said his parents
didn’t say much.
With silent (or supportive) parents,
Blanchard continued playing with his design until he
found success. He bought his first air compressor at
age 16, added a spray washer gun (one used at commercial
car washes) and a pressurized washer.
Three years later, Blanchard sold
his first snowmaking machine to some interested neighbors
for $25.
Presently, one can find Blanchard’s
snowmaking machine marketed online at his personal Web
site www.snow-maker.com. He said he has been marketing
his invention for about four years and has sold more
than 500 models.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever
purchased. I have loved snow since I was a little kid,
but I don’t get to see much of it in SC, but now I can
thanks to you.” Jeff Williams, a customer, wrote on
Blanchard’s Web site.
Blanchard said he will continue to
market his invention of success for years to come to
make sure everyone can enjoy a white Christmas.
MS
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