Props and water

[robos99]

Has anyone had any experience with submerging props in water as part of the scare? I'm thinking a prop with a submerged corpse or something that pops up upon being triggered. I'm sure it's been done before. My concern is how will the parts hold up in the water. Will latex fall apart? Is there something particular I should be using? And what effect would water have on pneumatics? Any concern the cylinder would rust?

[Jim Warfield]

Maybe a thick rubber bladder quickly inflated would take the place of a pnuematic cylinder. It wouldn't be corroding. Strap it down just under the water with those plastic locking straps, no corrosion there either.

[robos99]

I'm not sure that would get the effect I'm looking for. Wouldn't a rubber bladder just push the prop over the top of the water? But the way I'm picturing it, it would just roll around. It's pretty important that the prop be able to shoot straight up, and quickly.

[Gravely]

I think that Ed Gannon shows exactly how to do a prop popping out of a water filled barrel on the latest Bobeyard Productions instructional dvd, that came out at TW 07

[Jim Warfield]

A rubber bladder would just "Bob" around unless you had a guide system figured out to aim it and limit it's travel, like maybe a 6 inch diameter pipe for the bladder to slide inside of......
If your jumping up body was controlled via having the whole thing riding on one end of a teeter-totter type device, just making the prop end of the teeter-tooter slightly lighter in weight than the weighted or inflated end could activate it without alot of air or stress on the components.

[gadget-evilusions]

Make the prop frame out of stainless steel tubing, use an all stainless cyliner, and use all composite or stainless steel fittings. You'll have no problem with rust. Mount the valve outside of the water and run the tubing into the water and connect to the cylinder.

As for the latex, I am not sure. Guess I better go submerge a torso and see.

[Jim Warfield]

Would the cost of the stainless steel stuff be alot higher than the normal items?

[gadget-evilusions]

For the cylinder, no, most cylinders are already stainless bodied, they just need to have a stainless steel rod, which is usually only a couple extra dollars.

As for the frame, yes, for example, 1" x 1" x 1/8" wall steel tubing runs about $1.25 a foot here, where as the same size in 304 stainless steel runs about $5.00 per foot.

[Gore Galore]

Latex would not fair very well over time. And most foams used in this industry are soft open cell foams, which means it would just absorb water and then just rot.
But a closed cell foam might have a chance, but a good option would be fiberglass or thermo plastics like what a Bucky Skeleton is made out of.
Most people use the illusion of coming out of water.
For example a body coming out of a barrel that is filled with fog and lit from the inside.

I don't know if many people remember a company Called Horrorvision. Great guy, but they have been out of business for years. They produced a prop that popped up out of a huge water filled flower pot.

Good luck with your project.

And Gadget's suggestions sound pretty good.
I would definetely pick up the boneyard productions DVDs. They are good.
www.boneyardproductions.com

[TheCareTaker]

Mr Gravely is right Ed's DVD called Props made frightfully easy shows a tech you can use to do such a thing or just do like Rocky Point and thorugh an actor in the merc tell thier bones shrival up. JK

[Gore Galore]

Here is Ed's website also

http://www.somethingwickedproductions.com/