Foam like shaving cream

[Dirtychuck]

I've been comparing my wash to other washes in my area and some have foam that looks like shaving cream coming out of their foam brushes.

My current foam brush setup is a pump for pumping foam brush soap from my hydrominder and a separate air line that tees together just before the boom in the bay. I have regulators to control regulate both the flow of soap solution and the pressure of compressed air.

What is the trick to create really good foam? What do I need to change? Is it in the mixing of air and soap solution or is it in the type of foam brush soap that you use or something else?

 

[ratfink102]

I've been comparing my wash to other washes in my area and some have foam that looks like shaving cream coming out of their foam brushes.

My current foam brush setup is a pump for pumping foam brush soap from my hydrominder and a separate air line that tees together just before the boom in the bay. I have regulators to control regulate both the flow of soap solution and the pressure of compressed air.

What is the trick to create really good foam? What do I need to change? Is it in the mixing of air and soap solution or is it in the type of foam brush soap that you use or something else?

I use 50psi air and 30 psi soap and it is thick. It also takes more time to rinse off which is a good thing.

 

[Ben's Car Wash]

I made foam generators that I can get shaving cream if I want too. The problem with it that think down here is it's too hot (Florida) and it dries too fast on the cars so I keep it wet and not as thick. It's foamy... just not thick as shaving cream.

 

[ted mcmeekin]

I use 50psi air and 30 psi soap and it is thick. It also takes more time to rinse off which is a good thing.

I assume you combine the air and soap via a foam generator.

 

[ratfink102]

I assume you combine the air and soap via a foam generator.

No I have the same setup as Dirty Chuck a tee at the boom.

 

[Dirtychuck]

Ok... this may be a dumb question, but what is a foam generator?

My current setup just has a tee with 3 hose barbs attached--air and soap go in and the mix comes out to the hose to the foam brush.

 

[Dirtychuck]

Alright it was a dumb question... I just saw a link to 'foam generator' in Similar Threads portion of this page... think I understand what a foam generator is now... might have to play around with this a little later after my wife gets home and I get a break from being a responsible parent.

 

[Ben's Car Wash]

wasn't "Ratfink" the villian in the Gidjet movies... the biker looking guy with the leather hat?

 

[rzeavy]

If you don't have a foam generator, you should install one.
My solution pressure is 40 psi and air pressure is 30 psi.
I open the needle valve 11/2 full turns and start building air pressure until I get the right consistency (hot weather a little loose).

 

[MEP001]

I don't like shaving-cream thick foam brush soap. I like to have it "plop" quickly out of the brush. One thing I always say: you're going to have customers start with foam brush on a dry car, so you might as well have it wet enough so they can do it.

Our closest competition, 2 different washes with one owner, has his foam brush so thick that you get a blast of foam for a second, then almost nothing but air for about ten seconds until there's another loud, fast blast of foam. When I drive by them, I rarely see anyone using the brush.

You can get a thick foam with a tee and no generator, but you'll need more air. I'm sure the $10 in parts to make a generator saves a lot more money in electricity over the years.

 

[Dirtychuck]

MEP--you have a good point. I see many people using foam brushes on dry vehicles. Right now my foam is just how you describe--it is a little soupy and plops out of brush.

Maybe my customers like it this way because I get a lot of brush usage.

I pulled my tee apart and in the 1/4x2 nipple coming out of the tee was some steel wool so I guess it is a mini-foam generator.

 

[RykoPro]

wasn't "Ratfink" the villian in the Gidjet movies... the biker looking guy with the leather hat?

Not Gigit movies, you are thinking of Eric von zipper in the Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello beach movies. Rat Fink is one of the several hot-rod characters created by one of the originators of Kustom Kulture, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth.

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[RykoPro]

MEP--you have a good point. I see many people using foam brushes on dry vehicles. Right now my foam is just how you describe--it is a little soupy and plops out of brush.

Maybe my customers like it this way because I get a lot of brush usage.

I pulled my tee apart and in the 1/4x2 nipple coming out of the tee was some steel wool so I guess it is a mini-foam generator.

Are you sure it was steel wool? It must have been stainless or it would have rusted away. We use plastic "chore boy" style packing (like what you use to clean dishes).

 

[Earl Weiss]

I would suggest this. A. you could try one foam generator to see if it makes a difference. I have thesame setup as you and the air and liquid mixing above the boom and traveling the length of the hose acts like a foam generator. 2. Increase the solution strenth a tip size at a time to see what happens each time cutting back a couple of times on the volume of liquid via either a metering valve on the solution solenoid or decreasing the pressure somewhat on the air operated solution pump. Be careful not to cut back to much on the piump pressure because unledd you have a check valve for the solution at the T, if the air line pressure exceeds the solution pump pressure too much, it can back up down the solution line.

 

[MEP001]

Earl is right, and for that reason I always set the air pressure lower than the liquid. You don't want a Procon pump losing prime because some idiot decided to pinch off the foam brush hose.

 

[Skipper Jack]

RykoPro, you nailed the Rat Fink question!

Rat Fink was an interesting part of the Kustom Kulture and SoCal hot rodding.

I remember my Rat Fink ring and copies of CARtoons magazine!

http://www.georgetrosley.com/cartoons.html

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_fink

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kustom_Kulture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Roth

for more information.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

Are you sure it was steel wool? It must have been stainless or it would have rusted away. We use plastic "chore boy" style packing (like what you use to clean dishes).

Years ago I saw a wash that used a home made plastic flow thru pouch of b.b.'s in a pvc tube.
At the time the guy was getting great foam.
Don't know if he still uses them or if he's still in business.