How can I make this? Animatronics?

[deathtrail91]

Last year was our first 'Home Haunt' and it wen't pretty well for a $100 budget and 5 people putting it together! We had about 50 people go through and several took a couple of trips. For 2007 we have decided to go all out, already purchasing several props and effects.

Would anyone know of a way to make a basic animatronic? Pretty much we are just looking for the 'popper' effect.

Thanks!

[SSP]

Well, the first pneumatic prop I ever built was with a screen door cylinder, with plans from hauntedillinois.com. http://www.hauntedillinois.com/pneumatic.php

It's...not really the safest thing in the world, I've heard that a couple of these screen door cylinders have malfunctioned, I don't remember the exact story, just take precaution when using compressed air.

From here I used the plans on phantasmechanics.com for the grave jumper. http://www.phantasmechanics.com/jumper.html.

OH and I just remembered, a prop I made for a friend of mine, probably exists somewhere on the web but it was a custom creation for me. I can't really draw it out at the moment, but in theory it's a popup powered with a bungi-cord. A pole, such as a broomstick, is secured on a hinge to the center of a long board. A bungi cord is attached to the center of the pole and one end of the board....
....actually I'm struggling here trying to explain it, I'll have to draw it up. If you're interested let me know, I'll open up paint and draw something up. In summary though, the pole is locked down, and when released springs up.

-Luke

[deathtrail91]

Well, the first pneumatic prop I ever built was with a screen door cylinder, with plans from hauntedillinois.com. http://www.hauntedillinois.com/pneumatic.php

It's...not really the safest thing in the world, I've heard that a couple of these screen door cylinders have malfunctioned, I don't remember the exact story, just take precaution when using compressed air.

From here I used the plans on phantasmechanics.com for the grave jumper. http://www.phantasmechanics.com/jumper.html.

OH and I just remembered, a prop I made for a friend of mine, probably exists somewhere on the web but it was a custom creation for me. I can't really draw it out at the moment, but in theory it's a popup powered with a bungi-cord. A pole, such as a broomstick, is secured on a hinge to the center of a long board. A bungi cord is attached to the center of the pole and one end of the board....
....actually I'm struggling here trying to explain it, I'll have to draw it up. If you're interested let me know, I'll open up paint and draw something up. In summary though, the pole is locked down, and when released springs up.

-Luke

Thanks for the reply.

That would be great if you could draw something up. Were really trying to get some idea's for this year.
Thanks!

[SSP]

Alright, here goes nothin...



From left, the bungee is secured, stretched over that small wall there which adds tension and acts as a stopper. The "stopper" (for lack of a better word) needs a bit of bracing if the force of the bungee and popup is strong. Bungee is secured to the pole, the pole at the base is on a pivoting hinge, and is locked down with a gate latch. http://www.hardwaresource.com/Store_...ts.asp?Cat=757

Upon releasing with latch, which can be done with a string or as a push button thing, the pole snaps up.



A couple notes...
It's all up to interpretation. If the pole hits the "stopper" with a heavy hit and has some sort of heavy mask on the other end, make sure you have some very thick wood or the pole will snap. Either that or tone down the tension, raise the wall so the point of contact is not so low, etc. The one I built stopped when the pole was vertical, and not leaning foreward as in my horrible drawing, which helped I think.

Also this can be a violent thing, and will probably knock someone out if they get hit with it, so don't let anyone walk right in front.

Hope this was useful and made sense. If not, let me know and I'll clarify.

-Luke

[Jim Warfield]

Make a teeter-toter with the display on one end and make it almost balanced so it moves slowly, make it so a very small amount of force at one end makes a tip in the balance, this makes it easier to reset it too!

[SSP]

And if worst comes to worst, it's a catapult

[SomeThingInTheIce]

And if worst comes to worst, it's a catapult

Funny you said that, this past halloween one of our homemade props, a coffin that has a large hole busted in it that a corpse tries to get out of had just that happen. When a group of UF students was going through, the head flew off and was cought be one of them.lol. I had to fix it and tell my brother, who was working the prop to take it a little slower.

[Jim Warfield]

The pressure adjustment valve on compresors are really not to acurate, they can pump up 20 pounds more or less, plus or minus.
This could have made new things happen when it seemed to be working fine, the presssure could have increased sort of by itself.
Of course moving parts can also come loose after enough moving.
I was told about a head flying off a sitting-up corpse in a coffin who lost it's head and it flew across a big room, neat effect but a pain to "Re-set" for each use!

[wipp]

lol thats some funny chit.we have a toetag terror prop thats head flew off once.100 dollar buget?that would prolly get u a cylinoid,a ram and a few 2x4s