Foam Gun Conversion to Cannon?

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Shaggy1970

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So about a month ago I bought a Foam Gun. Used it last weak and its worthless. I just bought a pressure washer and looking to see if there is a way to convert the existing gun to a cannon. Anybody try this? I searched the forums and couldn't find anything. I figure I will give it a go since I really don't have much to lose.
 
I dont think there is a way to do that, better luck by actually buying a foam cannon. The plastic components in the foam gun will not handle the higher PSI of a pressure washer.
 
RhetoricMixes said:
I dont think there is a way to do that, better luck by actually buying a foam cannon. The plastic components in the foam gun will not handle the higher PSI of a pressure washer.
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I looked at both, seems like the fittings on both are brass. The MTM Hydro which is the popular brand here looks very basic. I think I am going to try it and see what happens. Thought maybe some others had tried it before me and could save me the time and hassle. Maybe I should do a write up on how it goes! LOL
 
the brass fittings in a foam gun are not rated for high pressure (i wouldnt go past 120psi) where as the fittings in a foam cannon are rated for very high pressure (upwards of 2000 psi) but hey if you have the skill to pick chunks of brass out of yourself, by all means don't let us stop you.
 
Shaggy1970 said:
So about a month ago I bought a Foam Gun. Used it last weak and its worthless. I just bought a pressure washer and looking to see if there is a way to convert the existing gun to a cannon. Anybody try this? I searched the forums and couldn't find anything. I figure I will give it a go since I really don't have much to lose.
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Why is it worthless? I have been using one for a few years and think it does a good job for it's intended purpose is. Try foaming one panel at a time and then washing that panel or use the foam gun in conjunction with your wash mitt and shoot foam into the mitt as you wash the panel.

I don't foam the entire car, rinse and expect it to be clean. A foam gun gives you a nice even layer of soap on a panel before you apply the mitt, it doesn't clean like a foam cannon with a pressure washer.
 
cplchris said:
the brass fittings in a foam gun are not rated for high pressure (i wouldnt go past 120psi) where as the fittings in a foam cannon are rated for very high pressure (upwards of 2000 psi) but hey if you have the skill to pick chunks of brass out of yourself, by all means don't let us stop you.
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Good point, paying the 59 bucks for the hydro might be worth it! LOL
 
Meticulous-Detail said:
Why is it worthless? I have been using one for a few years and think it does a good job for it's intended purpose is. Try foaming one panel at a time and then washing that panel or use the foam gun in conjunction with your wash mitt and shoot foam into the mitt as you wash the panel.

I don't foam the entire car, rinse and expect it to be clean. A foam gun gives you a nice even layer of soap on a panel before you apply the mitt, it doesn't clean like a foam cannon with a pressure washer.
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I used it once and its performance was less than stellar, very little foam. I thought the whole purpose in using a foam gun was to get that think rich lather and let it dwell for a few minutes and then wash and rinse. When there is very little foam its tough to do.

Want mine I will sell it at a very good price since retrofit does not sound possible.
 
Shaggy1970 said:
I used it once and its performance was less than stellar, very little foam. I thought the whole purpose in using a foam gun was to get that think rich lather and let it dwell for a few minutes and then wash and rinse. When there is very little foam its tough to do.

Want mine I will sell it at a very good price since retrofit does not sound possible.
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What kind of foam gun did you buy?

I have the original Gilmour Foam Master (sometimes Foamaster) with all the brass parts. First of all, it really depends on what kind of soap you're using. I use Chemical Guys Maxi Suds II, which is a "medium" foaming soap, but when my foam gun is set to max foam, the foam shoots out super thick and rich. I've used my foam gun for nearly every single wash and I've never been disappointed with it.

I put about 30 to 31 ounces of water and one ounce of Maxi Suds into the container, give it a good shake so the soap and water mix well, and then I foam away.
 
I have Gilmore foam master 2 and the amount of foam depends on soap and setting. Certain soaps don't foam well and if I put it on setting E it foams really well. I have used DG 901, MS Ultra Gloss, CG CWG and Mothers and all have foamed well.
 
If you cannot get good foam similar to the pictures you have seen then there is another issue: wrong or not enough soap or defective foam gun (pickup or metering plugged).

With pH balanced soaps, you cannot expect a significant amount of cleaning. It may soften but will not remove greasy bonded dirt.

This is why something like CG Wash and Gloss is the perfect soap in a drive through car wash: nice foam, nice clinging, not pH balanced so good cleaning, and residual gloss adding to the appearance of a clean car.
 
I have a gilmour foam master with the brass parts as mentioned previously.

I also have the MTM hydro foam cannon for my pressure washer.
When I got my cannon I got rid of the foam gun thinking id never use it again. DOH! The cannon is sometimes more of a pita with pulling out and putting away the pressure washer.

I just re ordered the same foam gun and do believe ill be putting the cannon on the back shelf for the dirty jobs.
It doesn't really produce THAT much more foam for the extra hassle.

Just my opinion. If you want a foam cannon ill sell you mine that has been used about 3 times lol


Sent from my futuristic Apple device while in my office doing nothing.
 
Shaggy I think you need to perhaps try more soaps. OTC soaps tend not to foam worth a darned. When I first got my foam gun I figured I'd use up any and all OTC soaps I had. Sure enough... they cleaned well, but didn't foam at all. I could put 2 parts soap to 1 part water and still not get decent foam.
Switch to DG 901/902, CG HoneyDew or Maxi-Suds, even several Megs soaps and you'll get plenty of foam to clean with. (Maybe not thick mucky 3" thick sticky gooey foam, but if it's not running off it's not taking dirt with it.) ;)
 
I put undiluted soap concentrate in the canister on setting "A" using Duragloss 901. That whole dilution thing makes no sense because the settings on the foam gun do the dilution for you.

I actually put my foam gun away a while back because I saw no advantage to using it ....until recently.

I discovered that a foam gun's true advantage is not soaping the car and letting it dwell. As I said before I saw no positive result from that. High pressure water is better at removing unbonded dirt than any foam could ever do.

The beauty of a foam gun is being able soap up a panel with soap just before wiping it with a wash mitt, and then shooting a stream of soap just ahead of the mitt. That has two great advantages. It eliminates the need for the soap bucket in a conventional 2 bucket method (you always have fresh clean soap applied to the panel and the mitt...not recycled soap as grit guards do not remove all the dirt from the mitt) ...and secondly, you are applying a steady stream of soap just before the mitt hits the paint thereby washing the dirt away as the mitt lifts the dirt off the paint.

So don't throw the foam gun away. It can be a great tool and it can do things a foam cannon cannot do practically speaking
 
silverfox said:
I put undiluted soap concentrate in the canister on setting "A" using Duragloss 901. That whole dilution thing makes no sense because the settings on the foam gun do the dilution for you.

I actually put my foam gun away a while back because I saw no advantage to using it ....until recently.

I discovered that a foam gun's true advantage is not soaping the car and letting it dwell. As I said before I saw no positive result from that. High pressure water is better at removing unbonded dirt than any foam could ever do.

The beauty of a foam gun is being able soap up a panel with soap just before wiping it with a wash mitt, and then shooting a stream of soap just ahead of the mitt. That has two great advantages. It eliminates the need for the soap bucket in a conventional 2 bucket method (you always have fresh clean soap applied to the panel and the mitt...not recycled soap as grit guards do not remove all the dirt from the mitt) ...and secondly, you are applying a steady stream of soap just before the mitt hits the paint thereby washing the dirt away as the mitt lifts the dirt off the paint.

So don't throw the foam gun away. It can be a great tool and it can do things a foam cannon cannot do practically speaking
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^^^^^^Exactly what I have been saying and doing ^^^^^^
 
silverfox said:
I put undiluted soap concentrate in the canister on setting "A" using Duragloss 901. That whole dilution thing makes no sense because the settings on the foam gun do the dilution for you.

I actually put my foam gun away a while back because I saw no advantage to using it ....until recently.

I discovered that a foam gun's true advantage is not soaping the car and letting it dwell. As I said before I saw no positive result from that. High pressure water is better at removing unbonded dirt than any foam could ever do.

The beauty of a foam gun is being able soap up a panel with soap just before wiping it with a wash mitt, and then shooting a stream of soap just ahead of the mitt. That has two great advantages. It eliminates the need for the soap bucket in a conventional 2 bucket method (you always have fresh clean soap applied to the panel and the mitt...not recycled soap as grit guards do not remove all the dirt from the mitt) ...and secondly, you are applying a steady stream of soap just before the mitt hits the paint thereby washing the dirt away as the mitt lifts the dirt off the paint.

So don't throw the foam gun away. It can be a great tool and it can do things a foam cannon cannot do practically speaking
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That's how Larry from AMMONYC washes cars, the foam gun/wash mitt technique. I'm surprised I haven't done that yet, lol. I picked up on the drying with a spray wax from him. I like to heavily rinse my car first, then heavily foam it, let it dwell while I start my wash and rinse buckets, and then go to town. But if it's sunny and hot outside, I'll hose the foam back off the paint and then wash, still haven't caused any swirls or scratches.

I'm starting early tomorrow morning for my Iron X detail, foaming the paint with Dawn and will let it dwell until the car is fully washed since the sun won't be working against me. I'm excited. You know you have a detailing obsession when you're excited about cleaning for 6 to 8 hours. :laughing:
 
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