Beer Keg Foam Marker

Beer Keg Foam Marker SPRAYING Accessories 13-5-16 "I decided to build my own foam marker 5 years ago after pricing commercial units that cost $500 to $1,000. My "beer keg" marker cost just $100," says Jerry Newton, Anderson, Alabama. Newton's foam marker consists of an air compressor, air tank, regulator, solution tank (beer keg), and foam nozzles. "I used an air conditioner compressor salvaged from a Ford truck for the compressor. I added an extra pulley to the crankshaft of the engine to power the compressor and made an air filter for the compressor to keep dust and dirt out of it. A switch in the cab turns the compressor on and off. I used an air tank salvaged from a truck for the re-serve air tank and fitted it with 25 ft. of coiled air hose for filling up tires and cleaning out spray tips. This is a feature that no commercial unit has. "Air leaves the reserve tank and goes through a regulator in the cab which controls the distance between the balls of foam dropping on the ground. I made the regulator using a ball valve and two pressure gauges, one for air entering the regulator and one for air leaving the regulator. "When air leaves the regulator it goes to the solution tank. I used a stainless steel beer keg for the tank to prevent rusting. The tank is filled with a soap-water solution. Air enters the tank from the bottom. When air bubbles hit the soapy water they turn into foam. To make more concentrated bubbles I installed an airstone from a fish aquarium in the bottom of the tank. Two electric valves in the bottom of the tank direct foam to the right or left side of the sprayer. "Foam travels through a hose down the sprayer boom where it enters a foam collecting nozzle. The nozzle fills with foam until it builds up enough pressure to release one foam ball at a time. "I haven't had any problems in the 5 years I've used the marker. Works great." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jerry Newton, Rt. 1, Box 239-A, Anderson, Ala. 35610 (ph 205 247-3274).

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