Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Making dry ice at home

hackaday.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 50 posts

Re: Making dry ice at home

#21

Post by JohnFen »

at_a_remove wrote: post #17

Dry ice has become really quite scarce in the last five years. It was explained to me at the ice shop I used to visit that there were changes in some shipping regulations, not too sensible ones, that resulted in a much higher price and a bunch of people just dropping out of the business. Indeed, that place finally got out of the dry ice business as well. Airgas has some pretty tight hours and in smaller towns, they d…

In my part of the US, it's ubiquitous. I don't think there's a major grocery store around here that doesn't sell bricks of it. But it all appears to be manufactured locally, so perhaps the shipping regulations aren't so impactful here.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#22

Post by gambiting »

JohnFen wrote: post #7
pmx wrote: post #2

it's actually much easier than this makes out. Sodastream bottle, some kind of cloth like a tea towel, pillowcase or even a sock over the end, let 'er rip and you have a chunk of dry ice.

At that point, why not just buy the dry ice directly? It would surely be cheaper...

Honest question - where do hell people buy dry ice from like it's the easiest thing ever, I've looked into it and there was no one within hundreds of miles from me who would sell to private buyers. UK here.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#23

Post by cellshade »

gambiting wrote: post #22
JohnFen wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that point, why not just buy the dry ice directly? It would surely be cheaper...

Honest question - where do hell people buy dry ice from like it's the easiest thing ever, I've looked into it and there was no one within hundreds of miles from me who would sell to private buyers. UK here.

Here in the US, you can buy it at the supermarket.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#24

Post by fragmede »

gambiting wrote: post #22
JohnFen wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that point, why not just buy the dry ice directly? It would surely be cheaper...

Honest question - where do hell people buy dry ice from like it's the easiest thing ever, I've looked into it and there was no one within hundreds of miles from me who would sell to private buyers. UK here.

US here. the large supermarket chains (Safeway) stock it as a normal commodity, in the front, next to the water ice.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#25

Post by [deleted] »

gambiting wrote: post #22
JohnFen wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that point, why not just buy the dry ice directly? It would surely be cheaper...

Honest question - where do hell people buy dry ice from like it's the easiest thing ever, I've looked into it and there was no one within hundreds of miles from me who would sell to private buyers. UK here.

[deleted]

Re: Making dry ice at home

#26

Post by wrs »

Our chem lab in high school (in the 80s) had a CO₂ tank attached to a metal cylinder similar to the 3D printed one shown here. You just hooked it up and turned on the valve to create a puck of dry ice. So if you need it frequently and have trouble finding it for sale, maybe look for the modern equivalent.

(It being high school, about 5% of the dry ice created was used for legitimate chemistry purposes.)

Re: Making dry ice at home

#27

Post by jws »

gambiting wrote: post #22
JohnFen wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that point, why not just buy the dry ice directly? It would surely be cheaper...

Honest question - where do hell people buy dry ice from like it's the easiest thing ever, I've looked into it and there was no one within hundreds of miles from me who would sell to private buyers. UK here.

Or https://www.dryicedelivered.com/ I wonder if they pack it in dry ice to keep it cold while it ships?

Edit: They do.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#28

Post by londons_explore »

at_a_remove wrote: post #17

Dry ice has become really quite scarce in the last five years. It was explained to me at the ice shop I used to visit that there were changes in some shipping regulations, not too sensible ones, that resulted in a much higher price and a bunch of people just dropping out of the business. Indeed, that place finally got out of the dry ice business as well. Airgas has some pretty tight hours and in smaller towns, they d…

In the UK and most of europe, dry ice is limited to industrial/scientific uses. No retail shops sell it.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#29

Post by savvo »

gambiting wrote: post #22
JohnFen wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At that point, why not just buy the dry ice directly? It would surely be cheaper...

Honest question - where do hell people buy dry ice from like it's the easiest thing ever, I've looked into it and there was no one within hundreds of miles from me who would sell to private buyers. UK here.

I once had to find some for the sixth form Physics labs where I was temping.

Chemistry lab at Newcastle University had a freezer full that they were happy to share from.

Theatrical suppliers may help too.

Re: Making dry ice at home

#30

Post by wincy »

upon_drumhead wrote: post #12
doloputer wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have never seen plain dry ice for sale anywhere, though I have not gone looking too hard. I have seen the dumping some liquid CO2 into a special sock method though.

They often don’t advertise its availability but most grocery stores in the US do sell it. It’s very useful for road trips, power outages, and shipping perishable items.

On Halloween, my grandma (I’m in the US) would dress like a witch and use dry ice carbonate homemade root beer she’d dole out to kids from a giant bubbling black cauldron. I thought grandma was an actual witch for a while there.
Post reply on HN