using a fog machine as a smoke machine

[Witsend]

Kind of a Rube Goldberg set up and it could run a battery down powering the thing from off the car battery, but with a battery charger on the battery , It's fused and I can't see a problem with a fire happening if I keep enough baby oil in thing to keep the heating element well submerged out of air and likely just run it a several minutes at a time any way.

Actually I was wrong about the heating element being submerged under the oil . You are instructed to only put 16 oz of mineral oil in the bottom of can while pouring some of it over the wicking material that arches down to the bottom of can to wick up oil , with the heating wire coiled around the wicking material. I tried it and it makes smoke ok, but maybe will make even more as the wicking material blackens after more use or I put a different vacuum connector on the end with a 1/4" opening than the existing 1/8" hole on the end. I was worried about the paint can eventually getting metal fatigued and splitting where the regulator mounts to the side , so I cut an old rubber exhaust insulator in half and tie strapped it to the can just under the regulator and that bolsters the area and provides better confidence for the paint can to support the regulator long term without metal fatigue happening to the mounting area of the paint can seam, I also attached a $6 HF 1/4" swivel hose whip ,so I don't have a larger heavier 3/8" shop hose with air chuck hanging straight off the end that could tip the can over. The paint can smoke machine was $75 including shipping , a quart of mineral oil was around $10, Swivel hose whip about $6.50, 3 HF zip ties about 30 cents, an old exhaust insulator was free. Always a Possibility I might need to use my fire extinguisher sooner or later , but for now this budget set up will have to make do.

[greasybob]

Now you just need a flow meter and a pressure vacuum gage.

[Witsend]

Now you just need a flow meter and a pressure vacuum gage.

Your right ,but I could still T in a vacuum gauge and an Oscar Meyer Wiener Whistle to tell if the system is sealed or not.
Seriously, I do think a .010 leak or greater probably would be plainly audible from inside paint can with a mechanics stethoscope as the regulated air pressure enters the can.

[Witsend]

Second Guessing Myself with a 97 Chevy Cavalier Rust Turd,P0442 small evap leak. Everything is rusty, but so far checked out except what I thought to be a bad gas cap , tried a brand new NAPA gas cap , still hear , smell , and confirm Soap bubble beneath cap at leakage at filler cap area. Oring seating area of filler tube is clean but tube looks rusty beneath it. Hate to condemn filler tube if that BarBQ regulator pressure on paint can Smoke Machine pressure is just slightly too high and overcoming the vent of the fuel cap. Anyone know what the max Evap test pressure should be. I think it is in millimeters of water, but can it be converted to a PSI and checked on a vacuum pressure gauge ? Maybe there is a adjustment screw on the paint can regulator I can back off a quarter turn or something?

[Witsend]

... what God has made to fix Da Turds. Dirtyrotonme 9:11.
Guess I shouldn't have second guessed my $75 paint can smoke machine. Under better lighting for my Old eyes, especially with help from smartphone camera zoom , I am very confident the hair line cracks in plastic of the Oring sealing area of the filler tube is the leak source and not the LP regulator pressure is too high for the fuel cap vent. Seems to me that a spray bottle with a high concentration of dish soap in it in the area that I smell and see smoke near by is what seems to pinpoint the exact leak source when dealing with smaller leaks than just relying on seeing smoke alone.I often turn off the smoke but continue the regulated air flow. Highly concentrated Soapy water has worked great for me to find some AC refrigerant leaks also.